During their trip inland, Atilia gave him a quick rundown about what happened while he was off in dream world, and how they got an extra crew member coming along with them. He was naturally surprised to see another girl join their crew. Before they departed, Remy looked at the vessel that docked next to the Urkon Maria. The Ravart was the same ship that he saw leaving Forfoza’s port the other day, evident by the code on its bow, JN98. The ship looked magnificent from up close. Remy wanted to take a picture of it, but once again remembered that he didn’t have a camera.

She mentioned how the Ravart agreed to help after they knew Remy’s target. After telling him all that, Atilia went to sleep, recovering her energy, leaving him alone with Louisa. Wanting to know more about Barett, and as a way to push away the awkwardly silent atmosphere looming over them, Remy decided to ask Louisa.

“What do you think of Barett?”

He kept his voice low, not wanting to bother Atilia who slept next to him.

“Barett has always been a likable person, or so I heard,” Louisa said. She drove the carriage while using her magic to power the sails above it. Remy was impressed at how she managed to do both things at the same time, especially since he himself still couldn’t use magic.

The carriage sped through the bumpy road, trying to reach the village as fast as it could. They hadn’t met any demons so far, but the deeper they went, the greater the risk.

“Umm… can you tell me what you do know? About him, I mean.”

“He’s kind, and respects both outworlders and inworlders alike. When he heard about our predicament, he immediately joined in to help.” As she described him, she looked toward Mimiyat who slept next to her.

“Is she the one they called the traitor? So she’s back...”

“Oh… do you dislike her?”

“No. Not at all. I never spoke with her, only have heard stories about her, thus I have no right to comment on the things she did. Unfortunately, though, I only know of her nickname and not her real name.”

“Her real name is Mimiyat… Mimiyat… ah, Mimiyat Pukrakra.”

Despite the two talking about her, Mimiyat was too deep in her sleep to care.

“Alright, I shall be calling her that from now on.”

“How about Mimiyat? What is she like?”

“Madam Mimiyat? She’s a living legend among us soldiers of Juskon. She was a member of the High Magic Knights. People regard them with great respect, as they are one of the most powerful magic wielders in the country. Even being an ex-member commanded respect from most soldiers. Madam Mimiyat, though… well… Her sleep schedule does not mash well with most of us, or so I heard. After she left, people began calling her a traitor. I personally never heard of the name ‘Mimiyat’ before now.”

“Aren't the High Magic Knights disbanded after outworlders arrive?” Remy asked, watching as Atilia’s head tilted left and right with each bump. It looked uncomfortable, so he reached out and pulled her to his side, letting her head rest on his shoulder. “I only knew about them from Atilia.”

“Not disbanded, no, but their numbers were greatly reduced. Still, having a history with that organization is such an achievement that most people still treated them with respect.”

“And Mimiyat?”

“Madam Mimiyat… I do not know much about her, I only heard that she abandoned her unit and most of them died.”

“... That’s… not the full story.” Remy thought about telling her the truth. But Mimiyat wasn’t awake. He wanted her permission, especially since it was her life.

“You are correct. I do not have sufficient understanding about her to inform my own opinion.”

“I…” Remy took a peek from between the two front seats. The carriages in this world looked pretty similar to a modern car, albeit a bit boxy. Like a van, but less fancy and definitely not as complex. He looked up, finding the clear skies above him without a single cloud, quite different from the weather he saw down south. It was as if the Goddess herself was looking down on their mission, the sun a symbol of her warmth that watched the world below.

“I’m… not sure if I should tell you the truth…”

“Is it something Madam Mimiyat asked you to keep silent about?”

“Not… necessarily…” Remy agonized about what to say. He wished Mimiyat would wake up and tell the story herself, but she was exhausted from all the work she did last night.

“... Regardless, I should treat her with respect, right? She did serve our country at some point. ”

“Yeah, but I think she's pretty chill, I don’t think she’ll mind.” Remy let out a chuckle.

“If you know her, you won’t think she deserves that much respect,” Atilia said with a still sleepy voice.

“You’re awake?” Remy asked, but Atilia shook her head.

“Too much shaking,” she complained, her eyes still closed, only her lips moved.

“Should I slow down, Madam Atilia?”

“No… I can survive without sleep a lot longer compared to others. We should just continue. The faster we reach Barett, the faster I can get some rest.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Remy asked to make sure, and Atilia nodded.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry. Not like we can just set up camp here.”

“Actually, we could, Madam Atilia. I could set up a magic device that will warn us of incoming beings, demons and monsters alike. It will take a bit to set up, however.”

Atilia shook her head. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s just get to Lorto.”

“As you wish.”

Twenty minutes after they left the dock, they arrived at the gate to Lorto. Louisa pressed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a halt. The three took a careful look around them. There were no demons in sight, the village abandoned and silent. It didn’t look as much of a wasteland as he expected, though. If anything, it looked quite colorful, with many green plants surrounding its damaged buildings.

Similar to the post-apocalypse games he saw in the past. He always has a soft spot for those kinds of scenarios. There was something beautiful about nature merging with human architecture.

After making sure that the coast was clear, Louisa reactivated her magic and drove into the village, looking for the inn in question. Many of the buildings had collapsed, their wreck littering the streets. The rubble blocked their way. Not wanting to risk the carriage, they decided that they should walk the rest of the way. Before getting off, Louisa turned the carriage around, facing down the route they just went through just in case they needed to escape. Louisa then lifted Mimiyat onto her back and carried her.

They began their journey on the desolate streets, looking around at the scenery.

“So many buildings…” Atilia murmured. Many of the buildings had lost a huge portion of their walls, while some others had been turned into nothing but rubble.

“This village used to be a part of a warzone,” Louisa explained, looking at a building that had been badly burnt. All of its windows had been shattered, with some of the window sills left to rot. The buildings next to it had been flattened as well.

“At first, there were only a few groups of demons. They were so harmless that we considered them as nothing more than monsters. Little did we know, that the force they were sending were only scouts, and that they could return after their death. A year passed, and we found ourselves overwhelmed. Seven years later, we still struggle against them. Had the Marzendi Mountains not existed, we all would be dead by now.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“It’s that bad, huh?”

Louisa nodded.

“It is terrible. I remember watching the horrors as people evacuated to the south. I must express my gratitude to the outworlders who assisted us during that time. If they did not come, many more would die.” Louisa looked up. “It had been four years since we abandoned the north.”

As she spoke, Remy realized something.

“By the way… Louisa, do you know the Juskon language?”

“Yes, I know how to speak it. Why do you ask?”

“It’s just… you’re speaking to us in Pataranian instead.”

“Now that you mention it… despite carrying a Juskon flag, when your captain spoke with us, he spoke in Patarinian as well,” Atilia added.

“He’s a Pataranian, actually. Used to be in the transport division before he commanded us.”

“But he correctly guessed that we can speak Pataranian, even though we fly the Juskon flag?”

Louisa paused for a moment, looking at the ruins before her.

“We… The world was at peace before the demons invaded. There’s no need to have a large army. A small group of elites will do… but they proved us wrong. And now, there are more people from many different nations that joined in to help. We’re grateful for them, but frankly, teaching everyone Juskon is just too much. The Kingdom of Patara, on the other hand, is a much larger country with a wide trading network. It’s much easier to communicate with outsiders in Pataranian. Besides, if we met a Juskon native, we can just switch back to our language.”

“I see…”

“Ah, sorry for rambling off like that.” Louisa smiled wryly. “We should focus on our mission.”

Louisa looked around, heading deeper, her eyes filled with a sense of longing. Remy could only imagine the pain of losing her home. Remy had been inside his house for most of his life. Someone lucky enough to have a home, and stay in that home.

“Yeah,” he murmured, following after the knight.

They approached a large, two-story red building. It stood next to the main road, windows shattered and the door outright gone. It did look a bit better compared to the buildings next to it, though, its stone walls still standing tall.

“Mimiyat, wake up. We arrived at your home.” Atilia began shaking Mimiyat. It took a while before Mimiyat returned to them.

“Umm… huh?” Mimiyat opened her eyes. She looked around her, realizing she was on the back of Louisa.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Louisa. I am acting as your vanguard for this mission.”

“Mission…?” She looked toward Atilia.

“I’ll explain it later.”

Mimiyat then stepped down, walking toward the building. She scanned her surroundings before stepping inside, the other three following behind her.

“I’m home," she muttered as she entered through the front door. Inside, the paint had begun to deteriorate, exposing the stone underneath, filled with cracks and damage. Some of the walls close to the window had even been growing moss. Water dripped from the ceiling, the floor formed by damaged tilings and pieces of shattered windows. Behind the reception desk was a set of stairs that led up to the second floor. Many parts of the railing had either been terribly damaged or outright missing. The inn’s name survived, however, hung up proudly behind the desk.

“Pukrakra’s… home?” Atilia approached the sign.

“My father thought it’s a good idea to name the inn like that,” Mimiyat answered, approaching the front desk, letting her hand run through the rough wooden surface.

“Mom… Dad… I’m so sorry.”

“Mimiyat…” Atilia stepped forward and hugged her from behind. Tears began rolling down Mimiyat’s cheeks. Remy and Louisa stepped backward to give her space.

“I… I’ll wait outside,” Louisa murmured and left the building. Not wanting to bother Mimiyat, Remy did the same. Outside, Louisa didn’t look any more happier. She looked at the empty, desolate village. She noticed Remy stepping out behind her, and tried reattaching a straight expression on her face.

“Sir Remy?” she asked, hiding her emotions.

“She… probably needs some space,” Remy answered, although he realized that Louisa needed some alone time as well. He couldn’t even begin to fathom the pain of the two, seeing their homeland wrecked and destroyed.

“Yeah, that is a wise decision.” Louisa began walking to the other side of the road, careful to not step on any rubble. There were holes in the road, debris, and various other stuff mixed in to make one, massive mess. She managed to find an empty space on the other side of the road and stood there.

“Can I sit down?” she asked, catching Remy by surprise.

“Of course. Feel free to. You don’t need to ask for my permission.”

“Thank you.” She set her shield down in front of her and sat.

“You don’t need to thank me for that,” Remy said. He looked for an empty spot next to her, making sure to give her some space.

“It’s part of my responsibility, sir Remy. As your vanguard, it is my job to make sure you know what I am doing at all times.”

“I can still see you, though.”

“Yes, but you must also know what I am planning on doing.”

“You don’t have to… It’s really complicated, isn’t it?”

“Well, you will get used to it.”

“Haha, yeah. We need to fight the demons, after all.”

“Yeah…”

The conversation died down. A breeze blew past, blowing his hair around. Despite being in demon territory, it didn’t feel like it. Other than the destruction the demons caused, the lack of demons made it feel like they were simply in an abandoned town.

Yet sitting there, thinking of the people that once lived there. Their hopes, their dreams, crushed by the demon’s invasion. The people they lost, friends and family alike. The memories they left behind. He could only imagine the amount of pain and suffering the demons brought into this world. He needed to get stronger, so he could help. So he could push the demons back, so he could give Mimiyat and Louisa a chance to return home.

So he could grant Atilia’s wish, to explore the world. To see the things she wasn’t able to see before. He needed to get stronger, he needed to fight, for the sake of those who lived here.

He lifted his head. Across from where he sat, Mimiyat cried her tears out, Atilia standing next to her, giving her the support she needed.

It felt uncomfortable staring straight at her, but at the same time, this was the only place in the street where he could sit down.

… Maybe I should just stand?

Feeling uncomfortable, He decided to walk somewhere, still keeping himself within Louisa’s vision. But when he stood up, she stood up as well.

“You can just sit. Carrying Mimiyat and all that armor is heavy, after all.”

“I must say I agree, although Mimiyat isn’t as heavy as I expected. Still, I can and must accompany you if you are going to go somewhere.”

“Ah, no. I’m staying here, I just don’t want to bother them.”

Louisa looked confused for a moment. She looked toward the inn.

“Ah, I see.”

She moved away, sliding a bit farther from the door before sitting back down.

“It must be hard for Madam Mimiyat. I saw so much destruction before, but I didn’t lose my home.”

“Wait… you came from the south?”

“Correct.”

“I thought you came from the north.”

“My father is a merchant, and when I was little, he brought me along for some of his trips. I actually have some friends that came from this very town.”

“Are they… alright?”

“... They’re… all in a better place now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.” Louisa gave him a smile. Remy thought about something else to talk about when he heard footsteps coming from the left, from one of the spaces between buildings.

“... Soldiers?” A man approached them, carrying a basket in his arms. He had brown skin and a tidy haircut. He wore a white shirt and black short pants. A golden hammer hung on his waist.

“Is something going on?” he asked as he approached. His flat expression reminded him of Mimiyat when she’s sleepy, just without the tired eyes. Louisa stood up, facing him.

“Are you Sir Barett, by any chance?” she asked. Now that she mentioned it, Remy did feel like he recognized his face.

The man widened his eyes for a moment, but quickly returned to his previous expression. “So you know me. Yes, I am.”

“Oh… um…,” Louisa paused, trying to find the correct words. “We’re… here to take you back. Yes, we are here to bring you back.”

Barett raised his eyebrow.

“Take me back? Am I needed?”

“Yes, we need you and will really appreciate your assistance, Sir Barett.”

Louisa stood straight, putting her left arm diagonal across her chest, her right arm straight down, before bowing her head. Not knowing what to do, Remy bowed his head as well.

“Thank you for the respect, but just treat me like a normal person. What do you need me for?”

“Umm…” Louisa looked toward Remy, her eyes asking for help.

“... You’re the one that said you needed him?”

“Well… If Sir Barett returns to Juskon with us, he will be a great help. But, we’re not the reason we came here.”

“Ah, right.”

“Sorry, but can you explain to me what is going on?” Barett approached.

“The thing is, Mimiyat is looking for you.”

“Mimiyat, huh…” Barett nodded. He was acting surprisingly calm. It made Remy wonder if Barett even needed them in the first place.

“It had also been a while since I last contacted her. Please take me to her.”

“She’s there.” Remy pointed toward the inn.

“I see.” Barett began walking toward the inn. They went to the front desk, where Atilia was hugging Mimiyat. She saw them, her eyes going from Remy to Louisa then to Barett.

“Mimi,” Barett called out. Mimiyat lifted her head, still wet from all the tears, looking toward Barett.

Barett let out a thin smile. “Welcome home.”