Half an hour after Luna finished eating, she went to sleep, and Lan couldn’t blame her. Although it had been nothing like the days before, it had still been a hard day for her.

Lan was getting ready to take the bowl down when he noticed that the blue gems Luna’s tears had turned into hadn’t faded away like the others had. Each was about the size of a thumbnail, cut into a tear shape and the deepest dark blue he had ever seen, sapphires that seemed to bring on a melancholy just looking at them.

Lan picked up the gem as a thought hit him. The gems from fear faded quickly, but the ones from her sorrow lasted longer. Maybe they would stay until the reason for the tears faded.

Without thinking, Lan shoved the gems into his pocket as Tyr sent him an impression of Seras and an older man rushing towards the inn. Heading to the door, Lan stepped into the halls as he heard the older man’s voice.

‘My Lady, please, calm yourself,’ the man spoke with a trained butler’s clear, placating tone mixed with exacerbation.

‘What is there to be calm about.’ Seras hissed before noticing Lan and nodding for him to follow them into his room.

Quickly checking that Luna was still sleeping, Lan followed, leaving Tyr with the girl as he walked into his room just as Seras stormed around, picking up a lamp and looking ready to throw it before she checked herself.

‘What’s going on?’ Lan asked as the man moved to take the lamp from Seras, giving Lan a look at him.

At a glance, Lan guessed he had been right on the money by thinking the man was a butler. Although dressed in a heavy brown travelling coat, Lan could see parts of his uniform and the small monocle he wore.

‘What’s going on is they aren’t coming.’ Seras said, and Lan knew she meant the Summoned Heros, but the butler spoke before he could say anything.

‘Not precisely, My Lady. Lady Rin will be here as soon as she can.’ He tried to soothe.

‘And it’s not going to be enough.’ Seras hissed.

‘Slow down,’ Lan said, trying to bring some focus back and make sense of what was going on. ‘What is happening with… them?’

‘Lady Rin is the one who will be opening a way for us. Unfortunately, there was an unforeseen complication which required her attention. She will still aid us, but she needs time before she can use her ability again.’ even as the butler spoke, Lan felt his stomach drop, and the forgotten pocket watch suddenly felt heavier as he reached for it.

‘And how late are they going to be?’ Lan asked, knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer no matter what.

With some effort, Seras stopped fuming long enough to answer him. ‘One hour after midnight.’

Lan let a curse die on his tongue as he hissed out a breath. He could see why Seras was so upset. Somehow, they were expected to wait double their expected best-case scenario for how much time they would have if Gregor were seen in the town.

‘I know it’s not ideal, but it is only for an hour. Lady Rin and the others will come.’

‘The problem is we don’t have an hour.’ Seras sighed before telling the butler about their encounter with Gregor and the deal Lan had made.

‘Oh, I see…’ the older man breathed as the reality of the situation sunk in,

Lan watched for the next few minutes as Seras and the butler tried to devise solutions. Absently, he clicked open and closed the watch face as one thing ran through his mind. The fact that they had come so close to the end only for things to fall apart now stung, but that wasn’t what kept him from joining the discussion. He didn’t join in, as his mind was already made up.

‘What if we keep moving? There is still some time to plan out a few hiding spots. ‘If we change them every half an hour, can we not buy ourselves some time?’ The butler suggested, punctuated by the clicking open of the watch.

Seras started to answer but stopped as the watch shut, ‘Lan, do you mind?’ she sighed. ‘we are trying to think of a way to save our lives here.'

‘Huh?’ he looked at them. ‘Why? You and I already know what must be done. We go with plan A.’ Lan shrugged as Seras’s face darkened.

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ she snapped.

‘Pardon me, Young Master, my Lady, but what is plan A?’ the butler asked, making Seras sigh again.

‘Plan A is Lan facing Gregor alone and is off the table,’ Seras said, dismissing it outright.

‘Sorry, face Gregor alone?’ the butler asked. ‘The Gregor who gutted a fifth circle the equivalent of a silver adventurer with a single strike. Gregor the Undying, is that who we are talking about?’

‘Lan has gotten the idea in his head that he could somehow defeat Gregor. But we aren’t even going to think about finding out,’ Seras stressed, and Lan wondered if she was starting to care about him.

With a shrug, Lan walked over to the table and sat. ‘Okay, let me know when you think of a better plan,’ this time, as he opened and closed the watch, he did it intentionally, punctuating the passing of time in which no one said anything.

It was clear that it was the only thing close to a plan they had, even if, to them, it looked like he was heading to his death.

‘I know it is not my place to say this, Young Master, but this idea doesn’t sit right with me,’ the butler offered, looking from Lan to Seras.

‘I get that, but in the worst case, all I have to do is live for half an hour. Then, even if he shows and alerts the spies by the time they arrive, you all should be gone. Best case, I kill Gregor,’ Lan shrugged as Seras sighed again. And seeing that both needed a little push, Lan added. ‘If it makes you feel better, it’s not like you can stop me.’

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Seras met his eyes with a challenge of her own before she sighed. ‘Do what you want,’ she said, seeming to struggle with the words more than Lan expected.

‘Forgive me.’ the older man cut in once again, ‘but I feel I must say, I know that you have already faced him, but from what we have learned, Time is Gregor’s greatest weapon, a weapon he has Honed to a Razor’s Edge. If he can’t just outright kill you, then all he needs to do is wait until you tire, and you plan on facing that for an hour?’

Lan thought about those words and all the fights he had been in, for most of them, lasting longer than his opponents, had been his strength, too.

‘Then we will have to see who is harder to kill.’ Lan grinned, feeling his pulse quicken a little, the hunter’s song in the back of his mind like a distant memory.

Seras looked like she was deciding if she would choke the life out of him or not before she sighed one last time and turned at Lan with a steady look in her eyes.

‘Okay, what do you want us to do now?’

Lan smiled at her, ‘We still have a few hours. I will see if there is anything I can get that might help. Lucky, we are in a Link Town.’ Lan said, knowing there would always be some open shops, ‘Also, you wouldn’t happen to have any of those ice potions left, would you?’

Seras opened her satchel and looked at the two ice potions before handing them to Lan without a second thought, leaving her without a way to defend herself if he fell.

‘I’ll go check on Luna… keep her out of the way.’ Seras said, not meeting his eye.

As she opened the door, they found Luna with wide eyes, clearly having heard everything.

‘You can’t,’ she said in a small voice before running up and hugging Lan. ‘you have to say goodbye,’ she said in a panic. ‘you have to say goodbye or we won’t ever meet again!’

The words hit Lan like a punch. Lan could tell it was something that meant more to her from the desperation in her eyes, maybe something that held even more significant meaning to her people than for most.

‘I can say goodbye before I leave.’ Lan said with a soft smile, as the thought of if she had been able to say goodbye to any of her family crossed his mind.

Luna shook her head. ‘it… has to be right before… we leave.’ She looked down, and Lan knew this time she was lying. This time, she just didn’t want him to go.

‘You have to.’ she said quietly.

‘I promise.’ Lan said before Luna lifted her pinky finger up to him.

‘You swear?’

{Lan} the voice said before he could move. {Unlike before, this will count as an oath}

Lan remembered the title he had gained from returning his mother’s hairpin. In the eyes of the lords, this held the same weight. Was that something he could live up to?...

Lan linked his pinky with Luna. ‘Pinky swear,’ He smiled before he and Luna noticed she still had his Light Crystal.

Luna looked down and moved to take it off.

‘Hold onto it,’ Lan said, ‘You can give it back when I say goodbye.’

And that seemed enough, as Luna smiled softly at him, hugging him before allowing Seras to take her away.

[New Quest: Today’s Farewell for Tomorrow’s Greetings – You have promised to give Luna her people’s goodbye before she leaves. Failure to do so will break your title as an Oathkeeper]

[Reward: Unknown.]

‘Worry not, young master, I may not be built for fighting, but I know enough to keep the Lady and the young miss safe, so fight with all your heart if this is the path you are set on,’ the butler said, removing his travelling coat to reveal his tailcoat and a cane.

Shifting his sight, Lan found the cane to be hollow if the rings of glowing runes on the inside were anything to go by. That and the mana stone near that hand handgrip told Lan it was a weapon of some kind.

‘That will be a great help.’ Lan . ‘and… you can call me Lan, mister?...’

With a quick and sharp bow, the butler smiled at him. ‘Good heavens! My manners have yet to catch up with me after the long travel. Call me Wolfram, and just Wolfram, young master Lan.’

‘Nice to meet you, Wolfram,’ Lan said with a tight smile as he wondered how nobles put up with all the honorifics.

‘The pleasure is mine, Young Master.’ Wolfram bowed again. ‘Is there anything that I can do to help you prepare?’

‘Truthfully, I am not too sure myself. I don’t think I am going to find an anti-Troll sword or anything, but it can’t hurt. Can you watch over them while I am gone?’

‘I shall with my life, Young Master.’ Wolfram bowed, and Lan waved back and headed out,

It didn’t take long for Lan to realise he had been right. Although there were plenty of weapons, none was his level or near as good as his own. But the trip was not in vain, as Lan managed to buy a few health potions. Including one thing that made the whole trip worth it for Lan, even though it wouldn’t help him in a fight.

‘And are you sure this will work, young master?’ Wolfram asked, watching over Lan’s shoulder as he filled the last jar and carefully sealed it before dropping the last of the five jars in the chest and sitting back with a sigh.

‘If nothing else, it might give the troll a laugh and buy me a moment.’ Lan grinned

Wolfram looked uncomfortable at Lan’s joke, hesitating before saying, ‘You seem… ready for this fight.’

‘As ready as I get.’ Lan grinned, even though he had repeatedly been replaying the fight in his head. It really wasn’t a fair fight. A strong, fast opponent that had more than enough time to outsmart whoever they fought because they just couldn’t be killed. No, it was not fair at all.

And maybe that was why he needed to do this. The Young Master and the others. What chance would he stand against them if he couldn’t beat Gregor?

But it was simpler than all that. He wasn’t going to let Gregor or anyone from Leeto touch Seras and Luna, not when they had come this far. No matter the odds, if he couldn’t save one little girl, then he might as well quit. So he would save her.

Lan looked at the watch. ‘Half an hour till midnight. I should get going,’ He said. ‘it was nice meeting you, Wolfram.’ Lan stood as the butler bowed. He wanted to ask the man more about the people he worked for, but time would not allow it.

‘The pleasure was all mine, young master.’ Wolfram bowed.

‘Say, Lan paused, why do you keep calling me young master?’ Lan said, feeling like he had to ask.

‘Ah well, you see, you are a young man of note, but not a noble, so not lord and not my master, so, young master, is the highest honour I can give you.’ Wolfram smiled. ‘Good Luck, young master.’ He added, offering his hand.

‘I’ll take all I can get…’ Lan grinned before catching himself. ‘Thank you.’ Lan said before taking the hand and walking to the next room, where he found Luna and Seras waiting for him.

Luna hugged him as tight as her little arms could manage before letting Seras have a moment with him.

‘Remember when I said Leeto was the freest land as everyone has the chance to rise to their potential. This is not the end of your rise, Landrin Cross, that I know for a fact.’ She said it with an intensity in her eyes that showed she believed every word. Lan noted to himself that neither of them had said goodbye, so he didn’t either.

‘I’m off then,’ he said, but he found himself walking down the stairs with the two as Luna wanted to wave him off.

Seras watched Lan go and didn’t like a moment of it. She didn’t like anything that had happened in the last few hours. After waiting for almost half a day for the old man, she nearly ripped his head off when he said the summoned heroes weren’t coming on time.

And, of course, Lan would do just what she knew he would. He would head off to face an unkillable monster all on his own without even asking for help, and she didn’t like it.

Much as she had tried not to believe it, there wasn’t any way she could deny it anymore. People like Lan, who would risk their lives for others without an ulterior motive, were real—beacons of black and white in the sea of grey that was the world.

More than that, even in the short time she had known him, she felt like she could let her guard down around him. Much as she wanted to keep Luna safe, part of her wanted to protect him or at least what he symbolised too.

Although he had stood for almost everything she was against, it was clear to even her that she could trust him. She wanted to trust him, and the same things she saw in him that made her want to do so was why she now watched him heading off to face the impossible. And she hated every moment of it.