The walk back was silent, with barely any conversation. It was mostly small talk between Katsumi and Yasune, to which Nashiro was relieved by. The last thing he wanted was questions flying towards him about his actions today.

They arrived at Yasune’ home and she unlocked the door, letting them in. The setting sun was giving the shop a nice glow, especially since it was all cleaned up and all the messy clothing were placed on shelves or hangers.

“I didn’t know this place could be spotlessly clean like this,” Katsumi muttered.

“Nashiro was a big help,” Yasune praised.

He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, “It was nothing. Yasune taught me a few things about folding clothes so it was mostly her.”

“Both of you must be hungry. I’ll get dinner ready,” Yasune quickly turned and headed to the kitchen, “Oh, Miss Katsumi, you should stay here tonight.”

“Oh, I really can’t. The base is left unprotected so I should get going.”

“Travelling after dark isn’t safe at all. You don't want to get ambushed out there, even with your experience, it's dangerous.”

Katsumi wasn’t sure about it. She hadn’t seen Ariya this morning and was concerned that the base was left by itself.

‘I can leave it to Peach if I really wanted to. She knows when I’m more than a day away, she has a duty to watch over the barrier and look out for any activity.’ She looked outside as the last lights of the day were fading away, ‘Traveling after the sun has set is risky. Guess I’m left with no choice.’

“You convinced me. I’m staying over and you don’t have to call me ‘Miss’. Katsumi is fine.”

“I’m glad. Would you like to help me with the cooking?”

“In a bit. I need to have a chat with Nashiro.”

“Okay, i’ll get a head start.”

When she left, she turned to Nashiro who was sitting down behind the desk.

“Start talking!” She ordered.

“Huh?”

“You heard me. What were you doing today? How did you get yourself imprisoned?”

She leaned against the desk.

He sighed and explained the entire thing, including the details she asked afterwards.

“I don’t understand you! Why would you put yourself in such danger?”

“I-i…”

“You could have been killed! Whatever reason you have, It can only be something dumb…”

She ranted at him. At a point, he turned her off and looked towards the floor because he didn’t want to hear it.

‘This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I was reckless but I deserve a bit of praise. Just a little. I’m not asking for much, am I? Instead, I have to listen to her rant at me for being careless and that I was going to die. I did the right thing, didn't I?!’

“Are you listening to me?!” She raised her voice at him and made him snap back to reality.

“Can you shut up for a second?” Katsumi was left stunned at being told to shut up.

“Huh? Did you tell me to shut up?”

“I did a good thing. I stopped the robber and brought him into custody,” he stood up, “I know it was reckless and I could have died because of it. But, for some reason, my body went on its own to stop him.”

“Instinct? I don’t buy it. Unless, that was something you did before your memory loss.”

“I can’t say whether I did or didn’t,” he stood up, looking at her, ”believe what you want, but I’m tired of getting smacked, kicked and downgraded for an action I thought was righteous.” He walks by her and brushes her shoulder as he goes up to his room.

Katsumi moved aside, feeling more confused than angry now. She noticed that he shook his head as he went up the strairs. He was hurt by her rant or rather temper tantrum.

It was dark but the moonlight was giving him some well-needed light. He opens the window and takes a deep breath, thinking about what he said.

‘I meant what I said but I was slightly edgy there. I hope she didn’t take it personally,’ he leaned forward, ‘I’m not taking any more slander but I'm definitely not doing any more heroics anytime soon. I might not be so lucky next time and that was what helped me back there. If he didn’t fall for my bluff, it would have been a different story. I don’t understand magic and I have no clue if I truly have any,’ A calm breeze had cooled him off but with it was the city’s stench of indecent content that made him go close the window quickly and nearly pass out.

“I must be living near a corpse! Barf!” He covered his nose and mouth as he was close to throwing up.

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

Katsumi and Yasune started cooking together.

“I think I angered him,” Katsumi mentioned as she put some wood into the stove to get the fire going.

“What makes you think that?” Yasune cut up some potatoes.

“The look on his face and the brush against the shoulder said enough,” she rubbed her arm.

“I was concerned for him too. I didn’t know what happened to him, after I heard from the folk around town that a boy was arrested, I only thought the worse,” she placed the potatoes in the pot, “Thankfully, you arrived and calmed me down. I trusted that with your authority, you could get him out.”

“It wasn’t me that got him out.”

“Oh?” Yasune looked over.

“It was Zaga. He walked in with his fancy clothes and cane and told them what really happened,” she picked up a few tomatoes and a knife, “The only thing I did was walk him out,” she frowned.

“Hmm…” Yasune hummed as she took a long wooden spoon and twirled the contents in the pot as Katsumi brought over the potatoes she cut up.

“Is it bothering you?”

“What?”

“Him being upset at you?”

“No,” she shook her head, “I don’t really care. I wanted him to know the possible concequences to do what he did. The next time he does a stunt like that, he could get killed.”

“Are you sure that’s all?”

“Yeah… Where does this go?” She motioned to the bowl she was holding.

“That’s going to be the salad. Put it on the table and add some salt to it, please.”

“Right,” She walked away.

‘Something about her doesn’t feel natural. What burden are you carrying, Katsumi?’ She glanced at Katsumi before focusing on the pot.

An hour passed and the pot was boiling, with a great smell coming out of it.

“Set up the table for us, i’ll get Nashiro.”

“On it!” Katsumi grabbed the plates as Yasune walked towards his room.

She knocked on the door a couple of times but no response.

“Nashiro? Are you sleeping?” She stated as she slowly moved the handle and peeked through the door.

“Yes?” Nashiro responded as he was changing his shirt.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” She walked in and turned on the small lantern in his room that lit up the room more.

“I was looking for something to wear since,” he showed her his old one that looked like a cut up piece of moldy cheese. Not only was it dirty, it was full of sweat and uncomfortable to wear. While he was temporarily in jail, he started to feel chilly and the air around the place was not favorable.

Unfortunately for him, the lack of clothes was troublesome especially since he just got one yesterday and it's already unwearable.

"This is what is left of it?" She picked up the shirt.

"Yeah…" He looked away in embarrassment, "I'm ashamed that the shirt you gave me ended up in that state," he lowered his head.

"Don't worry about it. Although it was a waste of materials and my hard work, due to the situation you ended up in, I'm not going to scold you for it," she came closer and smiled. But her smile didn't last long, she made a face that said she was uncomfortable before she jumped back and covered her nose.

"Oh my! You need a bath!"

She stated as she kept her distance from him.

"Really?" he smelled his armpits before almost knocking himself out with the smell, "Yikes! I do smell!"

"C-can I take a bath?" He anxiously asked.

"I don't have any clean water. I'll have to go get some tomorrow."

"I-i… I can't leave this room"

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He stammered and sat on the bed

"But dinner is ready…"

"I can't go out there with Katsumi here. I don't want to embarass myself in front of her."

Under no circumstances, was he going to go near Katsumi. He didn't know if she would run away or laugh at him but it worried him. She was already upset with him and this would top it off.

"Okay," she disappointingly headed to the door.

"Don't tell her!" He glanced over at her, "Please," he whispered.

Yasune nodded and closed the door. She was mildly glad that he didn't come. It would have been uncomfortable for them at the dinner table and they would have had to either move away from him or make him sit somewhere else.

'This complicates things…' She sighed and went back to Katsumi who had already set everything in place.

"I've already filled the plates, hope you don't mind. Where's Nashiro though?"

"He's… he's… he said that he didn't feel well and that I should bring him his plate."

"He's upset, isn't he?" She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

"N-no… I never said he was. He's just…"

"It's fine… I'll bring him his food."

"I got it Katsumi, you should sit and eat yourself."

"I'll apologise if that's what he really wants. He is my responsibility after all."

"Responsibility?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I told you this. He might have important information somewhere in his foggy mind that would be useful to finding out what happened in Camia."

She giggled, "It slipped my mind."

'She's a decisive one and at a young age too. I wonder how far her good heart can take her…'

"I can't allow that though. He personally asked me to bring him food."

"Did he now? So he is getting a big head now." she was definitely disapproving of Nashiro's attitude.

'Oh dear, this is spiraling out of control.'

Yasune faked a cough.

'I'll put an end to this,'

"Miss Katsumi!" She put her hands on her hips and put on an imposing voice, "You're taking my words and twisting them to your own interpretation. I dislike that sort of attitude so take a breath and. Sit. Down!"

She crossed her arms when she finished speaking. Katsumi, in turn, toned down and sat in her chair.

"I apologise…" She muttered and frowned.

Yasune sat in her own chair and reached her hand out to her, touching her shoulder.

"I want you to understand that some people need their space. What he did today was dangerous and irresponsible of him, but I can also understand why he did it."

Katsuni looked up at her as she continued, "Seeing innocent people hurt and get robbed in front of you, irks you. Not many people have the bravery to stop them and the authorities that have the tools and power to do it, allow them to get away without much effort. He may have lost his memories but he has a strong heart to right the wrong if he notices."

Katsumi turned to the side and nodded gently.

She was opening her mouth but couldn't say anything.

Yasune grabbed the bowl that was intended to Nashiro and handed it to her.

"Whatever you're trying to tell me, say it to him."

She took the bowl, smiled and gave her a simple nod with a gentle expression.

…

Nashiro didn't know how to get the smell off him. It's

Someone knocking on the door spooked him.

'Oh right, it's Yasune…'

He stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey…"

'That voice… it's…' he realised and stopped at the door.

"You can hear me right?," Katsumi leans on the door and sighs, "I know you won't talk to me so I'll keep it short."

Nashiro took a step back and stayed quiet but was willing to listen to her.

“I didn’t rant because you stepped in and became a ‘hero’ for stopping that guy. I just wanted you to be aware that you can’t throw your life into danger. There are people who hate those who act heroic and they'll do their best to get rid of them swiftly. Maybe it was a good thing that you got locked up for a short while so word doesn’t spread quickly."

‘What does she mean by that? Are there hunters that look for people that defend others? Sounds unrealistic but considering my knowledge of the world is limited, I can’t brush it off.’

He thought and clenched his fist.

“Also,” she continued, “ You want your memories back, right? If you value them, you should keep yourself out of trouble.”

‘I planned on it anyway. Trying that stunt again would only get me into more trouble than before.’

“If you do that… I’ll help you find out. That’s a promise from me that you can grasp onto for now. It might take me a while but even if I have to throw myself into a dark abyss with no way of escaping, I wouldn’t hesitate.”

“Why are you telling me this?! You don’t have to do anything! You’re a successful young woman and you’re going to help someone who you met a few days ago. I can’t allow that!”

He stepped up to open the door but stopped himself,

'The smell that’ll come off me won’t be nice to deal with. Shit!'

“That’s all I wanted to say. Here’s your food!”

She lowered the plate to the floor and her shadow left from under the door.

Once he heard her leave, he opened the door and there was his plate of food but Katsumi had left the hallway.

He pushed the door open more and grabbed the plate.

Looking at the hallway, he thought to himself, ‘You’re a great person, Katsumi, but I can’t let you push yourself that far. This is something I got to do on my own. I have to find out by myself if I ever want to know what happened to the guy I was before, my family and friends, everything.’

He took a piece of a tomato and put it in his mouth as he went back in and closed the door.

…

While Nashiro was having troubles with himself, in the town he was residing in, named Tarrin, there was a particular manor that was the second or third richest in the area. It was a large, two story household with a beautiful front yard. A nicely paved stone path with decorative bushes of different animals by its side.There were a few bodyguards around the place to keep the peace and safeguard the premise. The house itself was luxurious from the outside and the inside was no different. A tall man with red hair, walked up to the headmaster’s office and knocked on the door.

“Come in!” A calm voice welcomed him in.

The room was one of the smallest in the mansion. It had a desk with a bunch of stacked papers on the side and behind it a chair with a couple of diamonds decorating the fabric that was there. Behind where the headmaster stood was a large window that was shaped into small squares but had a good view of the yard and beyond. There were also two black sofas and in between them a wooden coffee table prepared for any guests if they were to talk business. On one side was a bookshelf with a small amount of actual books in it and on the other a small chest of drawers that served to put valuables in and various alcohol on top of it. There was also a portrait of the headmaster in his younger days on the wall next to another portrait of an older man that was some sort of relative to him.

“It’s been a while, Piers,” a male in a fashionable black noble clothing that made him look like a serious person to deal with. He wasn’t particularly tall compared to Piers but he was the headmaster so height didn’t matter to him. He had a clean hair cut recently that made his hair shorter to the point where you thought he was bald. His eyes were wider than most but strict, especially when he gets angry and his thin brows come down.

He walked over to his cozy black sofa and offered Piers a seat on the other one across from him.

“How did it go? I hope it’s good news.”

His voice was calming and he looked like he was in his mid 30s with high aspirations.

“Not the news you want to hear, “ Piers walked over to the sofa and sat down wearing his brown jacket and leaned forward a bit, seriously.

The headmaster’s smile diminished but he returned it after a few moments,

“Did something go wrong?” His eyes glared at him a little, “Before you tell me, do you want something to eat or drink?” He offered politely.

“I would like a whisky. I need something strong before explaining it,” he moved his fingers along his forehead.

Pierce was younger than his counterpart by 5 years and his medium length pulled down red hair made him quite attractive. He had piercings in both his ears. His clothing and silky skin indicated that he was a part of the noble society. He was one of the best arms dealers in the nation. Most of his success came with equipping adventurers and anyone who was capable of handling a weapon but has the money to show for it. His bright icy blue eyes closed for a few moments to regain his thoughts as he moved to lean back against the sofa.

The headmaster called his servant and brought them a whisky each. Piers took a sip while the headmaster drank the whole glass.

“Righto! Out with it…” He gave his servant the glass for a refill.

Piers took another sip before putting the cold drink on the table.

“My burglar failed. He didn’t arrive at the designated location and I waited the entire day.”

"You're saying he decided to split with the prize!" He slammed his fist against the table.

Despite the frustration, Piers remained cool-headed and responded, "No. He is… was a guy that stuck to the contract at all times. He also owes me money so if he decided to betray me, I could have easily hunted him down."

He crossed his legs and continued, "What I think happened was he got caught somehow. But the problem I find with that is who did it? The guards and general law in this town is underwhelming to say the least so I doubt they did it on their own."

"This is why we can't trust amateurs!" the servant gave him his refill and as he took a sip he noticed the drink didn't have any ice cubes.

"You runt!" he stood up and slapped his servant with fury in his face, "You know I like my drinks cold! What use are you to me if you can't do a simple task!"

"I-I'm sorry m-master…" the servant spoke sheepishly as it teared up. It was a demi human dressed in maid clothes and the headmaster was very harsh on his slaves. She was rather cute in the face and although her bruises weren't evident, her neck and arms told the story of how brutal he can be. She had two small ears and a tail that resembled a squirrel. She was fairly young too.

"Out of my sight! You'll pay for this later!"

The demi-human servant stumbled on her feet and ran out the room in tears.

"How can they be so useless?!" He went over to his ice bucket and put a few in his glass.

"Was that necessary?"

"They need to learn how things are around here so mistakes like this won't happen. Besides, I treat them how I want."

"Right…"

Piers rolled his eyes but more pressing matters needed to be discussed.

"We can't rely on amateurs. We need a professional for this even if it means killing a few people."

"I'll see what I can find. I have a few contacts that might be interested, I'll get back to you once I find the right person."

He sipped down the rest of his drink and headed for the door.

"You're leaving already?" The headmaster called out as he sat down, "There is no rush, I can send you one of my servants to please you tonight."

Piers turned his head to him, "No thanks, I'm feeling tired so it's best to head home and get some rest."

"I promise you won't regret it," He smirked as he tried to persuade him.

"Until next time Lord Baker," he closed the door behind him and went away.

"Such a shame… But, he does what he wants."

He laughed and drank his whiskey with delight.

He was heading down the stairs when he saw the maid. They were cleaning the floor as they were crying and her tears served as cleaning water.

Piers went up to her and offered her a gold coin, "Take it."

The servant was dumbfounded. She had never seen something so shiny. She wanted to hold it but she held her hands close to her, afraid that she was being tested.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," he moved his hand closer to her.

She moved her hand towards it and grabbed it. It was a genuine gold coin and she was in awe to see it shine under the light.

"Make sure your master doesn't find out you have it. Hide it well,"

The demi-human smiled that she was tearing up at such generosity from him.

"T-thank you so much s-s-sir!"

He lifted his hand as he left the premise.

'Lord Clermont Baker. What a despicable human you are. Your greed for power and dominance is sickening to view but I benefit from our cooperation. I'm curious how successful we can become.'

He smirked and cackled, leaving to plan his next move.