Chapter 4: A Detour

The tense atmosphere instantly vanished and was replaced by a sense of curiosity and surprise after the child’s voice was heard. They all thought that the child had been greatly traumatized and would not speak anytime soon.

“So, you can speak! Great! Great!” said Lancelot. His usual deep voice crescendo, turning high-pitched and eerie. He glanced at the bowl held by the child. It was still untouched. “The soup may not look like it, but it’s really delicious! Try it!”

Jiablu glanced at the bowl filled with soup. The small meat that floated on top was distinct. After glancing at the blatantly jubilant commander, he raised it to his lips and took a sip. His eyes dilated in surprise. So, this was what food tasted like. It was not bad at all. Was this the reason why humans were so eager to eat and drink? Before he knew it, he had finished his share in a matter of seconds.

“Kakakaka!” said the old man. He heartily laughed as he stroked his short beard. Watching the child finish his food in a single go was heartwarming, it tugged at the heart. He grabbed his half-finished bowl and handed it over. “Here’s my share. Old men like me need not much food to live by. You can have it.”

“Insect, know your place. You dare offer me half-finished food?” said Jiablu. His words struck everyone like lightning. Silence turned absolute as everyone in the room stared at him in shock. Did they hear wrong? They saw the stunned expressions of each other and realized that they heard it correct.

There was an awkward pause as the old man tried to break the ice. “Hahaha! You sure know your words, young one~ but remember, not everyone will be so forgiving.” He shrugged and added, “Well, rashness is the mark of youth, tolerance is the beauty of adulthood.”

Faith wore a smile as she said, “That’s right. Child, you should be careful on what you say, okay?”

Jiablu was unable to fully comprehend what they were implying. A gust of curiosity struck him and he asked, “Human, you are a priest—have you ever spoken with your God?”

What was this child saying? The way he spoke was arrogant, definitely condescending. Still, they nodded in self-affirmation. Like the old man said, tolerance was the beauty of adulthood.

Faith combed her golden hair to the side. She was hesitant to answer the child’s question. Would it be fine to continue with the conversation? As time passed, they realized that the child was not as pure as he seemed to be. Eventually, she answered, “I’m just a mere High Priest. Only the Pope gets to have a conversation with God Aquina.”

They had yet to recover from shock when the child again spat, “So, you’re at the bottom of the Hierarchy? Pity. And I thought that I would learn a lot from you, priest. I suppose you won’t have an answer to my question then.”

By now, the atmosphere had turned nasty. The previously docile and innocent child turned out to be a condescending youth that knew no bounds. What should they respond after such words? Lancelot and Faith looked at the old man for help. He was the oldest among them, and his experience might help them make the best out of the situation.

The old man gave a deep sigh. “I may be old, but it doesn’t mean I have the experience. I’ve never had a kid of my own. You do it commander. You have a son his age, no?”

Lancelot suddenly felt great burden upon his shoulders. He also gave a deep sigh then turned at the child. He noticed that his eyes were focused, definitely sincere with the words he had just spouted. He had the feeling that it was the child’s usual attitude. Then, was the child the son of the village chief? It was the only explanation he could come up with after witnessing the condescending demeanor.

Lancelot creased his brows and cleared his throat. “Child, before that—I’ve asked for your name before, right? Tell us your name, and we’ll talk.”

“Jiablu,” said the child. His answer was firm and immediate.

“I see. Then, Jiablu… what is the question you wanted to ask our High Priest? I know that you’ve gone through a traumatic experience and all, but let me tell you this—in society, there are rules you should adhere to. The most basic of them is courtesy.”

“Are you telling me that I should be polite to creatures lower than dust?” said Jiablu. Everyone groaned after the remark. What the hell was up with the kid? He was raised quite horribly.

Lancelot firmly bit his lips. He should not back down in this. It was for the best. He said, “Yes. Exactly.”

Jiablu snorted. Was this how human society worked? Laughable. Inside his Labyrinth, hierarchy was absolute. Those without power were made to serve those of higher status. It was not a matter of seniority. It was a matter of strength.

The old man slapped his forehead in resignation. He looked at the sneering child then said, “You must have been raised that way, but at the very least, could you stop treating other people like insects? I can’t believe you’ve reminded me of my niece for a second.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“That’s right,” said Faith. She mumbled her next words, “I can’t believe this kid. Seriously!”

“So, what’s the question you wanted to ask?” said Lancelot. He had enough already. He just wanted everything to be over with. For some reason, his muscles ached and he felt sleepy.

“Why do you continue to live? For what purpose?” said Jiablu. His question was unexpected, like a thrown stone in the middle of a forest. He was a box of surprises.

Like a lit lantern, a realization dawned to them. Was the child questioning his reason for existence? Surely, he had seen his fellow villagers succumb to their deaths. Was he feeling remorse for being the only one that survived? Was he dreading the future that would come? Sure, he was now alone, without any parents to guide him, but it did not mean that he should give up on life itself.

The sour atmosphere from the condescending attitude before slowly vanished and was replaced with worry and grief. How could they forget? No matter how piercing and arrogant the child was, he was still a victim of slaughter. They were sure that he was aching deep inside. Who knew, maybe his brusque words were only a façade meant to hide his anxiety and fear.

The old man was the first to respond. His voice turned soft and gentle, as though afraid that a wrong move would shatter the heart of the child, “Child, the answer will differ from person to person. But I am sure that there is a common point for everyone—Love.”

Jiablu turned silent. Love? It was a feeling that he had a hard time grasping the meaning behind. Was his devotion to his creator a form of love? Or was it sheer loyalty born from the bond of master and servant? He was unable to find the answer.

“Love is the greatest thing man could commit. To love and be loved back is the greatest feeling, but it doesn’t mean that it should end there. There is also unrequited love, but the value of the act doesn’t diminish the slightest. To love is to not expect,” said the old man. He stared directly at the child’s eyes. It was the eyes of a man thirsting for knowledge. “If you’re going to ask me: Why do I live? For what purpose? Then I would answer with the same thing every time. It is because I have loved and am continuing to love.”

The answer of the old man was abstract, but Jiablu had the feeling that he was getting closer to his goal. He closed his eyes and mumbled, “Love, huh?”

He made a mental note that he would someday uncover the secret behind such words. For an undead like him, someone made not to feel too much emotion, such things were hard to grasp.

Faith, Lancelot, and the old man smiled at each other. There was no need for the other two to answer. The one given by the old man was more than enough.

“This is awkward. Suddenly talking about love,” said Faith. Her face was slightly red, and Jiablu noticed that she took a peek at Lancelot, whose brows were creased in thought. She shook her head twice then said to Jiablu, “If the answer you got here is not enough, then you should go to the temple. I’m sure the Cardinal could help you.”

“The temple, huh? That’s a great idea. We could also ask the Order to take care of him. It’s hitting two birds with one stone,” said Lancelot.

Normally, Jiablu would be against going to the temple. To him, Thanatos was the only true God. Still, if meeting the so called Cardinal would enable him to reach his goal, then he would be willing to set aside the differences for now.

A fluttering sound was heard, and the entrance to the tent opened. A soldier entered. After a salute, he said, “Commander! We’ve received a Blue Falcon from the Kingdom. The message sent is bound by the Royal Seal.”

Lancelot’s expression immediately turned serious. The Royal Family would never use the Royal Seal for anything short of an emergency. Immediately, he asked the soldier to give him the letter. His eyes widened as he read the words written.

He gripped the parchment then turned to his comrades, “Change of plans. We’ll take a detour to Rube Fortress.”

“Rube Fortress?” asked Faith. Their initial plan was to safely send the child towards the nearest city, then meet up with the third division of the Knights of Tesma. The Fortress of Rube was the opposite direction from their original destination.

Lancelot nodded, “It’s a decree by the King. We shall aid the allied forces in repelling the monsters’ invasion.”

The old man stood up. “Monster invasion, huh? How many are we talking about?”

“Ogres, a thousand of them,” said Lancelot.

The old man nodded then combed his beard. “A thousand? That is a difficult number, but it should be manageabl—”

“—and a hundred thousand Goblins,” added Lancelot.

Everyone’s faces turned grim and pallid.