Sean looked at Gabe with disappointment.

Any thought to redeem this guy's image  disappeared.

"Gross."

"Hoo you're disgusted so easily.You should feel bad for me.I went through loads of itchy shrubs for you,you know?!"

Stating so,Gabe made his way over to the wide table in the middle of the big circular room.He then proceeded to eat all the frozen fruits kept on it.After gorging for nearly half an hour,he finally stopped and burped.Satisfied, he started the topic he came to discuss.

"All my itching aside, I came primarily because I found some discrepancies in the book.While some parts blatantly disagree with each other ,half of it is in such simple language that I doubt whether it is the true book at all.Considering that books were written by nobles at the time,I feel more inclined to believe this to be true.So in my opinion, going forward with the knowledge in the book will most likely not give us the expected results.I'm sorry to say this but the book of Yer ,too, was a dead end."

Sean narrowed his eyes in contemplation, his previous intent to poke fun at Gabe disappeared.

The mood turned heavy and as if sensing it, the little song bird gradually stopped singing.It's small curious eyes looked noticeably bigger as they stared at the two people in the room.Upon finding no answers, it tilted it's head and chirped once then flapped it's wings and flew out towards the window.

"Are you saying the book you have in your possession is fake? "

"That is what I'm not sure of.Although it provides some additional information as to why the continental split happened in the past and the present state of affairs,very useful information, in fact.But the information about the goddesses,after the allocation of continents, is misleading."

"What do you mean, misleading?"

"It is misleading in the sense that the book only went on to cite some hearsay.And I say hearsay because it is obvious with each one theory opposing the other.It is saddening but we have no way of finding out which version is true."

After stating his findings in a voice unlike his usual playful tone, Gabe slowly dropped his head.Wrinkling his eyebrows, he continued on to report his findings.

"I'm sorry but that was all I could find even from that book.So I feel it would be best if you stopped searching now."

"But there must be something!It can't end like this."

"Nothing is ending Sean.We are just going to find another way."

"Another way you say!But there is no other way.Do you really believe our kingdom will just accept a faithless as a crown prince?

No matter what I do ,Gabe, if I do not at least have the markings, I'm not fit for anything according to our people."

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"Sean I'm truly sorry.I know that you are frustrated but there is nothing to be done.You don't have the markings of Thea and She is the guardian goddess of Aeon.Of course they cannot accept it.But I'm not implying that you can't turn this around.I'm just telling you that there might be another way for you to gain the marking."

"What?!That's horseshit!"

"Stop speaking crudely and fucking listen to me asshole!"

Sean quietened down,his fingernails digging into the wheelchair.Trying to control his emotions,he looked down and focused on his breath.

"You're so easily irritable.Sometimes I feel like the always calm and collected you is a fake."

Sean slowly regained control of himself.Exhausted by his outburst,he let go of the wheelchair and heaved a sigh, slouching into his chair.

"I have been looking for the goddesses for a long time Gabe.Too long, in fact.I'm tired and fed up of all the insults and the backhanded compliments.I'm not a God that I won't be affected.And what does Aunt Nia mean by "You would've been such a good king if only your legs weren't lifeless"?"

"I'm genuinely embarrassed to realise that my friend was suffering for so long ,and I had put him on such a high pedestal that I blindly forgot to see his pain."

"Gabe,I don't need anyone's pity."

"Who's pitying you?I'm not your Aunt Nia ,Sean who hears all the world's gossips and feels 'sorry' about every darn thing around her.I'm not pitying you.You know as well as I that I have always held you in high regard but I admired you so much that I just considered you invulnerable all on my own."

Sean suddenly turned red and embarrassingly tried to stop him from saying more.

"Alright alright that's enough out of you.

Stop changing the subject and get to the point."

"Hmm you're also a bit of an embarrassed little sprout.I'll keep that in mind for later."

Some weird things seemed to be cooking in Gabe's mind.

"Huh?Did you say something?"

"Me?Nope,don't think so."

Gabe very innocently denied all charges.

"So you were talking about another way?"

"Ahhh yes.There seems to be a recurring hearsay from different sources.It was talking about an old forest where you can  find a haunted statue.They went there thinking it's a Goddess statue and to seek fulfillment of their wishes.But apparently every single person who went there seeking something mysteriously gave up on whatever goals they had come to see fulfilled."

"But it can't be haunted because of that."

"You're right.It can't be because that's not why it's haunted.Everyone who went there claims there was someone who approached them while they were leaving,in some accounts it's a middle-aged male while in others, a child and yet another says a young lady.They forgot what they were told.But after these people left the forest and returned later to find the statue again, they would just end up going in circles never to find the place again."

"Seems weird but it's not like any harm had been inflicted on them."

"Hmm but they seemed content with themselves though they couldn't remember what was said.Do you think it's a ghost or a Goddess?"

"Who knows?"

"Even I don't know.I'm asking if you want to go there and find out?Goddess, Sean sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a rock."

"Well okay but where is this forest?"

"Huhahahahahaaaaa...lucky for you.Your friend is a genius."

Sean rolled his eyes at that statement and dubiously continued to ask.

"Oookaayy.So...the forest??"

"Hehe...Which is the oldest forest in Aeon,Sean?"

"The Liandel forest?"

"The one and only."

"But the trees there are dangerous.What if we die without a single screech and we turn into ash and nobody ever finds our bodies?"

"Do you want to go or not?"

"Of course."

"Then stop whining you food."

"Gabe, you just ate food."

"Oh I ate so little,must be getting hungry again.I meant doof you food!"

"....."