Novels2Search

22. The First Date

Risk approached Christ with a sinister aura. Elisia sensed something strange from her friend, who was about to say a threat. Christ responded coldly, but Elisia could see the sweat dripping from his forehead.

Risk stood before Christ with an even expression, followed by Dao. He gripped Christ's right shoulder rather firmly until the teenager was in pain. Elisia gripped Risk's right hand gently.

“Risk, stop it! You will hurt Christ!” Elisia said while pulling Risk's hand.

Risk ignored her and kept his grip on the teenager's shoulder. His head came close to Christ's ear. The cold breath of the gray-haired man tickled Christ's earlobe. Then, he looked at Christ's face with a straight face. No one knew what he was thinking.

“I let you take Elisia for a walk in the village….”

Christ smiled hearing that, then looked at Elisia's face with a smile. Elisia was happy that Risk did nothing strange. However, Risk's hand still gripped Christ's shoulder.

“… but if anything happens to her, I will find you!” Risk released his grip. “Be a brave man!”

Christ nodded vigorously. “Sure, I will take good care of Elisia.”

Risk faced Elisia and held her arms. “Elisia, be careful in the village! If you need help, shout at it. Have fun!”

Elisia nodded with a smile. “Yes, thank you, Risk!”

Elisia and Christ walked together on the main road leading to the village. Risk and Dao watched the two young couples, making Risk felt envious. Dao suddenly pointed his sword until Risk shocked and drew his sword.

“What are you doing?!” Risk shouted.

“Dao just kidding.” Dao put his sword back in. “Dao knows Risk is envious, I can see it from the activity in your brain.”

“What? That’s wrong! It's just your robotic feeling!” Risk walked home.

...

Christ and Elisia walked together through the buildings in Grasswood. Elisia felt happy mixed with awkwardness, because it was her first time spending time with a teenage boy. Her heart was pounding all the way until nervousness filled her heart.

“Elisia, where do you want to go?” Christ queried suddenly.

Elisia surprised. “I-I think we can approach your favorite place in this village.”

“Okay, this way.” Christ pulled Elisia's hand to turn right.

They walked down a street lined with plant shops. Elisia noticed all kinds of plants there, especially the colorful flowers. Her eyes couldn't take off the colorful sight. Christ glanced and understood Elisia's behavior. He took Elisia to a flower garden close to the road. The girl was getting happier.

“Wow, this is so beautiful!” Elisia praised.

“This is my favorite place in this village, Mr. Pata's flower garden!” Christ introduced the garden.

Elisia was holding one of the red flowers there. It smelled so good, Elisia wanted to pick it. Christ stopped Elisia's action. The teenager took Elisia to the gazebo in the middle of the garden. They sat there while enjoying the view of the beautiful flower garden.

Elisia's heart beat faster when she saw Christ's face. A strange feeling filled her heart, causing her face to turned red. Christ also looked at her face with a smile. Elisia looked away.

“Oh my, he's so handsome!” Elisia praised in heart.

“Elisia, where are you coming from?” Christ asked.

Christ's heavy voice made half of Elisia's soul float. It was as if someone launched a pure attack, which made her die in love had hit her. The girl wanted to answer, but her tongue felt sore. Christ looked at Elisia's face again.

“I thought you were from a faraway land, so you went out with some grown men,” Christ guessed, “Are they your friends?”

“Th-they are my new friends. They are the people I first met when I was lost in Glomouth,” Elisia replied.

“Glomouth? Lost?” Christ confused.

“Y-yes, it's a long story. I was like stranded in another country,” Elisia explained. Her feelings were a mix of joy and awkwardness.

Christ nodded in understanding. “Looks like you had a hard time until you had the fighting ability and could defeat the creatures that plagued our village. I really salute to you.”

“Oh, it's nothing! I-I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of my friends.” Christ's praise made Elisia's face even more red.

“You know, I feel lucky to have met you. It's like... love at first sight,” Christ praised, “The only thing I've never felt well is love. Meeting with you was a blessing to me.”

“R-really? I think we have the same feeling, because I don't understand the meaning of love. I've asked Tevanny and Risk, but they're giving an elusive explanation.”

Christ gripped Elisia's left hand with both hands. Elisia's eyes widened, making her heart tremble. He kissed the back of Elisia's hand in one small kiss. Elisia smiled awkwardly at Christ's behavior.

“I've heard that you will leave this village to continue your wanderings. I hope this kiss can remind you of me," Christ stated.

“I won't forget you,” Elisia replied.

Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of Elisia.

“New Achievements unlocked: Dao”

“Reward: player EXP + 500, Skill EXP + 250”

.

Elisia felt that this achievement was late, as she had already done it a long time ago. The notification disturbed the comfortable of Elisia, who still clutched by Christ. If only she could get rid of it for a while.

Christ released his grip and left the gazebo. “Time for us to find another place to visit. Do you want to going to the bakery?” he offered as he stretched out the left hand.

Seeing Christ's behavior made Elisia remember what had happened before. Someone reached out to her, just like Christ did. She took the hand in his right hand, and Christ led her on his way again.

Elisia looked at the gardens again while walking slowly with Christ. She felt that the skin of the teenager's palm was soft enough that she wanted to grip it even tighter. Christ felt a firm grip from Elisia, but ignored.

“Elisia, do you like strawberry bread or chocolate bread?” Christ Questioned.

“I love chocolate so much!” Elisia answered excitedly.

When she stepped, Elisia felt something landed on her feet. She looked at the feet. Her eyes widened and screamed. Christ turned and saw Elisia's face looking down. Suddenly Elisia hugged a confused Christ. With his body shaking with Elisia, Christ looked for something that made his girlfriend scream. Apparently, he found a small insect perched on Elisia's thigh. Christ tossed it into the grass.

“Don’t be afraid anymore. I've got rid of the bugs,” Christ said.

Elisia was still shaking from seeing the insect. The girl didn't know that she terrified of insects, which seemed to had something to do with her memory. Elisia was still holding Christ tightly, making the young boy had to be quiet. The girl felt a caress on her head from Christ's soft hands.

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“Th-thank you, Christ,” Elisia smiled as she let go of the hug.

“Don't be afraid anymore. I will protect you.” Christ took Elisia's hand again and continued on their way.

After leaving the flower garden, they entered the village again. Christ looked confused as looked at the surrounding shops. Elisia saw the face of Christ, who kept turning in all directions.

“What are you looking for?” Elisia asked.

“I forgot that the bakery moved location and can't remember where it is now,” Christ replied, “I don't think we can eat bread until I find out where the bakery is. Sorry to disappoint you.”

Elisia smiled. “It doesn’t matter. We can stop somewhere else if you want to take me there.” A thought crossed her head. “Shall we go over to Mr. Tivet's pastry shop?”

“You want some cake? Alright, let's go there!”

Elisia was leading the way. They passed the crowd near the building that looked like a vegetable shop. All eyes suddenly fell on Elisia, making her uncomfortable. Christ, who realized that, immediately stood up and walked in front of Elisia so that the teenager's body blocked her face.

His efforts were successful. All eyes turned away from Elisia's face. The girl felt safe thanks to Christ. The feelings in her heart grew even more chaotic until her face turned red again. Elisia understood what Risk said yesterday and assumed that Christ would be her first love.

After a journey full of chaotic feelings, they arrived at Mr. Tivet's pastry shop. Various colorful cakes greeted them. As they arrived, it was Mr Tivet who served them. The man was happy to see Elisia approaching his shop.

“Hey, Elisia! Nice to meet you on this fine morning!” Tivet greeted. “You want cake? Take it!”

“Thank you, Mr Tivet, but can Christ take it too?” Elisia asked.

Tivet glanced at Christ and was silent for a moment. Then he looked at Elisia again. “Yes, if you brought this child here.”

Christ took one of the smallest cakes. Elisia looked at the cake.

[Muffins]

Elisia wondered why Christ only took one cake, and why Tivet acted a little cold when she called Christ's name. Elisia became curious about what really happened. Maybe she would ask Tevanny later.

Elisia took Christ to the village fountain to eat the cake they bought from the Tivet shop. She wanted to ask about what had happened earlier, but seeing Christ's expression made Elisia didn’t want to do that. She opened the cake and devoured it less eagerly. The girl sensed something from Christ, who looked different from before. With [Six Sense], Elisia forced the skill to see something unwritten.

Christian Lao

Level 0 – Villager

.

There weren't any statistics visible from Christ, but Elisia felt sad and gloomy at the same time for Christ. She cushioned Christ's left hand. The teenager turned and smiled.

“How's your cake? Nice?” Christ asked as if nothing had happened.

“Delicious, I like it.” Elisia put the cake on the left side. “But, there's something bothering me.”

“What's that?”

“Mr. Tivet treats you unpleasant. I'm sorry for all that,” Elisia apologized glumly.

“Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong.” Christ touched Elisia's left cheek so that her gaze went straight to Christ's face. “Besides, there's nothing you need to think about me. I'm fine.”

Elisia thought Christ's words were right. She smiled again as took Tivet's delicious muffin. The fountain behind them seemed to flow water quietly, making the surrounding atmosphere even quieter. Elisia shifted her hips to the right for get closer to Christ. Their bodies pressed against each other, making Christ surprised.

“Elisia, what are you…” Christ stopped when he saw Elisia's sweet face.

The girl rested her head on Christ's left arm. Her eyes were closed, and warmth felt, plus her pendulum wasn’t dissipating heat. Elisia felt comfortable being near Christ until a memory came back to her head. The headrest that Elisia put on Christ was as pictured in her memory, where she was also leaning on the arm of a man. Elisia couldn't see his face, which was covered by the scorching sun.

Christ lifted Elisia's head from his arms. The girl immediately woke up and turned to the boy in surprise.

“Christ, what's wrong?”

“There’s nothing. I just wanted to take you to another of my favorite places. Wil you?”

“Of course I will!" Elisia exclaimed happily.

Christ smiled and held Elisia's hand again. They took another path that seemed to lead the girl to a more built-up area of the village. The streets were quite busy, so they had to be careful. Christ's steps were fast, making Elisia had to use extra strength to chase after him.

Finally, they arrived at a large wooden building at the end of the road. The typical medieval building style, with a building design made of brown wood, welcomed them. In front of that place was a circular object and an arrow stuck to it.

“Christ, what is this place?” Elisia asked.

“This is where I practice archery,” Christ replied, “Its name is Truyen Archery.”

Christ took Elisia to enter the wooden building. The inside was wider than the girl expected, with stands for the archers and a bullseye at the far end of the field. Christ asked Elisia to sit on the sofa and wait for him to took his bow and arrow.

Elisia saw the people who drew their bows with arrows in them. The arrow shot, then stuck in the target. The girl was so amazed that she wanted to study it. Even though her class was Vanguard, it didn’t seem like a problem if you learn a little archery. Christ also came with a medium-sized bow and five arrows.

“Will you like to try it?” Christ offered.

Elisia got up and nodded quickly. Christ smiled again. The teenager took Elisia to where the archer stood, then asked Elisia to stand with her left foot in front. Christ showed how to hold a bow by moving Elisia's left hand to hold the body of the bow and her right hand gripping the arrowhead while pulling the string using two fingers. Christ helped Elisia pull the slightly tight string, then asked Elisia to remove the two fingers. The arrow shot, but hit the edge of the center circle.

“How? Can you do that?” Christ asked.

“Wow, this is marvelous! It turns out that this is archery practice,” Elisia complimented.

“This must be your first time using a bow and arrow.” Christ pulled the bowstring and fired an arrow. “In using bows and arrows, you must pay attention to eyesight and hand strength. It make the bow tight to increase the thrust of your arrow. For that, you must have a strong hand.”

It amazed Elisia after hearing Christ's explanation. She was getting more and more interested in this archery.

“Do you want to teach me again?” Elisia begged.

Christ smiled. “Of course. Let's do that move! I will guide you.”

Elisia stood in archer position, and Christ stood behind her to show another move. Their close position made Elisia's heart palpitate until her face turned red again. Christ's hands felt Elisia's hands. The girl felt like doing it again, even though she had just fired her arrow.

“Did you understand?” Christ confirmed.

Elisia, who was lost in thought, immediately shook her head. “Hah, yes. I understand.”

“Hm, didn't you notice earlier?”

“Eeee…, I noticed, but…” Elisia blushed. “...Your position is too close to make me feel comfortable to forget anything.”

Christ smiled, and a soft laugh came from his mouth. “You're funny, Elisia. Your words are true, it also makes me unfocused in teaching you. Look, the shot we launched missed far from the midpoint.”

Elisia smiled. “It doesn’t matter. We can try again.”

“Hey, look! There's a bandit kid here!”

Elisia and Christ turned their heads. They saw a group of teenagers who looked older than Elisia. Their stats said that they were just ordinary villagers, but there was one that had the [Archer] class. They brought their archery tools and stared at them.

“They are again!” Christ mumbled.

Elisia heard Christ's voice. “You know them?”

One teenager looked at Elisia with a sly smiley expression. “Eh, aren't you the girl who threw the party yesterday?”

One of his friends were shocked.

“What? Oh, right! She’s that girl!”

“I didn't expect her to be playing with that bandit kid.”

“Yeah, I think the bandit kid use magic to control the girl.”

All the teenagers laughed. Elisia became irritated after hearing the ridicule directed at Christ. She approached the teenagers with an angry expression. In fact, the pendulum conducted heat again.

“Hey, watch your words!” Elisia scolded.

The teenagers surprised, then laughed again. Elisia was getting annoyed.

“Hey, bandit boy! Your ability become more powerful in influencing others to make this hero girl defend you. Maybe if she finds out who you are, she’ll never play with you again!”

Christ grabbed Elisia's shoulders and pulled her back. He shook his head to let her know that everything Elisia said was in vain. The girl looked at Christ's face, which was getting gloomy because of the words of the evil teenagers.

“Elisia, let's get out of here!” Christ pulled Elisia towards the exit.

“Yeah, go away and never come back again!”

All the teenagers looked at her while laughing. One of them looked at them both cynically. Christ brought Elisia out of the archery. Elisia understood Christ's condition. It seemed Christ got bullied in this village, to the point of making everyone cynical and even mocking him.

“Christ, are you okay?” Elisia asked with emphatic.

Christ took a deep breath. “I'll take you home.”

Christ held Elisia's hand and led her home again. Elisia wanted to fight back, but seeing Christ's condition made her give up. She would allow Christ to calm down for a while until he could forget this incident.

After walked some distance, Christ arrived at Tevanny's house. Elisia stood in front of the door and saw the teenager's gloomy face. She felt sorry for the other villager boys' treatment of Christ, but she didn't know what to do either.

“Maybe our walk ends today. I think ... we should not meet again,” Christ said.

Elisia was surprising. “Huh, why?!”

Christ turned around. “Nothing.”

Elisia's heart became sad after seeing the person she liked was hurting inside. Elisia wanted to help, but she had to know the root of the problem. The hurtful words of the village youths to Christ also irritated her and it seemed as if there was a sense of futility for her who had saved this village from Forgotten.

“Bandits? What does that have to do with Christ?” Elisia thought, “I'll ask Tevanny about this.”

Elisia immediately looked for Tevanny into the house. Apparently, she was cooking in the kitchen with Risk. There were Rhino, Dao, and Upgrade in the dining room, working on an unknown contraption about what it was. Elisia approached them for a little chat.

Everyone looked at Elisia, who had just arrived. They immediately greeted her by telling her to sit down, then Dao poured a glass of water and gave it to Elisia.

“Elisia, how was your outing with a teenage boy? Dao told me about you earlier,” Rhino asked.

Suddenly, Upgrade electrocuted from the tool he was working on. It also surprised Elisia to see him. The pale-skinned man wrapped his finger using a thin cloth.

“Sorry, I'm going to my room!” Upgrade left the dining room.

Elisia answered the question after Upgrade entered the room. “Things were not going well.”

“Eh, is something wrong?” Rhino surprised.

“There's something I want to know about someone, and I want to ask Tevanny.”