I woke up on a soft, comfortable bed in a familiar room. Looking around, I realized it was my room, and I smiled contentedly, knowing that I was safe in the Hoard.

Until I turned around and saw a girl with her hands on her hips, and eyes spitting fire as she stared at me.

Gulping, suddenly I thought that I was unsafe. Very unsafe indeed.

Meeting her gaze meekly, I ventured, “H-Hi Sia. Ho-how are you?”

“Oh no. Don’t you try the ‘how are you’ business on me, immortal boy!” she growled.

Oh boy, I was really in trouble this time.

Before I could muster any defence, Sia launched into animated speech, “You REALLY think you’re immortal, don’t you? Running about, fighting monsters, and not just annyy monsters; But a Baling Tarantula Lord!!!”

Weakly, I opened my mouth to respond only for Sia to steamroll over me, as she shouted out, “What on Protos were you thinking!!”

“I wasn’t thinking of anything,” I said, and regretted it instantly as Sia’s eyes narrowed and she came close.

“You weren’t thinking of anything, huh?” she said softly.

Shaking my head frantically, I was about to say something, when she grabbed me and shook me even more energetically than my head shaking.

“You didn’t think of your family? Of your friends? Of me?” She cried out as her voice broke at the last part.

As she let go to turn away, I grabbed her and pulled her in a hug, and said quietly, “I don’t have to think of anything because you’re always in my mind and heart. The same as my family.”

“Is that what I am to you? Family?” Sia asked in a muffled voice.

“Family... and more.” I said, smiling.

Looking up at me, Sia planted a quick peck on my cheek before she blushed and struggled out of my arms and out of the room, leaving behind the words, “I’ll be waiting for you outside. Also, there’s a balakash waiting to meet you.”

Touching the spot on my cheek where she had kissed me, I watched the door in a daze as she disappeared through it.

Then, discreetly smelling myself, I decided that I was clean enough not to have a bath, and that I wouldn’t have a bath for as long as it took for the scent of her perfume to fade away from my skin.

Then, reeking of spider ichor and guts, along with a faint heady fragrance of honeysuckle and apple blossom; I swaggered out of the door and to the entrance of the Hoard, where a familiar figure paced around.

Seeing me, he stopped thunderstruck before he approached me cautiously. Then he bowed and shouted out, “I’m sorry. I made a mistake, and I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

Helping the man up hurriedly, I quickly said, “It’s alright Moreno, it’s alright. Everybody’s fine!”

Moreno, for it was him who was even now stubbornly bowing, resolutely said, “I thought you had run away and abandoned us to the spiders. I apologize for believing that you would do something as cowardly as that.”

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Smiling wryly, I was about to speak when a voice floated over, “He didn’t run away, and neither did he abandon us to the spiders. But he does have some explaining to do.”

Turning, I saw Cathy walking over with a broad smile on her face, and I grinned at her as she came close.

Then Cathy turned serious as she asked, “Where were you at the beginning of the fight?”

Turning red, I opened my mouth and closed it before saying, “Why don’t we talk inside the hoard?”

So we went in and seated ourselves and looked at each other, before I cleared my throat and spoke, “You might be wondering why a new adventurer wanted to go to the forest of death, right?”

Both of them nodded, and I continued, “I have a medical condition where I need this flower to survive,” and saying so, I pulled out a flower of thorns for them to inspect.

Not commenting on the finite ring usage, they examined the flower before they cried out, “Isn’t this the flower of thorns?”

Nodding, I pointed at Moreno and said, “I couldn’t sleep and we hadn’t come across any flowers in the day but as luck would have it, when I went to relieve myself; I found a patch of them growing near me.”

“That’s how it is,” Moreno whispered before he slammed his fist into his palm.

Picking up where I left off, Moreno spoke with his head hanging down; “I waited for you to come back for a long time. But when you didn’t, I became worried. Then I heard noises in the direction that you left in, and I went to investigate. I found a spider there and killed it swiftly. But not fast enough.”

Cradling his head in his arms, he spoke dully, “I ran back to alert the rest to the spider activity, only to find the camp already under attack and surrounded. I was going to charge in, but the Tarantula Lord was present and Duncan asked me to get reinforcements.”

Continuing on, he said, “I knew that was bullshit. He was trying to save me, but I also knew that there was no chance even if I joined in. After all, I was a scout… not a front liner. So I ran as fast as I could to Yamal to get reinforcements and I was baling unlucky, because not a single person was to be seen until I reached Yamal.”

Understanding now, I looked at him as he looked at me with shame in his eyes.

Then, reaching out and patting the man’s arm, I said strongly, “You did the right thing. You couldn’t have changed the situation, and it’s because of you that everyone was rescued.”

Shaking his head, Moreno said quietly, “No. You rescued them. And I accused you of fleeing.”

Then bowing his head to me again, he said, “Please forgive me.”

Looking at him gravely, I spoke, “Apology accepted. Forgiveness given. Now, can you please raise your head? It’s making me uncomfortable.”

Bulging eyes met my serene eyes, as Moreno stuttered, “That easily?”

Nodding, I said, “I didn’t really get thrown into a cell and things worked out, didn’t they? It was also all because of me that things went to shite. If I hadn’t left to harvest the flowers, you wouldn’t have followed me. If you hadn’t followed me, the camp would have been alerted far in advance.”

Finishing, I said heavily, “All in all, it was my mistake that caused us all to almost die. So it’s not you that has to apologize, it is me.” and saying so, I bowed my head to the two of them.

Dumbstruck, Moreno gazed at me while Cathy nodded approvingly at the side.

Then, he stammered out the words, “I forgive you.” and there we were. Alive with grudges settled, and eminently hungry.

Okay, the last part was just me.

But, hey! I have not eaten for nearly two days straight now!

So I proposed adjournment to the dining hall, and the proposal was accepted unanimously, much to the displeasure of Madam Amee, who watched with hawk eyes as the quantity of food diminished alarmingly.

Burping out in satisfaction, I looked at Cathy and asked, “Oh yeah, why did you come here? I was going to visit you along with Duncan and Dunkirk at the hospital!”

Displeased, she looked at me and said, “What, I can’t be here?”

Hastily, I raised my hands up as she chuckled and said, “I’m just pulling your leg. I came because the guild wants you to head over.”

“The guild?” I asked.

“The guild,” she confirmed.

Nodding, we rose and off we went.

To the guild.