Maybe it was the long time stuck underground or the hostile kill or be killed environment there but this new friend was acting erratic.

Immediately, it began screaming while holding its head.

“Oh! Oh! UAGH!”

Making this weird monkey like noise, it stood up and scrutinized the room. Seeing the door, it began hugging it then humping it then kissing it.

Izo was just stunned as it continued sexually harassing inanimate objects in the room. And it wasn’t calming down.

[ Fuck me! Guardian of all. Save me from my tribulations! ]

He had to restrain like a mental patient and just kept it restricted to the bed.

It took 5 minutes before its near hyperventilating struggles subsided. Throughout that time, all Izo heard was it complaining, cursing then apologizing to deities.

Then it suddenly calmed down. A very jarring change like a tempestuous wave on the high seas that was enough to sink a fleet suddenly becoming as peaceful early morning pond where bird and deer savor the serene quiet.

It then threw out a hand, a palm, as if to say it was fine. It did it thrice before Izo caught its meaning.

Freed from the weight of the Ural, the supposedly intelligent creature stood up and left the room.

Izo belatedly followed it out and saw it just casually about to leave the inn’s main door. Then it stopped and touched its body, searching for something.

The lanky thing went behind the service counter, scanning all over. It didn’t find whatever it was looking for so it made a claw gesture with its hands. As if wishing to erase something in the air, it began raking while its shoulders were shaking.

Once it vented out its feelings it began making its way out again.

[ Excuse me. ]

It passed through Izo and the orb who were befuddled by its actions as its stepped out in the garden.

[ What are you doing? ]

[ Walking home. ]

[ ? ]

[ You know, to use one’s feet to go back to one’s abode? To go back to bliss and be sheathed in the warmth of the homely fire? ]

Izo walked in step with the completely naked creature.

[ Do you know where is your home? ]

[ Interesting question! Yes as you can see- ]

It pointed towards the alleyway out as Izo looked over its shoulder.

[ Well, even a cat get’s lost at time. Sometimes, in leisure even. I need only get to the main street and I shall know. ]

So, it did go the main street where it stopped again.

[ Hmm. Hmm. Well, an adventure isn’t so bad every once in a while. It can even measure a man’s strength in triumphing over one’s hardships- Guardian please save me from my suffering- no my tribulations. Ahh. ]

[ Watch out. ]

Izo hefted it over his shoulders as the skeleton warrior patrols came out the end of the street. It was a good thing they weren’t seen as he carried it back to the garden.

[ I don’t know what is troubling you right now but I may be able to help you. Izo Shelley, you? ]

“Asran Khamgalachin chun.”

[ The Guardian’s Confidant. ]

“Hguh Tolhipakhin.”

[ The People’s Orator. ]

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It said these words in a whisper before bowing.

[ The Gifted Magi of the Stone? ]

[ Huh? ]

“Rosoa Isran Imghalaghakin!”

[ Rosoa Isran Imghalaghakin! ]

From the soft speaking it raised in voice. It then kept gesticulating with its hands, making all sorts of big motions.

[ Doesn’t ring a bell? At all? ]

[ Sorry. ]

It’s shoulders droop for a while before perking up.

[ As a genteel man, I can only give my apologies. It seems only those in the gentry would surely know my name. I don’t want to be seen as a fraud however. If you want to see my works, we can pass by the temple then go to my home where the bulk of it is. ]

Once more, it began walking away from the inn.

[ Uhh. Make sure to be ready to knock it out at any point. ]

[ Yes! Also for future reference, what is this sudden stop in thinking you are experiencing Izo? ]

[ It’s called being flabbergasted. I’ll explain on the way. ]

*

Rosoa began naming all of the streets that they came across.

[ This is Weaver’s street. You would expect fabric and textile shops? No. It’s dominated by bars. ]

The blank street names on the Ural’s map became filled in one by one. The history of this lost city, Izo appreciated more and more. Each buildings was the property of a person once upon a time. They had their own memories and important things that happened within one of them. The souls inside may be gone but there was something left here still.

There was something problematic about Rosoa however. He described the city as colorful. It seemed that at some point in its history, the black bricks became a canvas for each house.

For some reason, he was describing these places as if he could still the colors that had already faded. He wasn’t acknowledging the lack of the city populace.

[ This is here is Blackchimney Street where most of the kilns and blacksmiths reside. Ah, it’s so nice to once again smell this awful air. ]

Rosoa says that while Izo detected no smoke nor smell that differentianted it from other parts of the city.

[ I used to procure metal tools from here for my projects. Look at this Phyrite iron! ]

In one of the shop’s was an ingot the length of Izo’s hand. Whatever this red metal was, it still had no corrosion despite being left in this open-air location. He noted this street as priority for scouting. Metal like might be useful in the future.

[ Patrols. Let’s hide for a bit Rosoa. ]

[ I tell you the militia isn’t a problem. I need only show myself and they wouldn’t dare delay my time. ]

[ They’re not the same as before. ]

[ What are you talking about? ]

Izo ignored its protesting and behind the shadow of a shop.

Once the skeletons were gone, they resumed their trek to Rosoa’s home.

If the inn was -1,-2 in the southwest, the lake beginning 1,-3 in the southeast then the temple was -3,0 south.

They had walked a few kilometers now and Rosoa wasn’t tired at all. Izo wasn’t sure if Rosoa simply unaware or forcefully suppressing understanding how abnormal his physicality was.

So Izo chose to play this charade for a while as Rosoa went inside random shops of his former acquaintances and friends.

[ This looks so cool. Let me asked the price. Ahh. There’s no one manning the store, how irresponsible. The owner is a friend of mine so I have to inform him of this disregard for duty. ]

[ Look this is where my wife used to work. ]

Rosoa gestured towards a butcher’s.

[ She was always independent. Even when her family wanted her to continue their longstanding tradition of being dye makers, she resisted. Tried to become a solider, didn’t pass. Joined an adventuring group, only to lose her left pinky and ring finger.

She got insulted for not being able to wear our wedding ring so she wore 8 rings of bright gemstones. The look on her face when I said she could keep them all. Ah, she thought they were borrowed. ]

Rosoa was skipping like a child which looked weird since he now had this large and thin body.

[ As a rich man, I wanted her to live out her life in leisure just lazing away at home. She hated it however. ‘I feel more relaxed working my body.’ So the willful child that she is, she decided to be a butcher. ]

Rosoa’s skipping began to slow down and the rhythm became off. It was like a dancer losing the accompanying music.

[ I however hated her smell every time she came home. I wish we didn’t argue so much. Oh, I wish my heart wasn’t so black and hateful that it grew jealous of her work friend. I wish I was there when she was dying of the Infliction. But the stubborn love of mine went home to her parent’s. ]

The healthy man before suddenly went slack, hitting his head on the street. Izo didn’t expect him losing consciousness so he didn’t react in time.

[ Was that you? ]

[ No Izo. ]

[ Then it happened on its own. Can you scan his body for anomalies? ]

Even though there didn’t seem to be any obvious wounds, Izo knew that the brain was very sensitive. However, he couldn’t just leave him the middle of the street. He moved Rosoa in as gentle a manner as possible to a nearby building.

[ His brain is functioning properly. No damage. Hmm. He’s just asleep and dreaming right now. ]

The crimson orb floated over Rosoa and using its esoterically advanced technology, scanned its target.

[ Ah. My love- ]

It woke up and unnaturally stood up by pushing itself off of the ground.

[ No. No. No. This city. ]

Rosoa as if the first time truly seeing his surroundings for the first time just stood there.

[ Rosoa. Can you see the city for what it truly is now? ]

[ … ]

Izo waited with patience for a man deserving of that and much more.

Rosoa fell on his knees. Izo expected him to wail so loud all the patrols would gather here but he didn’t. Instead, the crumpled man fully knelt then touched his forehead on the dusty floor.

[ Stop Rosoa! ]

Izo grabbed both of Rosoa’s wrist as it tried to dig out his own eyes.

[ No. Don’t stop me! You fucking asshole. No. ]

Strong may be his new physique, it simply wasn’t a match for the battle suit’s strength.

[ Your city is dead. The people with it. Even your wife. ]

When talking to troubled people, Izo thought it best to say things in a straightforward manner. Confront, not escape. Find the root and lay it bare. This must be accompanied by proper care and honest kindness.