"Hey!! Old man, I'm back again!!"

"Ugh... not you again."

An unkempt, bearded old man groaned as he limped and turned around unsteadily to see a little boy in the distance, running towards him. His crooked fingers reached out for a walking stick on the table beside him and he then turned his back away from the boy and sighed.

"Huff... Haaah~ You- You better be willing to sell me that boat at a lower price today!" Sebastian shouted as he grew nearer and nearer to the old man.

"Old man?" Sebastian said as he appeared behind the old man's back. All Sebastian could hear was his quiet mumbling and so he decided to wait a bit for him to speak first.

"How many times have I told you..." The old man's voice trembled as he turned around, bringing his timeworn face into view.

"Hmm?"

"I won't be selling for CHEAP!!" The old man screamed with all the might his thin, breathy voice could offer.

"Ah!! Alright- alright. The same answer again, huh." Sebastian said, with slight disappointment on his face.

Now that Sebastian thought about it, he realised that the clothes the old man wore most of the time were threadbare and ragged. The old man seemed to have given in to the passage of time and was unconcerned about his appearance. Sebastian found it a bit funny because at times the old man would seem a bit spiritless, as if life and old age had gotten the better of him but he was still able to show bursts of energy just like when he screamed at him.

"And for goodness sake, how many times have I told you not to call me 'Old man'. I have a 'name', so... USE IT!"

"Ah~ Okay, okay! Just stop shouting at my face..." Sebastian leaned back his head slightly as the old man shouted at him.

It certainly wasn't pleasant seeing the man's dry lips, withered and shifted teeth, and whatever was inside his rotten mouth.

"So... ehum. 'Sir Victor Godwin', I implore you to sell me this small boat at a reasonable price." Sebastian said in a very refined and formal manner.

"..."

"Okay fine... At least, give me some sort of discount or something..."

Sebastian was sure the old man had been thinking about it for a while now. He had confidence that Victor knew about his family's situation pretty well since almost everyone in the village knew about it. Sebastian thought that the word must've gotten around to Victor, even if he was sometimes a recluse.

"Hmm..."

It was clear to see that Victor was in deep contemplation. Whenever he was thinking, his eyebrows would furrow and frown lines would appear on his forehead. They were deeper and more accentuated than most people showing clear signs of old age.

"Victor Godwin..."

"Hmm?"

"Victor Godwin..."

"What is it already..."

Sebastian then spoke with intrigue, he moved his arms in an exaggerated manner and used hand gestures in accordance to how he was describing the old man.

"Victor Godwin, huh. Are you really sure you're not some retired, well renowned and respected, 'legendary' knight that slew down countless foes... or a general that has once valiantly commanded the battlefield in the past?"

"..."

"What? It's a genuine question." It was an honest yet oddly specific question.

"The answer is 'NO'... and why do I have a feeling you've asked that question before?"

"Ah, I assure you I haven't done so in the past whatsoever." Sebastian lied as naturally as he breathed...

"Haah... Why would you even expect someone like that to be all the way out here... in this long forgotten and forsaken place."

"By forgotten and forsaken, you don't mean that it's abandoned by people in general..."

"Mhm."

"But what you really mean is how our village is on the outskirts of one of the three kingdoms ruled by humans, so any help should not be expected during times of war or invasion by the 'demons'."

"..."

"Uhh, put simply- basically, what you're saying is that we have been somewhat deserted and left alone by our own king or kingdom."

"Yes..."

"Demons... huh."

Sebastian began to wonder what the truth was behind that name- no, that label they'd given those beings.

He did not take everything that had been said about them as fact but rather opinion, even if that was what had been taught to him and other children, by parents. To him, it may even be a lie, something to cover up what the truth really was.

[I have experienced what a lie can be like... and how powerful it can be.]

If anything in the eyes of 'them', it is humans who are the 'demons'. Especially after how we constantly kill them and have never tried to seek peace with them. That's what it seemed like from the stories that were told to me. Although, they mostly glorified our actions as humans.

"Demons... witches- whatever the hell they are, they're all the same!" Victor shouted with an angry yet sad look on his face.

That's right- and humans too. Humans can become evil beings. I know that very well. I still don't know enough about demons though. That said... this view is quite nice.

Sebastian walked past the old man who was now sitting down on the grass and admiring the view before him. Sebastian also looked out to the sea in front of him. The murmuring of the lapping waves entranced him, it was steady and peaceful as it oozed onto the dim, gold sand below him.

The ocean was a calming blue, it was majestic yet mysterious. The shadows that were lurking deep beneath would always remain unidentifiable until someone would dive deep into the unknown.

"I just wish... life was as calm as this very moment."

"I agree, Mr Godwin. Yet... wouldn't focusing on the ability to feel calm within the hectic days of life you may experience, sort it all out?"

"It does work... only for a while. No matter how calm or at oneself one can be, sooner or later you get dragged into everything."

"..."

"Then someday you begin to realise that you've already been brought into the hell that you've escaped from, once again..."

I can't tell whether the old man is actually someone with a hidden past and is reminiscing about his experience with demons and witches, or not. By the way the conversation was going and what he was saying, it wasn't too illogical to think like that but I can't make too many assumptions about him without enough proof.

Demons though, are they really what people make them out to be or are they very different. Is the world hiding something from us? There are many answers in this world yet the truth always seems to be the least one. But in the end, I guess...

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

[One day, I'll have to see a demon in person to know what they're really like.]

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"Sebastian! Over here!! Sebastian!!!"

I swiftly turned my head backwards at the abrupt sound of a familiar girl's loud voice. Once again, it was Scarlet.

"Ugh, I guess I have to go now. Make sure to... nevermind."

"..."

The old man sure does like to reply with silence, huh. I bet he's very fun at parties- Oh wait... given his personality, he wouldn't even go to any...

"Scarlet! I'll be there now!!" I shouted back as powerfully as I could, hoping that she could hear me.

It's going to be quite the trip down back all those hills. Haah... Well better get used to it, I might be needing to make a few trips back here over the next few days- especially if I'm unable to convince the old man straight away.

With that said, I start to jog down the sloping hills and soon pick up pace. The very next moment, I was speeding down the hills- I was moving so fast for once in my life that I thought that if I jumped I could almost fly. But... reality is often disappointing, and so instead of flying...

"Ah shit!!"

I ended up falling.

"Stupid- aaagghh!! Fucking stone!" I said, very calmly.

Yes, if you didn't notice by now, I tripped over a small stone. Very funny isn't it Scarlet? That's right, I can see you giggling. Trying to hold back your laughter with your hands on your mouth, huh- but you're failing miserably.

It's funny seeing me hurt myself, is it? Huh, well then... we'll see who'll be laughing when I secretly sell all your favourite books! Haha! Haha. Ha-ha...

Forget about that, if I did that... then Scarlet would've probably been after my life for the next few days. I may be able to get away a few times but I cannot last long enough. The amount of energy Scarlet has within her is very frightening to the point where even I would have to ultimately give up. Her persistence is truly unmatched.

Well on a side note, I hope the old man didn't hear me...

Victor standing at the top of the hill, sighed and shook his head after witnessing Sebastian's failed attempt at 'flying'.

"Haaaah, kids these days..."

It was just another day for Victor. Just another day where he would see dumb kids do dumb stuff...

Usually, Victor would listen to people's requests. Aside from being a boat seller and a regular fisherman, he was known to be a problem solver of sorts.

Although he never showed his agreement when people asked for his wisdom, in his mind he was already thinking of solutions to their problems... and in the end, he would usually help them.

He was a kind man and especially soft with kids but it was hard to see for the majority who thought that he was a stuck up old man when he asked for payment.

However, it wasn't that difficult for Sebastian to figure out... and once he knew about it, he took full advantage of that kindness. It didn't matter whether he liked doing it or not, whether it was the right or wrong thing to do- right now he had limited options. He was cornered.

Whenever no one was looking, whenever he was alone- he would crumble under the pressure. He would cry by himself and the world would not hear him. No one would see and no one could help him.

[What should I do? What can I do? I don't know...]

There was only so much he could do within the time-limit and for some reason... For some reason, this was the only option that he could think of. Or maybe it wasn't because of 'some reason'.

What if it was his soul speaking to him once again- guiding him, urging him to choose the right option. Once again, the idea was reinforced... that his soul was the one who was superior, and yet he... he was still helpless. He was useless. Nothing about 'him' changed yet he continued to follow his soul's orders. He had no other option... but to give in to the one in power.

[He was scared, he was weak, he was afraid. Nothing had changed. It was a frustrating weakness, to think he was the one who had not changed at all. Yet the truth was... That he was the one who was constantly changing.]

- The Librarian

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After an hour or two of being sidetracked by having to follow Scarlet, Sebastian finally made his way to his original destination. He was back at Scarlet's house and sitting at the table with Cynebal.

"Huh, you want me to go hunting in the woods with you?" Sebastian raised his eyebrows at the request.

"That's right, did Scarlet not tell you?" Cynebal asked despite somewhat knowing the answer already.

"Nope~"

"Haah... of course. She probably forgot when she went on 'a stroll' with you in the village instead of bringing you to me first."

Yeah... Classic Scarlet. Always does what she wants first and forgets about anything else. She's the type to daydream a lot and forget about the world around her. I guess we do share some similarities but instead of fantasising- I think about reality.

"Yeah... she did end up making me go along with her on her 'little' adventure. My legs were already dead when I had to go up 'those hills' and then back down again when Scarlet called out to me..."

"Oh, when you say 'those hills' I can only think of that one place. So you visited Mr Godwin again... is that right?"

"Yeah, and... it didn't go well like usual."

"..."

"Well nothing to do but give up I guess. Can't help it if the grumpy old man doesn't want to help."

"Wait. I... I- I'll see if I can convince him."

"Huh?"

"Sebastian, it's easy to notice for an adult and even more so for a parent... when a child is working hard. Especially if that child is working hard for their parents. Well... unless if you're not a good adult or a bad parent, then that doesn't apply but I'm sure you get what I mean."

"Yeah, I understand."

"You've been trying to buy a small boat so that you could go fishing by the main river that runs near our village, right?"

"Mhm."

"And I know, that you've been saving up your money that you've gotten from helping the locals with any small problems they have and by doing chores or going on errands for them."

"I guess that is something that's easy to notice if I'm helping out everyone."

"Haha, of course. Well, don't think too much about how much it costs. I'll have a talk with Mr Godwin and I'm sure I'll be able to convince him."

"Really?" Sebastian said with nothing but doubt on his face.

"Haha~ don't look at me like that. Truth is that I'm a bit closer with him than any other person in our village. You could say he was the one who planted the seed inside my mind that ended up making me work harder to become stronger. It's all because of him that I can be thankful for who I've become- for who I am today...

"..."

"Oh- maybe you don't understa-"

"I do. I understand. However, it's not just because of him that you've become stronger."

"Hmm?"

"Although planting the seed is necessary for growth, it alone does not ensure growth. Actual growth takes time and depends on the interaction of many factors."

"..."

"In this case... those other factors would be your own hard work and effort, the type of training you've done and for how long you've done it for. Your motivation- the reason why you wanted to become 'stronger' and who you wanted to become was also a key part in your development."

"Sebastian... Sometimes you just leave me speechless."

"Oh- ahh, sorry about that. I didn't mean to talk so much, please correct me if I'm wrong."

"No. No. No. There's nothing wrong about what you said, it all makes sense. Thanks though, Sebastian. You made me feel a lot better about myself!"

"Hahaha~ You're very welcome, Mr Cynebal."

"Well then... if Mr Godwin isn't convinced so easily then I'll pitch-in some of my money to help you out."

"Ah- really? If that's so then I'd gladly take your help."

"That's good. That's the right thing to do, Sebastian." Cynebal said as he smiled at the child.

"Well then, I'll be go-"

"Wait, about going hunting with me."

"Ah-"

"You can rest today since you said you were tired. Tomorrow, we can head out early in the morning if that's fine with you."

"Ah~ yes, that'll be the best for me. I really do need to take a lie-down for once. I think I might become an old man at this rate from all the running around I've been doing..."

"Haha... I know it still might be early for you to go hunting but you did say you wanted to get stronger after all and I'm sure you don't want to spend all your time hitting that dumb wooden training dummy."

"Yeah..."

"So what better way to get stronger than gaining some real experience!"

"That's true, can't deny logic like that."

"Well then, I'll help you get all the things you need. Oh and- just to let you know, you won't exactly be 'hunting' but more like observing me hunt. It is still early for you and you've only started training recently. We've also got to avoid 'that' river as much as possible."

'That river', huh. I've only heard bad things about it but surely it couldn't be that bad? In some cases, it could even be an opportunity in a disguise...

"..."

"But~ I do know how you want to get stronger as fast as possible so I'll see what I can do. Keep in mind that there's no 'easy' prey out there, especially if you're just a beginner."

"..."

"There are many things to take into consideration as a beginner, like having the courage to kill a living being without regret or any other emotions that might hold you back or let the prey get away. Seeing blood is also a problem for many..."

"That... makes sense. So~ what exactly will I be doing then and what will I need?"

"Ah- I can't tell you now because there's a lot to go through and I need to do something right now. I'll explain to you in detail what exactly you'll be doing tomorrow when we're preparing and when we're walking along the way over to the forest."

"Alright... sounds good to me!"

"Well then, I'll be off to buy and sell a few things. Make sure to get some rest!"

"Sure, I will definitely do that... Oh, I forgot to say something!"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Will I be using the real dagger that you've been keeping safe?"

"Hmm... I'll bring it along with me just in case. You'll have it on you tomorrow in case of any emergency."

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say."

"Okay, I'll be off then~"

"Bye~ hope you have a successful trip!"

Huh, how convenient! Well, that sure was easy. Even though it was merely a coincidence or it seemed to be like that, it sure was 'convenient'.

I wonder how I'll do tomorrow, I've never experienced what it's like to actively hunt for something. Especially a living being, even if it may be just an animal.

Well... no point thinking about it much. I don't want to overthink and then begin to worry. All I can do is rest because right now, I really need it...

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[I am convinced that a majority of those people whom the world respects and considers good- are liars and fakes. Yet, the most dangerous liars are those who think they are telling the truth...

To deceive or to be deceived. In the end, it won't matter. Lying won't erase the truth completely, it can only delay its discovery.]

- Eve, the young witch- the beginning of the end.