"Is that the name of the tea?" Roal picked up the cup of tea and placed it beneath his nose. He tried to smell the tea, but the sickness had prevented him from inhaling anything through his nose. Still, the rising hot steam made his nostrils feel better.
"No, 'koke' means 'here' in Bokokkan," Akki took a mouthful, gulping the entire cup of tea straight after pouring.
"Why is your language Bokokkan and your ethnic name Bohito? We Eternians," Roal sneezed, "Speak Eternian."
"Well, Bokokkan isn't the only language used by Bohitoes. 'Bohito' as a language is only used to activate those old hexes preserved by specific clans."
"Oh," the man continued after a tiny sip, "I thought those inora (old Bohito hexes) were just written in ancient Bokokkan."
"How did you know so much about Bohito anyway? Most people outside Bokokka didn't even know the existence of inora," Akki, pouring another cup, was finally curious about the Eternian next to him. Also, he was delighted by this conversation. It entirely wiped the dissatisfaction of not wearing a kimono out of his mind.
"Well, I majored in global history in college. It was how I got my advisor certificate after the banishment. How about you? How about the education in Bokokka? You really surprised me when you identified these dents," Roal poked out his hand to point at the metal plate on his face.
The question was simple, and Akki could not answer it. He had never gone to a school in Bokokka. He mainly stayed and finished his education with the royal servants sent by his father. He did not want to disclose his true ethnicity to Roal. He did not want to think about his hidden ethnicity. To skip the topic, he replied unpleasantly, "I was taught by private tutors, so I don't really know." He didn't lie. He just omitted the part he didn't want to tell or recall.
"That explains," the sick man took another sip and coughed. Akki didn't respond but finished another cup. It was after a few seconds of silence that Ranith politely asked Akki where he was heading after leaving Bagen. The two quickly realized that none were traveling with a fixed destination.
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"Do you mind having a traveling companion?" Roal asked before drinking the last bit of liquid in his cup. He was curious. He wanted to see where Akki would end up. He wouldn't admit it, even to himself, but he needed the ronin to prove that his old, stubborn determination to justice wasn't wrong. He wanted the Bohito to inherit what he had abandoned.
"As long as you can feed yourself," Akki answered after briefly thinking for a dozen seconds. Although he didn't know how Roal's presence was going to change the way he lived, he was willing to give it a chance. He wouldn't admit it, even to himself, but he longed for a friend. He had yet to get one after leaving Bokokka.
"Of course, my revolver could be used about twelve times a day. More than enough for a monster hunt," Ranith pointed at his two revolver cylinders on the windowsill and sneezed, "They need sunlight to recharge, so I guess it's more like twelve shots per two days." The sunshine glittered on the two cylinders, shimmering with the white glimmer on the openings of the twelve chambers.
"Wait, they didn't take your revolver away?" A gust of fury was about to flit into the ronin's mind.
"They did. I only get to keep the cylinder part."
Not responding to the words, Akki exhaled a breath of air, letting his anger fade partially. However, the annoyance could not be easily removed. He stood up and managed to continue sleeping so that time could pass faster.
"Why are you so angry about it?" Roal abruptly threw out the question, "You will get your stuff back in no more than a week."
Akki stood there wordlessly, facing the wall. He repeated the question in his mind twice before coming to a conclusion. So, he answered, "I'm not angry. I'm just uncomfortable."
"These tunics are made out of the best material in the FASOTO," Roal pinched his tunic and sneezed, "How uncomfortable can they be?" He regretted it right after asking. He, of course, knew that Akki meant mentally uncomfortable. Sometimes, he was not fast enough to stop his rude intention from reaching the mouth.
"I don't like talking about this topic," the ronin's voice went smaller and deeper. All his rage had turned into a tense sadness and pity at himself. Akki walked out as Mr. Ranith shouted, "You can go meet the royal tailor if you really want to get your kimono back. He is in the cabin outside the castle."
His face was straight with a slight scowl, causing every servant he encountered to stay quiet and step aside. These reactions from the others just made his grief heavier than it originally was. He was like a soaked pile of firewood. Although he preferred aggression over depression, not a spark of umbrage could be kindled. He knew his idea was twisted, and his only way to deal with it was to hurl it to the back of his head. Obviously, he was going to achieve it by putting on his kimono again.
Standing upon the granite tile and well-pruned shrubs of the local lord's manor, Akki banged the door of a tiny cabin repeatedly with his warrior strength. He would be enjoying the cozy sunshine in the manor if he was in his kimono. Without it, the sun was only emitting hot light at him.
The tailor eventually opened the door after Akki's tenth knock. He was wearing an orange doublet with blue Dorset buttons and blue breeches. The hat that was covering his bald head was an oversized beret, which was also orange. The tailor was a perfect example of why complementary color theory didn't always work. The pure ridiculousness of this outfit put a scornful smirk on Akki's face.