Holy Lands - Titan's axe - midnight

"No!" Marie, stern in tone, rejecting Proxy’s request.

"Come on, why not?"

"Because this isn't what I wanted.”

"I know, I know, but they got nowhere to go "

“There’s too many of them! I mean, just look!”

“I know, okay? But are you cool with letting these guys fend for themselves?”

"I don't...I mean..."

She pulls Proxy away from the group. I can't tell what they’re saying, but it seems like a downhill battle for Marie, who is trying to fight back against Proxy’s reasoning… They might be at it for a while, I’m going to go see if Nunnalé is alright. I make my way to the tent that houses Nunnalé. Heading inside, Nunnalé is lying awake, staring at the ceiling. Marie said she was going to be fine, saying that she’s still healing, but she’ll be fine.

"Are you okay, Nunnalé?" I quietly asked her, nervous to go near her.

"Yes, I am still healing, but at a moderate rate, I should be fully healed by tomorrow with proper rest."

"By tomorrow?"

"My body’s regenerative abilities are slightly better than a normal human."

That’s amazing! So that’s why she wasn’t bleeding after a while because she was already healing.

"That’s excellent."

I sit in the chair facing her. My eyes darted to my legs. I can’t bring myself to look at her, not after my behavior.

"Nunnalé, I'm sorry.”

"...For what?"

"For yelling at you earlier. I realize ‌you were only trying to protect me, but...I just didn't think you'd almost let someone die. It made me angry that you would let my friends just get hurt for me; it frustrated me that I couldn't convince you otherwise… I thought you were a bad person. But when you risked your life to save mine, I was caught off guard. It was shocking to see someone like you risking your life for mine, even though I did nothing but get mad at you for doing your job... I'm sorry."

The outside of the tent is noisy, cheering and laughter reach my ears.

"Master, you don't need to apologize. If I had done something to upset you, then you should punish me as you see fit."

What, wait, what!?

"Wha... No, no, I'm not going to do something as extreme as that. And besides, I wouldn't do anything like that. That’s just..."

"Then would you like for me to change how I act?"

That does sound like a viable way to fall in line, but that's not how I want it.

"No, I don't wanna order you around. I want us to work together.

"Together?"

"Yeah, like partners, you know, someone that'll have your back."

"But I already have my back.” She answers seriously.

"That's just a metaphor, but that’s okay. The point is this: I want us to work together."

I extended my hand to her. "Partners?"

She stares at it, unsure of what to do next. Then she put her hand on mine. "Then, are we partners, master?"

"Yeah, but you don't need to call me master. My name is Richard, it’s a pleasure to meet you."

"I see..." She closes her eyes for a moment, only to open them while facing me. "...Then I shall designate you as 'Master Richard'.”

"Umm...that works too, I guess."

I can't help but form a faint smile. Well, at least she’s using my name. That’s a good start. I suppose this is the start of a rather...odd partnership.

"What is happening outside?" Nunnalé asks.

"I don't know, I guess they’re all partying outside." And I have a good feeling I know who's behind it. "I'm going to go check it out, you stay here and rest now."

I head for the exit of the tent, but I stop short of leaving. "Oh, Nunnalé."

"Yes?"

"I don't know why you chose me as your master, and frankly, I don't get any of this. All I want to say is that I won't make you regret it. I’ll do my best… So get some rest." Standing out of the tent, then getting away from it, I drop to my knees. "That was so intense!"

I can't believe I made a promise like that! This isn’t like me. Am I sure I’m okay!? Well, either way, I made the promise, so I have to keep to it, or else what’s the point? And besides, I owe her that much, at least.

"Hm, is that?" Racheal is on top of the sword statue outside of camp… How in the hell did she get up there?

...

How she got up here is clear to me now, considering there’s a ladder leading to the top.

"Racheal."

Peeking at the top of the statue, Racheal sits at the edge of the flat pommel of the blade. I take a seat next to her. On her small face is a sadness that doesn’t need my ability to analyze its depths.

"How are you holding up?”

I force a smile on my face, but it isn’t all that convincing. She isn't facing me, staring off into the vast greenery beyond here.

"What's on your mind?" She won’t answer, or at least can’t, but it feels necessary to ask. "Are you feeling okay?"

She shakes her head, disagreeing with me.

"I knew you weren't, not after what happened. Want to talk about it?"

She nods.

"You're still upset over your dad, right?"

She once again nods her head.

"I might not understand what it feels like to lose the person you loved again, but I do know what it feels like to lose them the first time. And I can say that the pain you feel right now will eventually go away..."

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No, it won't entirely just disappear. It'll still be there, gnawing at you like an infection. What helps is trying to move on and forgetting about it. So as it stands, I'm just lying to her, but it's better that way. However, before then, she needs to let it all out.

"...If you want to cry, it's okay. You need to let your tears come out."

She shakes her head.

"If you try to keep it in like that, then you'll never feel better. Besides, I'm the only one here, so don't worry about acting strong… You're still a kid after all, so--"

She suddenly lunges at me. Tears hit my shirt as she clings to me, wailing with all her might...

I had no one to confide in when my mom died. I cried by myself in private. At that moment in my life, I wanted nothing more than to destroy something, lash out in anger, and make someone see my sadness. But if anything, I wanted someone to console me like this. Yet, I never got that. So after that, my emotions went dead… Around that time, I began being able to read people’s words.

There's no way I'll let Racheal go through the same experience as me, because if she does, then there’ll only be more pain from then on there; indescribable pain.

"Oh my, oh my, Richard, you heartbreaker, making little girls cry."

This obnoxious tone… Oh god.

Proxy is just hanging by the ladder. Half of his head is poking out. "What's wrong, Richard, doing something unscrupulous?"

"Oh, shut up!"

He jumps up from the ladder. "So...that first mission was something, huh?”

"Yeah, it got pretty hairy down there in the end, but at least we got out in the end,"

Proxy drops to the floor, lying on his back. "Ovan is gonna chill here for a while. They're gonna help everyone who got out of the mine; like showing them how to hunt and stuff."

"Ah."

"Also, I gotta start working tomorrow, too."

"Doing what?"

"Hunting. Marie is kind of pissed that we didn't come back with the weapon. Plus, we partied pretty hard today, so we need to restock on food and drinks and whatnot."

I never got to tell Marie or Proxy that Nunnalé was the weapon, but I think I should keep that to myself...

"...The stars sure are awesome tonight." I looked up at the stars, they are sparkling brightly. The sky looks like it’s from a painting. Its been a while since I’ve seen something so beautiful.

"Proxy, what do you think of all this so far?" I ask aloud.

A smirk creeps on his face. "Well, this place is pretty damn dangerous, but exciting. Now that I've seen that mine, there's gotta be some more interesting stuff around here. So you know what, this might be the best way to spend my summer; having all new types of fun in this world. And maybe even making a legend out of myself along the way… Just kidding. I don’t really care about that crap too much."

“Do you still want to get us home?”

“Yeah, just leave it to me. If there’s a will, there’s a way.” Proxy hops up from the floor. "That being said, since we’re here, you wanna see what this place has to offer, Richard?"

I’m not as excited as he is about exploring this new world. However, I want to get out of this world, and the only way to do that is by actively seeking answers. So even if it entails more danger, I'll find out how we can go home. Plus, I can't allow Proxy to act by himself; who knows what trouble he’ll get into by himself.

"Of course, we're partners, after all."

"Partners in crime!"

"No we’re-- Oh, what the hell, sure."

"Hell yeah!"

We go for a high-five; it thunders throughout the night sky.

"That being said, who was the Warden working for?" Proxy asks.

"Huh?"

"He said he was working with a king, and said he was doing all this for the sake of a kingdom." This is the first I’m hearing of it. "Plus, they had vehicles going in and out of the mine, transporting materials."

"Seriously!?"

"Yeah."

If he’s right, then that means we messed with someone powerful. Then again, I don’t see how they could locate us, so it’s not that troublesome. To him, we were two nobodies who made a mess of his mine.

"...Ah, whatever. Even if we knew who he was working with, there’s nothing we can do about that."

He has a point. There’s no point worrying about it, but it is worrisome to think that we toppled a large facility that belonged to a king. And if this king is willing to enslave people, then I want nothing to do with him.

"I'm hungry," Proxy announces without any fanfare. "Wanna get something to eat? I'm cooking.”

"Sure, Racheal, let's get something to eat. You might not believe it, but he can cook some great meals."

"Yep, and just for the heck of it, I'll blow your taste buds into space as a welcome gift to the surface."

He went ahead of us to go get ready. I put out my hand to help her up. "Come on, Racheal, let's go."

There’s hesitation when she puts out her hand, but despite it, she gives it to me. I pulled her up and we got back to camp for Proxy's cooking. The night was filled with joy as the workers experienced newfound freedom. Despite the dangerous escape they all made, they were smiling and enjoying what they had now. It baffled me, but I realized that there was no point in worrying about it.

As I ate, I took out the card from my chest pocket. It feels different. I can't put my finger on it, but I knew ‌it was lacking something, or was waning in something. But even if I can't figure out what that is, I know that one thing will never change: my mother is always with me, no matter where I go. This isn't something I always knew. This was something Racheal taught me, and I will never forget that, ever...

Holy Lands - ? - midnight

A restless Warden stumbles into a large room, devoid of anything to call decoration, ornaments, except for the flags representing the kingdom. It has a distinguished design to it, grand in scale, and the floor reflects the person standing on it like a clear mirror.

The Warden escaped the mine with some of his men in a deport truck loaded with gems, iron ores, and many more materials. There, he had been delivered to where his king had been waiting for him.

A young man in his early twenties, blond, bright hair, and a face that can have a charming smile or an intimidating stare, more than enough to convey his wrath. The latter proves right.

"What happened to the mine?" the king asks, his demeanor calm, but his tone cold, lacking in compassion for the man in front of him.

"M-m-my lord! Some raiders took it over, and..."

"How did that happen!?"

The Warden whips back from the king’s question. He didn’t raise his voice, but the sheer intensity in his voice was more than enough.

"I'm sorry, but some brats got in the mine, then they used the weapon against me! They even beat Enforcer, but he went berserk!"

The king’s patience is running thin with each word coming from the Warden’s mouth.

"So you are telling me that children destroyed the mine?"

"No, they were bein' backed by traitors of my group. I was afraid of lettin’ it bein’ taken over, so I had to blow it up, Ya gotta believe me, I only had the kingdom’s best interest in mind!”

"So you failed to see that there were traitors amongst your men?"

"Yeah, it surprised me!"

"Of course, it was surprising to a man who is so incompetent to allow children to muddle around in his mine."

The Warden leaped back, frightened by the statement.

"N-no, it ain't like that, I-"

"Enough. I heard enough. I know everything I need to know now."

He points his finger at the Warden. "You are hereby banished from the Kingdom of humanity."

"W...what," the Warden whimpers, despair blanketing his face.

"Your failure to safeguard that mine has severe consequences. We could have recaptured it with a few of our men. Your oversight of this might have cost the kingdom greatly."

"I-I-I."

"No, don't waste your breath. Leave with your shame and what little pride you have left. That is the least you deserve. Never allow your face to be seen in this city ever again. We’ll give you some supplies, but outside of that, you shall fend for yourself. The guards will escort you out."

As the once employed Warden was being escorted out, the king slinks into thought, “For the kingdom? Honestly, who does he take me for?”

However, that question doesn’t matter at the moment. He wonders who had the luck to be able to destroy the mine. One thing does come to mind.

"No, it’s not possible..."

There are other mines that are more than enough to satisfy the needs of the kingdom, but they aren't as big as the Hell Mine was. Losing it is a gigantic setback for the kingdom.

"Kids he says? What children are capable of such a thing...?"

The Holy Lands - ? - Midnight

In a library where the moon's light seeps through the skylight, and the books on the many bookshelves collect dust, sits a woman who is sitting on an elegant chair, looking at the moon in a trance, captured by its beauty.

"My, it seems as if they have begun their journey off to an impressive start," she whispers to herself. She gets up from her chair, stretching her weary limbs. "It is rather late. Perhaps I should head off to bed?"

Saying that, she takes a book off a random shelf that houses too many books for the eyes to register.

"...The black grimoire... I wonder why it has come back, especially with those who do not belong here?"

On this night, the gears turn, those involved with the book and the opera house incident will forever have their lives changed!