The battle ended. There were many who died, and the village was damaged by the attacks of monsters and beasts. All of them were celebrating their victory and, at the same time, holding a funeral for the dead soldiers and hunters who died defending the village. They were in silence and the air was filled with sadness and grief for their loved ones.

 

 

Roswald and Geld woke up and saw that the battle had ended. The two were relaxing, laying on the ground. Roswald saw something shining in the forest from where he was lying. He rose up from the ground and headed towards where the light was shining.

 

 

"Where are you heading?" Geld ask as he stood up from the ground.

 

 

Roswald pointed to a spot in the forest where the light shone, and Geld followed his finger.

 

"Nothing's there…." Geld said.

 

"Can't you see that light? Something's there..." Roswald replied.

 

 

Geld was silent, with a questioning face. Roswald continued heading into the light. He was getting further and further into the forest. As he came closer, the light grew more and more as the figure of the child became visible.

 

 

Roswald saw the child lying unconscious on the ground. There was light emanating from the child's body, and the miasma surrounding her was purified and protected her from danger, driving all the monsters and beasts away from approaching her.

 

The light from the child started to fade little by little, and the child's appearance was becoming more visible. Her clothes were worn out, and her body was small and full of wounds.

 

 

He was stunned looking at the child's body. He felt pity for the child. At that time, he heard a roar far away from where they stood, and it was ominous and threatening.

 

He held the child in his arms in a hurry and ran away far from where they were, as he felt danger the longer they stood by the minute.

 

Roswald swiftly gets out of the deepest part of the forest. He then meets up with Geld along the way. Geld saw him embracing a child in his arms and asked,

"Who the heck is that?"

 

 

"A child..." Roswald quickly replied with a straight face.

 

 

"I know that just by looking. What are you going to do with the child? "Geld asks.

 

 

Roswald remained silent, as he couldn't answer what Geld had asked him. The two stared at each other as if they were talking with only their eyes. Suddenly, a mage came and interrupted the two.

 

 

"Sir Roswald." A mage greets Roswald with a bright expression.

 

 

"It's been awhile, Derek." Roswald said, with a smile on his face.

Geld stared at the two greeting each other, curious about their relationship, and remained silent.

 

"By the way, who is this child?" Derek inquired with a question on his face.

 

 

"I don't know... I found her deep in the forest," Roswald replied.

 

 

"Oh, is that why you rushed out into the forest?" Geld asks, cutting into their conversation.

 

 

"Who are you?" Derek asked rudely.

 

 

"My name is Geld, nice ta meet ya." Geld responded enthusiastically.

 

 

"My name is Derek. I didn't see you there when I came in, Sorry," Derek said and smirked. His manner was so rude that it made Geld dislike him.

 

 

"You have a problem with me, lad?" Geld asked while glaring at Derek. The two of them stared at each other furiously. Geld didn't understand why Derek treated him rudely.

 

 

"Derek, you better stop," Roswald said, with an intimidating look. The two stopped immediately, and Roswald sighed.

 

 

"By the way, why are you here?" Roswald asks.

 

"To see you, my d-" Derek replied, but before he finished his sentence, Roswald interrupted.

 

"Uh-uhm, let's head back to the village," Roswald said, covering Derek's words, living Geld with a curious look on his face.

 

 

The three of them head back to the village. The villagers were still mourning and toasting the dead soldiers and hunters, for their loved ones were also hunters and soldiers.

 

 

The three arrived in the village and saw the gloomy atmosphere in the village. It was a great loss for many, and some were not. Some of the hunters that didn't participate were by the side celebrating, not caring for the people who were mourning for the dead.

 

Their actions created a conflict with all of the village people, and Mario, the village chief, drove them out of the village, never to set foot again.

 

 

Roswald quickly runs into the inn, ignoring the people, and puts the child on the bed for her to rest comfortably. He then heads out with the child to discuss the matter of the village with the consecutives.

 

Mario and Geld already know who the commander of the knights so they skip the introduction and proceed with the discussion, but it didn't start right away.

 

"It's been awhile, my friend," Arthur said, with a smile.

 

"It sure has," Roswald replied, with a straight face.

 

 

"Hmm... I would like to ask what the three of your relationships are, but let's first discuss the matter at hand," Mario said, with a stern expression.

 

 

Mario started the conversation first, explaining the village's matters and asking the magicians for a favor to help restore the wall surrounding the village.

 

Following that, Geld and Roswald begins to describe the situation in the forest and how danger still lurks within it. And that they would head out inside to investigate the cause of the monster and beast outbreak to ensure the village's safety.

 

 

The conversation lasted for three hours, and after that, the four of them discussed the profit that the magicians and knights would get from helping them, but Arthur declined.

 

"There's no need for that, I was only helping my friend Roswald," Arthur said.

 

 

"That can't be the only reason, can it?" Geld asks, seriously.

 

 

The four of them went silent for a while.

 

 

"Then how about this, in the future, no matter what we request, you will undertake it?" Derek suggested, with a smile.

 

 

Geld and Mario think for a minute,

"Hmm... are you sure that's all?" Geld asks.

 

 

"Of course..." Derek replied.

 

 

Geld looks at Mario, then the two agree to the said agreement.

 

 

Four hours had passed after their conversation. Derek with the other mages began to restore the village walls. And Arthur, Roswald, Geld, and some of the knights head out into the forest to investigate the cause of the monster and beast outbreak.

 

 

On the first day of exploring the forest, Arthur, Roswald, Geld, and some of the knights weren't able to find anything suspicious, so they stopped and headed back to the village because it was getting dark and there were more matters to discuss with the others.

 

 

On the other hand, Derek and the mages finished restoring the walls surrounding the village, but the buildings inside were not yet restored.

 

It was a busy day in the village, with villagers mourning for the dead, mages helping to restore the walls and buildings of the village and knights investigating inside the forest.

 

 

On the second and third days of going inside the forest, they weren't able to find any clues about the monster and beast outbreak, and the village buildings and walls were already restored, as good as new.

 

 

On the fourth day, they still didn't get any clues or evidence, so the knights and mages set off back to the capital, the city of the empire. After that, everything was normal again. For a while, Geld and Roswald stopped investigating in the forest.

 

 

Roswald goes back to the inn where the child resides. When he comes in, he sees the child is cleaner than before, but still hasn't regained consciousness.

 

He was surprised at the child that was full of mud and dirt that was cleaner while he was away. He headed down the stairs to ask the inn owner about who came into the room where the child rested.

 

 

"Hm? Roswald, is there a problem? "The inn owner asks

 

"Did someone come into the room, perhaps?" Roswald replied, calmly.

 

"Why is something a matter?" The inn owner asked

 

"The child-"Roswald asked, the inn owner intercept.

 

"Oh, if it's that, then you should ask my daughter," The inn owner said, laughing.

 

"Call Ramy here," The inn owner asked one of the people's inns to bring his daughter back to the inn.

 

The inn owner's daughter at that time was in the market buying ingredients to cook for her family's restaurant.

 

Happily humming and jumping around,

"What should I buy?" The inn's daughter murmured to herself.

 

* Market commotion*

 

Each of the stalls and store sellers attracts their customers one by one by shouting out their product quality and prices.

 

"How much does the carrot top and guinea squash cost, mister?" The inn's daughter asked the vegetable stall seller.

 

"It's ten ingots each for you, young lad," the vegetable seller said.

 

"Ten ingots? Mister, are you serious? How about five ingots?" The inn's daughter insisted.

 

"That's not going to happen, young lad." The vegetable seller said, but the innkeeper's daughter pestered the vegetable seller nonstop for three minutes, finally buying the vegetable at a five-ingot price.

 

The inn's daughter kept buying more and more ingredients in each and every store, until she couldn't bring it all back to the inn, so she rented one wagon worth sixteen ingots. That's when the inn person A came running towards her.

 

"Miss, I've been looking… around for you...the... boss… is looking for… you," the inn person A said, while running and panting at the same time.

 

"Oh, hey what's up." The inn daughter said, calmly

 

"Are…. you listening? Young miss…"

 

"Hmm….I am, so what's the matter?"

 

The inn person A takes a deep breath and calm down, then said, "The boss said to come back immediately,"

 

"Just wait a bit, I'm almost done buying things. Here, help me get this inside the wagon," The inn daughter said, giving the basket full of vegetables to the inn person A, then walked out to buy more ingredients.

 

One hour had passed since they put all the ingredients inside the wagon, and it was already sunset when they decided to head back to the inn.

 

*Bell sounds as the door opens*

 

"Dad, is something wrong?" The inn's daughter asked as soon as she came in.

 

"Hm," the inn owner said, pointing at Roswald.

 

"Oh, hi, my name is Ramy. Is there something the matter, sir?" The inn's daughter asked, after introducing herself.

 

"When I got back the child in the room, did you…" Roswald replies.

 

"Oh yes, she was so dirty and it would be uncomfortable to sleep in that state, so I wiped her body and gave her a clean cloth. Is it bad of me perhaps, sir Roswald?" Ramy stated.

 

"No…it's Just, thank you," Roswald replied.

 

"By the way, sir, is she still unconscious? It's been like a week since you brought her out of the forest," Ramy asks, with worry in her eyes.

 

"I think she will wake up soon," Roswald said in a calm manner.

 

Ramy blushed as she saw him smiling tenderly showing affection.

 

"Sir, you're very handsome. May I know your age?" Ramy asked, fidgety and brushing her hair lightly.

 

The inn owner was surprised and glared at Roswald, misunderstanding that his child would be taken away by Roswald.

 

"Why don't you guess what my age is?," Roswald replied, with a troubled look in his eyes.

 

"Hm, are you.... you're age is 27? did I get it right? you look young, you don't look like an old man and your handsome." Ramy said guessing his age and didn't bother to hide her intentions and showed them boldly.

"I wonder.... I'm going now young lady, if you'll excuse me." He said, giving her a cold shoulder.

 

"Oh, I see," she said scared by his gaze.

 

Ramy stop pestering him and step aside, her father apologizes for her behavior and Roswald headed upstairs.

 

Night passed by and morning came with another passing day. The child woke up from its slumber. She looked around and saw a man who she had never met before.

 

"Hm... where?" While staring at the celling, the child said quietly and hoarsely,

 

"You're awake," Roswald said, with a gentle and calm voice.

 

The child was alerted and put her guard up. Fear was written on her face while she trembled and hid in the corner of the room.

 

The two stared at each other silently for a minute when suddenly the child's stomach began rumbling.

 

"Are you hungry?" Roswald asked the child gently in his voice. When the child didn't respond to him, he got up from the chair and got out of the room.

 

The child felt relieved when she saw him leave the room. She then lies on the bed once again and looks around her, quite unfamiliarly.

 

"Can I get something to eat?" Roswald said straightly.

 

"Didn't you eat just now?" The inn owner said,

 

"No... It's for the child," he said.

 

"Oh, is the child awake finally? Wait here, I'll go and prepare it," The inn owner said, and hurriedly headed to the kitchen to cook.

 

* Sizzling sound*

 

*Water pours, then the chopping sound of vegetables*

 

After three minutes, the inn owner finally finishes cooking.

 

"Here you go, tell the lad to slow down and enjoy the food,"

 

"I will, thank you," Roswald said, heading back to the room.

 

He arrives at the door of the room, he was hesitating to come in, he sighted, and he calms his nerve before opening the door door. He then comes in with food on his hand.

 

The child was laying on the bed when he opened the door, and she was startled. The two locked gazes, and she raised her guard and hid in the corner once more.

 

Roswald was troubled by her behavior. He didn't know what to do in that kind of situation, as he had never coaxed a child before nor even taken care of one. He puts the tray with food on the floor and slides it near to the child to eat it.

 

"Here's some food. It's not poison, so you don't have to be worried," he said, calmly afraid of scaring the child.

 

The child reaches out for the food. Once she puts her hand on it, she gobbles it up with no end. Roswald was surprised by the child's behavior.

 

"You must be really hungry," he said, with pity in his eyes.

 

When he said that, the child choked. Roswald grabbed the cup with water in a panic and let the child drink it in a hurry. Because of that, the child also choked on drinking water.

 

"…Sorry, " he said.

To be continued…..