The number of days Flann spent with the Ruzena household quickly built up, as he got accustomed to the way of life within a community. Clarette found interest in teaching him the basics of etiquette, and continuously drilled the proper ways to eat and dress into his brain throughout those days. To her amazement, he adapted incredibly quickly, and before much time had passed, it seemed that the boy dressed in worn-down clothes trying to eat grass straight off the ground was a remnant from long ago. Despite this however, he was still full of questions as usual, curious about the world like a newborn who had never experienced anything before. 

“Clarette.”

Clarette glanced up from the book she was reading to see Flann peeking in through the slightly-opened door. She got up from her seat and walked over, her pink curls softly drifting behind her. 

“Hello!” she greeted, opening the door wider. “Are you feeling bored again?” 

Flann nodded, fidgeting with his fingers a little. “I wanted to ask… if I can go outside?”

“Of course!” Clarette replied, quickly turning around. “Just let me grab a coat…”

“Ah,” Flann exclaimed, stopping her before she left. “I meant… just me.”

Clarette turned back around to face him, slightly surprised by his comment. “You mean you want to head out by yourself?”

Flann nodded, nervous for having stopped her. 

“Well, that’s fine,” she responded, “it’s not as if you’re a child…” She had to remind herself again and again that Flann was actually likely the same age as her, despite his behavior. “You know your way around now?”

“Yes,” Flann stated. They had been around town a couple of times now, and he more or less knew how to get back to the estate, or at least how to ask for guidance if he needed it. 

“Okay then.” Clarette quickly walked to a corner of her room, grabbed a pouch, and returned, handing the pouch over to him. “Here’s some coins, if you want to buy anything.” 

“Ah, I…” 

Flann hesitated, but Clarette placed it in his hands and pushed it towards him, smiling. “Don’t worry about it. There isn’t too much in there, so you don’t need to fret if it gets lost. But I want you to be able to enjoy the things this village has to offer, so take it.” 

A bit awkwardly, Flann received the pouch and placed it in a pocket of his trousers. “...I understand.”

Grinning, Clarette patted his shoulders. “Have fun then! Take care!”

Flann bowed slightly with his head, and then made his way down the hallway, before exiting the house. He was greeted by the butler, who opened the gates for him, to whom he also bowed towards as he exited the estate. 

Outside in the village by himself for the first time, he glanced about first before deciding which direction to walk in. Naturally, there was one he was drawn towards first. 

Since the day he had first explored the city, the voices that he heard from beneath the tombstones always remained in his mind. They were present every time he walked by, giving him an intense feeling of disquietude. Once, he had asked Clarette about it, but her response was quite confused, as if she did not understand what he was asking about. After that, he never brought it up again, but he knew he definitely wanted to find out more. That was the main reason for his trip today, although he also wanted to just look around by himself. 

Arriving at the cemetery, again he heard a quiet haze of voices, and this time he entered the premises to get closer. However, upon reaching the area with the tombstones, he found that he was not alone. A middle aged woman was kneeling in front of one of the small tiles, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. 

Flann stood a short distance away, watching her with curiosity, unsure of whether or not he should approach her. Before he could make a decision, the woman lowered her hands and opened her eyes, noticing him standing awkwardly in the distance. 

“Oh, are you here to pray?” She asked. “Come over, don’t mind me.” 

Taking a few steps closer, he asked her, “...What does it mean ‘to pray’?”

She blinked a few times, surprised by his question, and then answered. “Hmm, well… if I had to say, it’s sending words to your departed loved ones, asking about them, and telling a bit about yourself.” 

He thought a bit about her words, and then asked, “...Were you praying?”

“Yes, I was,” she responded, “for this one here.”

She motioned at the tombstone in front of her, and Flann closed in, taking a look at what was written on it. 

“In loving memory of Nero Klaudys.”

“Is this… your child?”

The woman nodded, smiling a little ruefully. 

Flann stared for a while, then crouched down next to her. “Can you… tell me a little about them?”

The woman gazed at him with a look of wonder, and replied, “...It’s been a while since I’ve talked to anyone about my son.” Smiling, she added, “I might ramble, but please feel free to listen.” 

Looking back towards the tombstone, she said, “Our Nero was always such an active child. His dream was to become a royal knight.”

Her eyes watering a little, she continued on with a smile. “When they asked for youth to be sent to train, he was so excited. On the day he left, he told me he’d become the best knight the kingdom had ever seen.” 

Flann felt a brief sting in his chest, but he didn’t know what the feeling was, nor how to describe it. 

“He must have been through so much, my sweet child. Even after it all ended, his body was never found, so we couldn’t even give him a proper burial.” 

Her words were soft and wistful, blowing out like a gentle wind that settled where his body could have laid. “...He must have disintegrated somewhere in the midst of that cruel battle.” 

After that, she spoke no more, and Flann gazed at her with eyes of sympathy. “May I… pray to him too?”

The woman smiled at him, nodding. “Of course. I’m sure he’d love to hear another voice after only hearing mine and my husband’s for so long.”

Flann got on his knees and clasped his hands as he had seen the woman do before. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head towards his hands, and made a short prayer. 

“Nero Klaudys, beloved son of the lady before me, I hope you rest in peace. May your body and soul lie gently, free of the pain that had bound you.”