At late night, when everyone was sleeping... not everyone, but they were trying to sleep. Trying to forget about the incident and the nightmare—but couldn’t. Even if they tried, they failed. Everyone was stressed.

Among them, Akiko was sitting on a bench outside the building in the ground. She was thinking about the nightmare and the recent incident. She was in deep thought and held her pendant tightly that was around her neck.

She didn’t notice that Soru also walked out from the building for fresh air. He was smiling. Then his eyes fell on Akiko, who was still in deep thought. So he decided to do a prank on her. Slowly, with low-sounding steps, he walked towards her and stood just behind her. Then he leaned close toward her ear and shouted, “BOO!!”

Akiko jumped from shock and surprise.

Soru just laughed and then sat beside her on the bench.

As Akiko recovered from the shock, she looked at him with an angry expression, and he was still laughing. Then finally, Akiko snapped.

“Are you crazy, or do you not have any brain!!”

Soru stopped laughing but smirked at her and said, “Whoa, no need to get angry, princess. I was just messing around.”

Akiko glared at him and snapped, shouting at him again.

“Yeah! You only know how to bother others! Did you even try to find out what happened here?! Why everyone is stressed?! Damn it! One of our soldiers committed suicide!!!”

Finally, Soru stopped smirking.

He didn’t know how to respond.

He was shocked, because it was true that he hadn’t tried to find out why everyone was stressed.

Akiko glared at him and said again, “You are the worst person I’ve ever seen.”

With that, Akiko walked toward the building, to her room.

Soru was just too shocked.

From behind the pillar of the building wall, Sofia saw and heard everything. She was there to call Akiko, because it was getting late—but she ended up hearing their conversation.

Sofia felt bad for Soru, but did not approach him and walked back toward her room.

Soru was just standing there, unable to say anything. Then he sat on the bench.

Then he felt something gentle on his shoulder. When he turned his face toward it—it was an old lady. She smiled gently and kindly, then sat beside him.

Soru tried to smile and laugh, trying to show his usual cheerful nature. But the older lady saw that he was pretending to be okay.

Soru never showed his emotions to anyone. And he had never been that sad.

He wasn’t sad because of Akiko’s anger—but he felt guilty for not trying to understand the situation.

Then the old lady said, “I heard everything. No need to pretend that you’re okay or happy. I know you feel guilty.”

Soru stopped laughing and just smiled.

Then the old lady said again, “You know it’s not your fault? You did nothing wrong... Listen, Akiko is not a bad person actually, but something bad happened here.”

Then she started to tell him everything—about what happened, about the nightmare, about the soldier’s suicide.

Soru was listening carefully. There was a shocked expression on his face.

He listened.

He started to understand why Akiko got that angry, why everyone was that sad, and why everyone disliked him.

Because since he arrived, he never tried to find the reason behind their silence.

Soru nodded and understood the situation. He felt even more guilty for being sly.

He was guilty for not trying to find out what had happened or why everyone was sad.

Now that he knew the situation, he thought about how the others were feeling when he was laughing.

He felt guilty for being an idiot—for being silly.

The old lady finished the story.

Then she noticed his guilty expression.

She patted his head.

He looked at her with surprise—because it had been many years since someone patted his head.

Then he started to relax.

He felt a connection toward the old lady.

Like a grandmother was petting her grandson’s head.

Soru had never been this weak and soft before… not like he was feeling now.

He slowly leaned his head on the old lady’s lap and closed his eyes, and the old lady smiled and stroked his hair gently.

It was a sweet moment.

Soru—the playful, careless, strong man—he looked like a sweet kid who wanted nothing but care, love, and support.

And the old lady was giving him that, like he was her son or grandson.

Then after 15 or 20 minutes, Soru opened his eyes.

He realized that he had been like that for a few minutes.

Then he quickly got up and turned towards the old lady and said,

“Thank you—hmmm… well… what should I call you?”

The old lady smiled and replied,

“My name is Marla Venn. But I’m the age of your grandmother. So call me Grandmother.”

Soru nodded and smiled. Then he said,

“Thanks, Grandmother. Now you should go back to your room. It’s getting late, you need rest.”

The old lady smiled at him, then sighed, and got up.

“Take care, Soru. You should also go and sleep.”

Soru nodded, and the old lady left with a smile toward her room.

And Soru walked back toward his room.

---

On the other side, in Hikari's office, Hikari was talking with Rin.

They were sitting on chairs at the table.

Rin said,

“Care to explain, sir? Why did you give Soru a room next to mine? Why not with the other trainers?”

Hikari sighed, then looked at Rin and started explaining.

“Look, when Soru arrived, he was holding a bloody knife. And when someone fights with monsters, they’re usually scared, serious, or a bit nervous. But Soru… he was different.”

Rin kept listening as Hikari continued.

“His calm and playful nature is weird. I want to know how powerful he is. And who he really is. I gave him the room next to you because I believe in you. If he was dangerous or tried to do anything—you could stop him. Keep an eye on him. Watch what he usually does. His activities.”

Rin started understanding and nodded.

Then Hikari said again,

“If Soru is really very strong… and if he’s really on our side… and if he doesn’t have any ill intentions—then he can be our strength. Because I noticed the way he was swinging his sword… it was more like a professional. And I also want to know how, when, and where he learned swordsmanship like that… and from who.”

Then Hikari looked at Rin again and said,

“Rin, I trust you. You can keep an eye on him… and handle him.”

Rin nodded.

Then Hikari dismissed Rin. And Rin left the office room.

Hikari sighed and said to himself,

“How many mysteries and secrets does this world hold? Monsters are just a small problem. The real problem must be waiting for us… laughing at us… and keeping an eye on us.”

Hikari sighed again.

And Hikari was not wrong.

Because their journey was too long.

Their paths were full of problems and mystery.

And he knew that one day, he and everyone else would have to leave this building—this HQ—to face those problems.

To face that main problem that was waiting… smiling in the shadows.

Somewhere in the darkness, the person behind the shadows sat on a throne and said,

“It’s not even the beginning of your suffering.”

Then he smirked.

.. 

End of the chapter 15