Chapter 7

Transient Shimmer: Doll of Morality

One step through the meadow, one step through the river, one step through the forest. One step through the spring, one step through the summer, one step through the fall. One step through the winter, and all will shatter at the hand of one's misplaced anger.

Everything starts with one step, you see. Every malice, every kindness. Everything can also end with one step.

So try, try with everything you have, to reach for that faint hope just out of your reach. See if you can grasp it.

And perhaps, we can finally meet one last time…

I want to see you.

Very soon.

Glacial water surrounded him, Doug realized, when he awoke. His heavy wounds of the previous battle with Dolly began to take its toll as he tried to swim up. The exposed cuts on his arms dyed the water deep red; his sudden motions reopening the oldest injuries.

Just as he was about to reach the surface, something on the river bed caught his attention. It was bright blue and shining with an entrancing glow, to which he recognized immediately. Excitement filled his head while he resurfaced and dunked back down again. He swam closer to the bottom, the gem coming closer to view. Doug drew his hands forwards, and gripped his hands around it.

The Rune Sphere was cold to the touch; perhaps because of being in the bottom of a river. While it was subtly beautiful, Doug had no time to admire it as he was running out of air. Again, he made to the surface.

"This is what you were looking for?"

"Yep. It was a lot of trouble, but I got it eventually." Doug and Pico spoke near the river shore. Night had fallen while he was inside, and the stars came out vibrantly.

To Doug's surprise, the two were inside Selphia. They had fallen quite a ways up from where the performance hall was perched, and honestly, Doug was questioning how they had lived. Even still, he was thankful that it indirectly helped him.

"Thanks for your help, Pico. Now that I've got this, I'll make sure to help you with Dolly." He laid back on the soft sand of Dragon Lake. While his arms still stung from that magic spell, he was too happy to pay it any heed.

This… is so strange. Why the hell am I so happy? I'm not looking these cause I want to, it's because those Sechs are forcing me to. This doesn't make me any closer to killing Ventuswill, and yet…

Doug held the Rune Spheres against the stars with a wobbly hand, and stared at its tender glow. Next to him, Pico had sat down, and he could hear the quiet shuffle of her legs. Something was bothering her?

"Is something wrong, Pico?" He asked while not removing his eyes from the blue jewel.

"… Can you promise me something, Doug?"

"Sure. What do you want?"

"I want you to keep that blue jewel a secret."

"H-Huh?!" Doug turned, surprised, to Pico. "W-Why? What does this have to do with you?"

"I don't know! I don't know why this jewel feels so important to me, no, not to me, but I just know it's important. Please, keep this between us!"

"Um… I'm getting a strange sense of déjà vu here…" What am I gonna do? If I don't give this to the Sechs soldier in two weeks, he'll maim me! But, even still, I can't just ignore Pico. "C-Can you give me some time on this? I need to think on it."

"As long as you still keep it hidden, I can wait until Dolly is healed." She said very adamantly.

"Okay. I'll give you an answer then." Doug let out a small sigh. He had only managed to push the issue a few days, but it was still enough. The Rune Sphere can be easily concealed in his room somewhere, so that won't be an issue at least. Still, this is quite the problem.

"You got all the details, Pico? We can't afford for you to mess up here." He quietly asked the next night.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand the plan. Just appear and disappear in front of some people, right? It's plain and simple."

"All right. Just making sure. Let's start with those people over there." Doug nodded towards Margaret and a tourist, who was complaining about Porco eating his food. "That elf gets spooked around ghosts, so she'll be sure to spread the word around quickly. Then afterwards, Kiel would be best."

"All right, then. Here I go!" Pico jumped back and vanished into the air.

Doug positioned himself behind some bushes and held his breath as their plan slowly unfolded.

"Yes, yes, I'm so sorry about Porco. He doesn't mean any harm; it's just that he can't control himself sometimes." Margaret fervently apologized to the customer. "Of course, you will not be charged for the meal."

"Well, since you seem so honest, I guess I can let it slide. I'd be more worried about you, actually. That was a whole Grilled Taimen he ate, after all. Those will run you seventy-eight thousand gold on the market. Which means you're short seventy-eight thousand, right?"

"Oh, not to worry! Our fish is all caught in the early morning by our expert fishermen, Dylas, as to offer all of our customers the best meals made out of only the freshest and natural ingredients." She began happily gloating.

"Is that so? Then this Dylas must be quite the fishermen to have caught a Taimen! A large one, too, I might add. Believe me, I've been trying my hand at capturing one, but I can never quite reel it in time."

"I'm sure you'll be able to catch one eventually, sir. So, again, sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you find the Grilled Snapper to suit your taste." She cast a glance to the brown bag at his side, which still radiated the strong smell of Snapper. "Is there anything else you would like with it? Snapper the way Porco makes it is quite strong. Some Fried Rice, or a Salad perhaps?"

"No, I think I'll be fine. Anyway, I better get going before the last airship leaves without me. See you next time." The tourist nodded his head a little, then walked over to the airship platform.

With him out of sight, Margaret let out a big sigh and relaxed her shoulders and face, showing her great fatigue. "Oh man, that sure was tiring! I'm glad that man was reasonable, or I might've had to stay up till midnight arguing with him. But, geez, that Porco! Can't he-" Margaret's post-work rant was interrupted she heard a soft noise nearby. Almost immediately, she tensed up again. "H-Hello? W-Who's there?" She slowly shuffled her feet across the stone road. When she reached the bush, she was met with a little girl she didn't recognize.

The little girl took notice, and turned her head towards Margaret. She gave a longing look before turning away once more, and walked away, disappearing.

Margaret stood there all the while petrified. For a while she stayed, glued in place, before her mind finally caught up with her body.

"G-Gaaaaahhhh!"

Further away, Pico appeared near Doug. He motioned her to stay quiet as they moved a safe distance away.

"So how'd I do? Pretty good, right?" Pico asked once their first task was done.

"Yeah, perfect! Margaret will get the rumor circulating, no doubt about it. Now to really get it going, we need Kiel in on it too. I think he's at home with his sister, Forte right now. Which is all the better, considering Forte's scared of ghosts too."

"Huh. This town has more phasmophobics then I remember." Pico wistfully said.

"Then you remember? You've been in Selphia before, Pico?" Doug asked, checking over his shoulder for any approaching tourists.

"Hm-mn. I've been here for a long time. With Dolly, that is. I've been here so long, I can't exactly remember how long it's been. I've been able to see the two change from afar for many years, but it's always been a bit empty without Dolly. Especially with what's going on with Ven… I can't even help her…"

"Ven?! You mean Ventuswill?" He was a bit offset at the casual mention of his family's killer. "What's going on with her?"

"I can't tell you that part. Let's just go this Kiel's house already, okay?" Pico began walking, determined to drop the topic completely.

Whatever you say…

Doug picked himself up and led the way to Kiel's house. The lights were on, and a sweet aroma was wafting from out the window. He surmised Kiel was baking again. The two snuck below the front window; Doug signaled Pico to move in after verifying both were in the kitchen.

"Forte, the cake will be done in few minutes. Can you get some plates?" Kiel called from over the hot oven.

"Certainly." Within a few minutes, Forte spread out the table with their blue china and cups of Relax Tea. "Would you like me to get the ice cream as well?"

"That'd be great! I still need to frost the cake, so take your time."

Forte grabbed the frozen sweets with haste, nonetheless, and set two more elegant bowls on the table.

"Hm?" Kiel looked over his shoulder, and at last noticed the china set that Forte was using. "Hey, that's Mom's china set, isn't it?"

"… Yeah. Is that… not okay? I'll use the green Elefun one if it makes you uncomfortable." She glanced to the teacup and the other dinnerware. They were all of elegant design, depicting a sea pattern on the glazed clay. The handles were fanciful gold waves, the rims a silver ring. And positioned on the bottom of each item was a Bear symbol, outlined in vivid bronze.

"No, it's fine. They just… bring back old memories is all. Mom would always use these on our birthdays. She bought these because they reminded her of us, right?"

"Right. Before she got sick, she'd bake a Chocolate Cake and set it upon this china. I'd always inquire about why she did so, but she never really gave me a straight answer." Forte stared at the set as the nostalgia came over her in waves. The times when their parents were both here, when they were both kids and the consequences of the Dragon Knight heritage were far into the future… It felt tangible enough to reach out and reclaim it.

"When I look at it, I remember how kind and warm she was. Tiny details I'd forgotten over time resurge when I see it. Does it bring any memories for you, Forte?"

"Yeah. I guess you can say that."But… no matter what you do, the past is still the past. I have to do my best to persist in what becomes the present, so that one day, we can look back on these times without melancholy. Anyhow, why don't we eat that cake now?"

"… Okay, Forte." Kiel said, plastering a smile on his face. He moved the cake to the center of the table, then carefully cut out two slices. The still warm cake permeated throughout the house with its tempting scent. "Now, it's time to-"

"Hm? Kiel, what's the matter?"

"There's a little girl looking out the window." Only slightly disturbed by the intrusion, Kiel pointed towards the girl clad in purple and pink. Forte followed his motion, and jumped out from her seat upon laying eyes on the intruder.

Recollecting herself, she swiftly unsheathed her sword that was still mounted at her side. "H-Hostile! Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" She threatened, nearly screaming while doing so. While Forte pointed her Longsword with no hesitation to strike, the little girl took no action against it. "Answer me!"

"…" The little girl turned to them, and gave another solemn stare. But after only a few moments of silence, she disappeared through the wall while whispering a small statement. "You two look like a good family…"

Forte and Kiel remained in place for a spell before realizing what had exactly transpired during their dessert time.

"F-Forte… was that...?"

"N-No… T-T-That… Was not a ghost!"

"All right, good first day, Pico!" Doug congratulated upon reaching his room. "The rumor will be out in no time with those two in on it."

"It'd better. I can only stay connected to you for about three more days." She settled upon Doug's bed, and looked around the room. From the space behind his, she could hear the soft snoring of an old lady. "Who's over there?"

"That'd be Granny Blossom. She took me in when I came here three years ago. And in exchange, I help around the store."

"Three years, huh? So, are you like a surrogate family now?" She asked in a teasing tone.

"Family? Us? Hm… I guess you could say that. But she worries the hell out of me all the time! Like when we're in the store, I'd turn my back and then she'd try to restock the highest shelf on a creaky step ladder! I mean, can you believe that? She can get really hurt if she fell! And then-" Doug stopped once he realized Pico was holding back her laughter. "Hey, what's so funny?"

"I-It's just, you two totally sound like parent and child! And one who's completely annoyed with each other, too! But, you also really care about each other." She said in the same teasing manner.

"Stop teasing, Pico! Can we just go to sleep? Oh, that reminds me. Do ghosts sleep?"

"Maaaybe we do. Or maybe I'll just secretly snuggle in your blanket all night." Pico's face lit up with the smile of a prankster.

"I-I said stop it, Pico!" Doug began blushing from her assertion. Pico had suddenly turned from someone fully determined to help the one they loved to one who couldn't resist teasing him in the weirdest ways possible. "I'm going to bed! If you really do sleep, there's an extra mat and blanket in the chest by the wall! G-Good night!" Without waiting for a response, he turned the lamp off. Moonlight enveloped the room as Doug slipped under his blanket.

In the darkness, Doug carefully listened to see if Pico was going to set out the extra bed. But he didn't hear one sound; not the squeaking of the chest, nor the ruffling of the sheets. Instead, he felt a sensation that was both warm and cold at the same time. His body slightly shook from the unexpected rush of emotion. Euphoria and great depression filled him in duality, before aligning on a neutral point.

His body steadied before long. Another warm feeling came down his cheek, which Doug realized was his own tears. Pico's emotions came onto his for a brief moment.

"Pico… I'm sorry. I'll try to keep the Rune Sphere a secret for as long as I can, but I don't think it'll last forever. You don't have to forgive me when I break our promise; I just hope I can someday tell why."

The next day seemed to drone on to Doug. Perhaps it was because of the contrast of the excitement and exhilaration his double life with Pico offered, but watching the store just seemed more boring than usual. The sky was clear, allowing the unrelenting rays of the Sun to beat down on the old roof, which in turn heated the room to extravagant levels. Simply put, Doug couldn't wait for night to come. And neither could Pico, it would seem.

"Doooug, I'm booored." Pico whined loudly. "This is soooo booooring."

"Hey, sorry store clerk isn't the most extravagant job in the world, okay? Just make sure nobody notices you, and we'll be out here by 18:00." He swiped the sweat off his forehead with his open palm. The store was completely empty at 13:00 in the afternoon, and it seemed to be getting muggier by the second.

Doug rested his head upon the store counter, with Pico feigning a nap by his feet. Foggy sleep claimed him for a time before the door bell awakened him. He got up with surprise, and looked firmly towards the customer. "W-Welcome to Sincerity General Store. How may I help you? Oh, hey Frey. How's it going?"

Beneath the counter, Pico perked up a bit from the mention of Frey's name. She knew her as the Earthmate that could help Dolly, but beside from that, she knew next to nothing about her. Curiously, she poked her head up to listen in on their conversation.

"I just finished a request with Eliza, so I'm here for the new seeds."

"Ah, you must be talking about the Leek seeds. Yeah, they're right here. How many do you want?"

"Let's see… Four will suffice for today." Frey playfully held up four fingers to Doug as he gathered the seed bags.

"That'll be two hundred seventy two gold, then." She handed the gold from her recent harvest to Doug. "So, have you heard about the ghost?"

"A ghost…?"Wow, word spread quicker than I thought it would! "I-I don't believe in that kind of stuff." He turned his head to hide his slightly blushing cheeks.

"Aww, really? Everyone's talking about it. Margaret was telling everyone how she saw a little girl disappear into thin air last night. And by how spooked she was, I don't think she was lying."

"Come on, she's always spooked of the supernatural! She probably imagined the whole thing."

"No, I don't think so." Frey's face folded into a thoughtful expression. "I think she was telling the truth."

"Then why don't you investigate it yourself?" He purposely egged on.

"Hm… Maybe I will. Well, later!" She raised her hand up as she left, with Doug promptly waving back.

"And that, Pico, is how you secretly enact your plans." He proudly said.

"Yeah, I see." Pico floated up and sat on the counter, leaning against Doug's shoulder to which he made no action against.

"You got a good look at her, right? She's the one who can help Dolly."

"Yep. She seems pretty nice."

"You can get to know her better when Dolly is all fixed up and you move into Selphia."

"We can stay here? Stay where?"

"Don't worry about that. Someone will offer. That's how's it been so far, anyway." He said cheerfully. "Now, get back down before someone sees you!"

Unfortunately for the two of them, no one else came into the store that day. Time dragged on even slower, causing them both great grief and insurmountable boredom. 18:00 couldn't have come sooner that day as they both bolted out of the store doors to begin their plans anew.

As Doug had predicted, the rumor of the ghost girl spread at an unprecedented rate. Before long, everyone in knew of it, even though they only visited a third of them. Frey, of course, knew as well, and one night decided to investigate this rumor as well. Suspicion and doubt were on her mind as she wandered the empty night streets of Selphia.

"Hmmm…. What's got everyone so worked up? First the moaning, and now this. This town must be a paranormal magnet or something." With the stars and moon brightly shining above her, she continued her search of the area.

Not too far away, Doug and Pico stood on high alert inside the docked airship. "All right, this is it! You know what to do, Pico." He gave her a small nod, and Pico quickly disappeared.

Frey walked cautiously towards the step to her farmland, only to be stopped by a little girl. Startled, she halted her movement. The little girl, her back turned, looked around the area before disappearing once again.

"Uh…" Frey continued walking, and was soon out of sight. Doug took the opportunity to go up ahead and began running towards the town gates. As they agreed, Pico was there waiting, with Frey soon arriving.

"Are you.. Frey?" Pico asked, turning to her.

"Y-Yes?" She answered, a bit bewildered by the rumor holding some water after all.

"I've finally found you! Now, let's go help Dolly!" Pico eagerly said. She took hold of Frey's arm, and started pulling her through the gates, meeting with some resistance.

"H-Help? Wait, who's Dolly?!" Frey exclaimed, surprised at the force of the ghost girl.

"Come on, I've waited a long time for this! In order to honor milady's and Ven's requests, I've been very patient, but that ends today! You found a way to restore the runes of the land, right?! Oh, Ven must've told you this already, so let's go!" She pulled ever harder on Frey's arm.

"W-Wait a minute, Ven?! Who's Ven? And I don't know anything about restoring runes to the land!"

Seeing she wouldn't budge, Pico released Frey's arm and allowed her to step back into town. "Do you know somewhere called Obsidian Mansion?"

"U-Um… Yeah, I do."

"Great! Then I'll go there right now!"

"Hey, wait up!" Despite her protests, Pico sprinted on into the dark Selphia Plains, leaving her on the empty plaza.

On the nearby street, Doug watched on in minor disbelief. To him, it would seem Pico had more information on the whole situation then she let on, though he had already been mildly suspicious. Intent on getting some answers, he left under the cover of shadow to meet up with Pico.

"Hey, Pico." Doug called out.

"Oh, hey Doug. The plan went perfectly, right? She'll be there tomorrow, and Dolly will be saved. We're even one day early." Pico smiled weakly, casting her gaze to her side.

"Pico… Would you care to explain?" He said in a gentle tone. "I promise I'm not mad or anything. I mean, I really can't, now can I? Our emotions are practically merged right now."

"I guess so."

"Please, tell me about the runes of the land. Is something wrong with them?"

"… I think it'd be better if Ven told you herself. I don't think you'd believe it otherwise." She bluntly said.

"…" Doug climbed onto his bed once more, and buried himself under the thin sheets. "If that's what you really think, then fine. Let's get rested for tomorrow."

Doug awoke early the next morning to walk Pico to Obsidian Mansion. Dead leafs of muted colors crunched under their feet as they approached the stone walkway of the abandoned house. It was as massive as ever, helped by the rising morning Sun above it. The two stopped before the gates, and faced each other once more.

"Well, this is it. We've fulfilled both ends of the agreement, and now we go our separate ways." Doug said slowly, trying to uphold an upbeat attitude.

"Right. I'm gonna go back to haunting Dolly now. I'll wait for whenever Frey shows up." Pico backed up through the gated doors, and disappeared as she has done many times during her adventure with Doug.

In a few minutes time, Doug felt something within him shatter and soon dissipate. That would be the connection he had with Pico, he concluded. The emptiness and anger that Pico had been shouldering for the past few days returned to him, which disoriented him, but didn't cause him to lose his composure. Though he now had no obligation to remain in that dreary place, Doug waited for Pico to return. He had faith that she would.

Soon enough, Pico appeared before him once again.

"I want to let you know that I had fun these past few days. I look forward to meeting Dolly." Doug shot her a thumbs up and a bright smile. Pico responded with a smile of her own and a feeling of relief.

"Me too. I'll make sure Dolly meets you real soon! Well then… goodbye for now." As she turned her back, Doug caught a look of sadness on her. He then realized he had one too when she disappeared for the last time.

Doug started towards Selphia with a sensation of heaviness weighing down his steps. It was only that evening when he figured out why that was.

He was alone once more.

"Why, hello Doug."

"Hm? Hey, Arthur." He greeted the spectacled prince, who seated himself across from Doug at the restaurant.

"How are you doing today? You seem a bit down under the weather."

"Me? I'm doing fine. Though I don't see how that's your problem. You have papers to see to, right, you workaholic?" Doug said nervously.

"While my papers are very important, as Prince, I have a duty to see to my people. Though, as it stands, I am not officially Prince right now."

"I know. You handed that title to Frey so you could focus on other matters. Actually, I'd like to ask you something. I've wanted to ask you this for quite a while, but as it seems, I keep forgetting." Doug asked while poking at his Omelet Rice, which had been sitting uneaten for quite a while. "How are things going with the Sechs Empire? I mean, what's Norad's current relationship with them right now?"

"My, I didn't think you were one to care for such monotonous matters." Arthur stated, withholding a small chuckle.

"I mean it! I wanted to ask earlier, but something came up." He quickly countered his teasing. "I'm a bit interested in it."

"If you insist, I can enlighten you. But be warned, this will may be long winded." Arthur said, holding up one of his pickles. "As of right now, Norad and the Sechs Empire hold a very rocky relationship with each other. Simply put, we could be tethering on the edge of war right now."

"Things have gotten that bad?"

"Indeed. Norad has tried to get Emperor Ethelberd of any of his inner circle to attend a peace seminar for at least two years now, but to no avail. It concerns me greatly, and I wish I could help somehow, but foreign affairs isn't my area."

"The Sechs are too stubborn to sit down and try to negotiate peace, huh? How typical of them. They don't exactly have a good reason not to, now do they?" Doug questioned.

"There is our shared past of war that may be preventing peace talks. Although, another deciding factor may be an illegal migration of a Sechs people to Norad ten years ago."

"Illegal migration? That would make sense, considering how tough they are with border checks and stuff." Doug scooped some cold omelet into his mouth, and chewed slowly as he contemplated the information. "Thanks, Arthur. That's all I need to hear."

"A-Are you sure? You don't want to hear about the current tariff ratings, or the highest crop demand between the two kingdoms? Or perhaps the Tragedy of the Winterlands Border?"

"No no. I don't want to eat up anymore of your time." Although, he actually wanted to avoid a boring lecture from Arthur. "I have to go now. See you later."

"O-Okay." Arthur watched from his seat as Doug got up and left the restaurant, along with his uneaten Omelet Rice. "How very random that dwarf can be." He smiled softly and ate another of his pickles. With Doug gone, Arthur started on the paperwork sitting in his bag.

Night had fallen by the time Doug reached the Main Plaza. The stars were shining once again, though it was somewhat cloudy that day. He strolled along the castle walls with his head towards the sky, intently staring at the numerous lights as if looking for something.

As he approached Ventuswill's chambers, he could clearly overhear voices. He was able to make out three voices; Frey, Pico, and Ventuswill. Curiosity came over him as he walked over to the side of the door.

"What does she mean you're going to die?!" Frey shouted loudly.

What?! Ventuswill is… dying?

From beside the wall, he could hear their conversation well. Doug soon learned about how the runes of the land were dying, about Ventuswill needed to die to replenish them, and how Dylas and Amber became Guardians in order to save her. He experienced mixed feelings from this discovery, but even still most were negative.

Then that means that Amber ended up in Yokmir Forest because of her…!

"There must be some other way to help you and the Guardians! I won't accept this! You expect me to just stand by and watch as you kill yourself?! Well, I won't do this! You are my friend, and I'm yours! Please, let find another way!" Frey desperately pleaded with Ventuswill.

"The Royal Family has been trying for generations to find another way, but to no avail." The dragon refuted. Please, I ask of you to save the last Guardian, Leon, in Leon Karnak. This is my final request. I ask this of you because you are my friend."

Frey responded with silence.

"Do you know… how the last few centuries have been like for me? Watching helplessly as my friends disappeared one by one for my sake alone? It was terrible… Because of me, they willingly choose to forsake their lives and their futures, all so I could live a little longer! You humans are so selfish, you know that? Haven't you ever once thought how I would feel, all alone in a place cultivated by your life? Well I won't stand for it anymore! This will finally be over… No one will ever think of sacrificing themselves for me ever again. Please, Frey. I've lived a long and full life. Even now, I was able to make a new friend. Please… I ask of you… Save the last Guardian…" Doug heard a large thud, to which he assumed was Ventuswill crashing to the ground.

"Venti!" Frey cried out with worry.

"Don't worry. She's still alive." Pico now spoke to Frey. "Ven… She must have thought long and hard to have come to this decision." Her voice imparted subtle despair.

"No, there must a way to save Venti and the Guardians! I can't just let her die!" Frey tried as hard as she could to deny the idea of Venti dying.

"Neither can I! I want to save her too, but…"

"No, this is wrong!"

"F-Frey!" Pico called out to her as she ran out of the room.

The sky above became filled with dark clouds, blotting out all the illustrious lights. Doug couldn't help but feel a little conflicted after that info dump.

So this is the extend of what you knew, Pico. I see why you couldn't tell me now, but still… That Ventuswill… That murderer

Raising his head, he saw that Frey had stopped in the middle of the plaza. Taking a bit of risk, he approached her. "Hey."

Frey turned towards him, surprised. "D-Did you hear our conversation?"

Both turned silent in light of the recent revelations.

"There must be a way… But I don't know what to do. If I don't hurry, then…"

"… Just give up. It's not possible to save her, she said so herself. Just hurry up and save that Leon guy!" Doug said spitefully. "Then… she'll finally…" Doug took a step backwards from his slight elation as a small smile spread across his face. The one who killed his family, the one who took everything away from him, will finally pay.

"I can't give up! I don't if it's impossible yet! Just because others have failed doesn't mean I will"

His smile disappeared upon hearing her. "What…?" His head fell a little. "Don't you dare… Don't you dare say that with her face…!" She doesn't understand… She doesn't know what a monster Ventuswill is… "That dragon… She…!" But his words fell short. He couldn't bring himself to say that to Frey. "Whatever! You can do whatever you want, see if I care Ar-!"

"Doug, what are you talking about…? Who are you talking about?"

"…J-Just leave me alone!" Torn with emotion, Doug rushed out of the plaza.

"H-Hey! Doug!"