36. Recovering

Arganan found himself stuck in bed.

Granted, he was on bedrest due to recovering from his injuries, but still. Other than seeing Dolce, Pico, Nancy and Jones, he didn't have too many other visitors. Sure, Illuminata and Amber came by, but Frey was, surprisingly, not around much. Even Vishnal and Forte managed to be around to visit more frequently than Frey.

Then again, perhaps he shouldn't be so surprised. Frey was probably trying to find a way to recover all the Rune Spheres and get Venti back to normal. After everything they went through together, the earlier efforts to use the Rune Spheres in the first place would be in vain if the Sechs kept control over the Rune Spheres.

Arganan also wondered how Doug was doing. How was he feeling, knowing well now that the Sechs were the ones that killed his tribe, and not Ventuswill? Surely the younger man felt some guilt, having accused Ventuswill of killing his tribe when it was someone else…especially when that someone else manipulated him into thinking otherwise.

And speak of the person and he shall appear, because when Arganan heard a knock at his bedroom door and he spoke up to let them know he could come in, it was none other than Doug himself that entered. The dwarf looked well, at least, save for the faint circles around his eyes. He looked rather dazed, like he didn't get enough sleep for a few days straight.

"Hey." Doug offered Arganan a grin, before moving to sit down in a nearby chair beside Arganan's bed. "Thought I'd check in with you. How are you feeling?"

"Now that you're here, better. It's nice to have company." Arganan managed. He and Doug hadn't really talked much in general, now that he thought about it. Sure, part of it was due to Arganan helping Frey and therefore Doug was working against the two at the time, but still. Then again, it also had been Doug that first warned Arganan about Frey going into Yokmir Forest, all that time ago, so maybe they were somewhat even at this point. "What about you?"

"I dunno. I feel…really bad, I guess." Doug ran both hands through his hair, a harsh sigh leaving his lips. "I can't believe I got duped like that. After all this time, too. I should've realized Ventuswill was right. I should've known better."

"I understand that you feel that way. Any reasonable person would like to seek justice or vengeance for the loved ones they lose, especially in something as traumatic as that." Arganan swallowed. There was one person in particular he could think of, that was similar to Doug. "I know I don't talk much of my previous time as Count of Lazulis, but…honestly, you're not the first person I've met that tried to seek vengeance and searched for the wrong target."

"I'm not?" Doug looked up at him, brows furrowing. "Who else was it? You?"

Arganan shook his head. "Not me, but there was someone I trusted, once. His name was Dagran. He was the leader of a band of mercenaries. The same band that my now-nephew-in-law is part of, actually."

"Seriously!?" The dwarf's jaw dropped. "You worked with mercs? I thought, I don't know, that you noble types would prefer working with knights."

"Knights can only be so reliable, sadly." The former Count admitted. "I hired Dagran and his group to be extra guards for a party, for my niece's then-engagement to Lord Jirall Rambaldt. Due to Zael's unique powers, however, I ended up retaining him and the rest of the group for further duties…as well as the fact that we shortly ended up in a war with the Gurak, and we needed all the help we can get. However, there was something I didn't know until just before I left Lazulis for Selphia."

"What was it?"

"I'm getting to it, Doug." Arganan gave him a look, before continuing. "During the war against the Gurak, one of our best knights, General Asthar, was killed. I didn't know at the time, but Dagran…was the one that killed him. Apparently, according to what I know from Zael and my niece, Dagran had lost his entire village to a band of corrupted knights that started a brief rebellion, and Dagran targeted Asthar because he was apparently the leader of them. What Dagran didn't know, however, was that Asthar had no part in starting the rebellion and destroying villages whatsoever. In fact, Asthar stopped the rebellion. He just held himself responsible on paper because that group of corrupted knights was one of multiple factions he had to lead."

Doug leaned in a bit, still staring. "What about the actual criminals, though?" His voice wavered at the question, but he pressed on with more inquiries despite it. "Did they get punished? Did Dagran ever find out about the truth, that Asthar wasn't behind it all?"

"No. He died during the war, never finding out the truth. As for the actual criminals, they were already punished, long ago, by Asthar himself." Arganan sighed, leaning back against the head of the bed as he looked Doug in the eye. "You're very lucky, to find out the truth. Not many people often realize what it is until it's too late."

"But it is." Doug stressed, shaking his head. "Ventuswill's gonna die because I worked with the Sechs and so they know all about those Rune Spheres because of me, and because of her state, I've basically put all of Selphia in danger. I don't know what to do."

Arganan recalled the battle with the Sechs soldier all those days ago, and how Doug reacted to all of it at the time. "I think you do know."

He raised a brow. "What makes you think that?"

Arganan gestured at Doug with his open right hand. "You didn't hesitate to defend Granny Blossom when the Sechs tried to attack her. That's why."

Doug tilted his head a little, nose scrunching up a bit. "To be fair, you shielded both of us at the time with your powers. I was barely a human shield before you beat me to actually defending us."

"Fair. But if you genuinely had no idea what to do, upon that betrayal, you might've been frozen on the spot." The older man pointed out. "You could've been stuck in indecision long enough for Blossom to be hurt. You also straight-up questioned the Sechs soldier that tried to attack in the first place, when they first started slipping the truth. But when you defended Blossom even after the revelation, I think you knew, deep down, that you wanted nothing more than to defend the people you care for."

He saw Doug swallow, and Arganan took a deep breath before continuing. He hoped, maybe, he was reaching Doug in some way. "You're close with Blossom. Sure, you constantly complain about your job, and so on, but out of everyone in this town, you're close to her. You care for her. Just like how she cares for you. She defended you like how you defended her. And when it comes down to what sort of truths you find, no matter what you might lose or gain from it, you want to protect the ones that you love and care for. I think you care for the rest of the town like how you care for her, Doug. Even when you were trying to get revenge on Ventuswill, who you previously thought was the one that killed your tribe, you still cared for everyone in town. Hell, you even tried to stop me from running into Yokmir Forest by myself when I went after Frey, and that was during the first week of me living here."

Doug frowned. "I was trying to get you to pay for the groceries. Can't have customers running off without paying all the time, you know."

Arganan couldn't help but laugh a little, despite his ribs hurting afterwards. "I think you knew what I was really doing, back then, but I suppose that could be part of it. But my point still stands—you can't give up now. You know what to do. You have to defend Selphia, in any way you can. And a way you can do it is to help Frey."

"Me? Help Frey?" Doug stared at him. "You think I'd be of any help? That she'd trust me?"

"She's a very understanding person." Arganan reassured him. "I've told her about my past before, and I expected her to never trust me again. And yet she still did, time and time again. If she can give me a chance, I think she'll give you one. You just have to try. That's all you can do."

Doug went quiet, leaning back in his chair. Arganan studied the other's conflicted expression, the light swallowing, the furrowed-then-unfurrowed eyes. A slow sigh left Doug one more time, and he looked up at Arganan, offering him the faintest of smiles.

"You know what? Thanks. I think I really needed that. And…I think I'll talk to her." Doug stood up from his seat, offering the older man a nod. "I can keep you updated on how things go, if you want."

"Please do. Frey's barely come here to visit, and I sorely miss her." Arganan felt himself smile back at him a little bit. "Thank you."

"No problem. See ya."

Doug left the room, closing the door behind him, and Arganan let himself sink further into the bed, closing his good eye. Hopefully, Doug and Frey could work together to help Ventuswill and all of Selphia, while Arganan himself recovered from his injuries in the meantime. He hoped things worked out between them.