Author's Note: Hey everyone! Just wanting to say thanks for the continuous support you've been giving. I appreciate it a whole lot so I hope you continue to enjoy this story.

Chapter 5: A Daughter's Promise

Such simple words of one they hold dear can emanate in their heart for the coming years. As one grows up and remembers those words, their life is then guided by what they once heard. When the day comes and their beliefs are tested, one should decide what should be bested. In the end it's their own choice that matters, it depends on them if they continue or falter.

Rushing out of the restaurant, I quickly made haste to find Cupa who was a person of utmost importance. "I'm worried she might get into some trouble in that angered state of hers and I don't want that to happen. I also need to apologize to her for what I said to earlier, I really need to learn when to quit talking." I scolded myself. As I continue to contemplate what I've done, my search continues around the business district. I went and checked every possible place I could think of, places we've been to and places I've been to but to no success.

After an hour of searching, I couldn't find her anywhere near and decided to stop and think for a while. I sat on a nearby bench and caught my breath, my entire body was trembling and sweating from the search. Then I opened my inventory to check the time, it was 2:30 pm already and I need to accompany her to the Mayor at around 5:00 pm. I scratched my head, "I really don't want to burden Uncle Alazar here. Plus this is entirely my fault in the first place, so I need to fix it somehow." I pondered.

For over 5 minutes or so, I sat on the bench rattling my head for solutions to my problem. I sighed, "I can't...I just can't think of any..." I muttered. I slumped on the bench until I was looking directly above, "What to do?" I pondered. Just then a familiar voice called out to me, "You seem rather exhausted, Xander. Want some lemonade?" Richard Weldin asked. I immediately sat up, "What are you doing here, sir?" I asked. "Why you ask? Well, I'm buying some snacks since it's break time." he said.

"Oh, I forgot about that..." I said. Chief Weldin just laughed, "You really are an airhead, aren't you?" he said. "Haha, you know me. My mind tends to wander off sometimes..." I replied, nonchalantly. "Hmm? Is something the matter, Xander?" he asked. I sighed, "Nothing really..." I muttered. He sat down next to me, "Really? Your basically an open book, Xander. It's clear as day that you seem troubled. Now, tell me what it is." he said.

"Well, do you still remember the girl I brought with me yesterday?" I asked. "Oh! Now that you mention it, she's not with you today." Weldin said. "She was with me today but I kind of pissed her off and now she's gone." I told him. "Gone as in disappeared or gone as in ran away?" he asked. "The latter is more appropriate. I said something again without thinking and now this happened." I replied. "I understand that she currently ran away but why are you so hooked up on finding her immediately?" he asked. "Well, I can't say much but she is a very important person." I told him.

Chief just stared at me, "Is it something related to your uncle?" he asked sternly. I nodded, "It is and I don't want to bother him with my mistake. Therefore, I need to fix this myself." I told him. He smiled and patted my head, "Well, why don't you leave it to me then?" he asked. I pushed his hand off, "Aren't you busy enough? I might just inconvenience you and the others." I said. He chuckled, "Come on, don't be like that. Remember that it's our job to maintain the order in this town. Searching for someone is part of maintaining the order, right?" he stated as he stood up. I smiled, "I guess it is. In that case, I'll take your offer." I said. He nodded and threw me a bottle of lemonade, "I suggest you quench your thirst before we make a dash for HQ." he said. I took his other offer and drank my fill.

With that, the two of us ran straight for headquarters. A few minutes later, we came bursting through the entrance of HQ, startling everyone nearby. Chief Weldin paid no heed to it and went straight to his office. He immediately grabbed his M.I.C (Micro Invoice Communicator) and began contacting somebody. He didn't really say much but he told them to get here pronto.

"So who did you call?" I asked. "Come on, you've known them for quite a while now. Have you forgotten the people in charge of situations like this? Chief Weldin asked me. "Oh! You mean them, right?" I asked. He nodded, "That's right..." he muttered. Someone then knocked on the door, "Excuse me, Sir! We'll be coming in now." The voice said before opening the door. "They're the perfect people for the job." He said. "I can't believe I forgot about the Stream Scouts." I thought.

Entering the room was the said group of people that can help me out. The Stream Scouts is one of the several squadrons we have here in Wellspring, they are a group of agile and nimble people that are tasked with scouting the perimeter of the town, patrolling the streets and alleyways, as well as finding lost items and people too. Nevertheless, they are trained professionals and know what they are doing.

"Squad Leader Michael, reporting in. To what may we be needed for, Chief Weldin?" he asked, saluting. "Tell me, Michael. How many of your men are one stand by?" Chief asked. "This is everyone on stand by." he said, pointing out this behind him. "Will this be enough, Xander?" Chief asked me. "5 people, huh..." I muttered. Michael looked over to me, "Oh! If it isn't, Xander. Didn't notice you there, pal. Are you the one in need of assistance?" he joked, patting my back.

"Ain't gonna lie to you, Michael. I'm in need of some help." I told him. Michael looked surprised, "I was right? Okay then...never thought you'd need my help. Anyway, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into that you need a Scout to help?" he asked. "I need help finding someone." I told him. "Oh? They lost or something?" he asked. "Not exactly..." I replied. "Mind explaining so we can grasp the situation here?" he asked.

I nodded and began telling Michael what happened and who to find. "It seems you really messed up big time..." he said. I sighed, "I sure did." I muttered. "Cheer up! We'll find her and you'll definitely get your chance to apologize." he reassured, patting my back. "Thanks a lot, Michael." I thanked him. He smiled, "Just treat me some time and we'll call it even." he joked. I nodded, "Sure thing, I'll remember that." I said. Again he was surprised, "I was only joking. You don't need to take everything seriously." he said. "I'll keep that in mind." I said.

"We got all the information we need, sir! Ready to deploy all units on standby. Waiting for your permission." Michael told Chief Weldin. Chief nodded, "Permission granted. You may begin your search." Chief ordered. The scouts saluted before leaving the room, "They are really fast!" I exclaimed. "They aren't called Scouts for nothing." Chief said before seating down on his chair.

I saluted, "Thank you for lending me some help, Chief Weldin!" I thanked him. "No need to. It's part of my job anyway." he said. "I guess I should be going now. It would quicken the search if I were to join in." I said. Before leaving, Chief handed me some kind of communicator. "Use that to communicate with the other scouts." he said. I looked at the device in my hand, "What is this? And how do I use it." I asked. "It's what they call a Communication earpiece. It's basically like my M.I.C but it works over longer distances and can connect with others earpieces through some kind of mana something energy wave..." he explained.

I blinked, "Okay...so how do I use it?" I asked. "You just press the button on the side of the earpiece and it should connect with the others." Chief Weldin explained. So I pressed what seemed to be a button on the side of the device, "Now what? Do I put it on?" I asked for confirmation. Chief nodded, "Indeed. Once you do so, you'll be able to talk with the others." he explained.

I attached the earpiece to my left ear and soon began hearing voices of who I assume to be Michael and the others. "Oh wow! This is amazing! I can hear their conversation." I exclaimed. "Hello? Michael, are you there?" I asked. "Woah! Xander is that you? I guess Chief gave you an earpiece too." Michael said. "Yeah, he said it'll help with the search." I said. "It most definitely will. If we find anything we'll be sure to let you know." Michael said.

"This thing is amazing, Chief! With this, patrols and reports can circulate easily around town. When did you get your hands on this?" I asked. "It was delivered here a few days ago. I was about to issue this to everyone next week but I had the scouts test it out first." Chief explained. "Whoever made this must be a genius!" I exclaimed. "I heard it was made by a Manatechnologists your age in the Kingdom of Stanton. Though they do say he has a sharp tongue and is a bit eccentric." he explained.

Then I snapped out of my fascination of the device and returned to the current situation. I shook my head, "Never mind that! I need to find, Cupa." I blurted out. "Be careful and good luck out there." Chief Weldin said. I nodded, "Thanks, Chief. I'll be going now. I'll also send a report later!" I said before leaving the room. And so I once again begin my search for the runaway princess.

(People of the Land: Michael Gelona is the leader of the Stream Scouts, one of the several squadrons Wellspring town has. He is a professional at his job and never has failed in his missions. He is also an outgoing guy who loves parties and celebrations. He has short, slightly brown and messy hair, golden-brown eyes, and no facial hair. He has a built physique and is fair-skinned. He typically wears a leather jacket over a plain shirt paired with jeans and either sneaker or running shoes.)

My search begins at Town Square next to HQ. The town square is the most spacious place in the neighborhood where both the plaza and park are located. It is a perfect place to go to for recreational activities, picnics, programs, or when you want some alone time. I brought her with me here yesterday so there's a chance she might be here.

So I started looking around and asking people if they have seen a Creeper humob around the place. I kept searching the area but to no avail. Sadly, no one has seen a humob around either. It was already 3:00 pm, I only had two hours to spare. Even with the scouts' help there is still a lot of ground to cover. There are a few other districts in town where she could have gone to. First, there's the Center District or the Town Square, the Northern District or the Noble Estate, Southern District or the Common Grounds, the Western District or the Bussiness District, and lastly the Eastern District or the Temple Sanctuary.

"I know for a fact that she couldn't have wandered off into the Northern District of town since there are gates separating it from the rest, plus it's heavily guarded. I also don't think she wandered into the Temple grounds either, I know for a fact the temple does not accept humobs. That just leaves the center, western and southern districts. Since I just checked the center, I guess I'll search south then recheck the business district." I thought.

With that in mind, I immediately headed straight for the south. "There's a lot of side streets and houses in that area, she could be wandering or hiding there!" I thought. My destination wasn't far so I managed to arrive there quickly. "Okay, time to begin asking..." I muttered, looking around. From behind a familiar voice called out to me, "Xander! It seems you're here too." Michael called out.

I turn towards him, "So you're looking around here too?" I asked. He nodded, "Yep, same as you." Michael agreed. "I'm guessing you already know but we have more scouts looking around currently. Those that just came back from patrol joined in the search too. It won't take long now for us to find her." He told me. I sighed, "I heard. That's reassuring but the clock is still ticking. We have only have less than two hours left." I said. He punched my arm, "Then we better get going if you want to find her sooner." He said before dashing away. "I could never run like that..." I thought.

After Michael left, I went back to my search and began asking around again. I tried my best to run around the neighborhood faster with my "Rapid Flow" skill. "At this rate, I'm going to run out of mana and stamina..." I thought, dreadfully. Covering as much ground as I could, I search every street and corner with the best of my abilities but it ended in vain.

I soon met up with Michael and other scouts in the area, "We've searched every inch of this place and asked a lot of people and still wouldn't find her... This is tougher than I thought." Michael said. "It's already 4:00 pm...have you got other reports from town?" I asked. He shook his head, "Sadly, not a single one, yet. But we still have time, let's try retracing our steps." he suggested. I nodded, "Good idea! Let's go!" I declared.

We left the south district and went to the west district to recheck the area. As soon as we arrived, Michael began giving orders to everyone. He first sent the others to look in the further stretches of the area while we scan the ones nearer. "This way if anything comes up, we'd have shorter travel time." Michael explained. "Smart thinking!" I complicated him. He smiled, "Of course! Now let's get going!" he boasted and sped off.

Like what I had done earlier, I asked around and searched every nook and cranny. Again I was unlucky, I couldn't find her and it was getting darker. My vision is blurry, my body is sweaty, I am having difficulty breathing, my legs are shaking and my stomach is rumbling. I am deadbeat tired and dizzy, I began feeling faint, and all of a sudden my legs gave in. With that, I leaned towards a wall to rest as my eyes began to close. "We...her...she's at...center..." a voice buzzed in my ear. "I guess I'm hearing things now..." I thought, wearily.

I slowly began losing consciousness until a familiar voice called out to me. "Xander! What happened to you?!" Michael called out. I couldn't answer from all the exhaustion. He looked at me, checked my vitals, temperature, and heart rate. "Hang in there, Xander! I got just the thing for you..." he said while rummaging through his satchel. He then opened my mouth and stuck something in as fluid came rushing through. "Drink it, Xander. It will make you feel better" he ordered. I then began regaining consciousness, strength, and some stamina after drinking the fluid.

I stood right back up the moment I could as a bottle fell to the ground. "What was in that bottle anyway?" I asked, wiping my mouth. "It was a vitality/rejuvenation potion. It will instantly help you recover when you are tired." Micheal explained. "Oh yeah! I forgot about that... Anyway, find something?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! We found her! The humob you we're looking for, she was spotted right now at the plaza!" Michael told me. I then remembered the buzzy voice I heard, "That must have been the communicator." I thought. Then I snapped out of my daze, "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" I declared, bolting away. "Try not to hurt yourself in a hurry..." He joked, tagging behind me.

It didn't take too long for us to arrive at the plaza. Surrounding the area were scouts that we're keeping an eye on her. When one of them noticed the two of us, they immediately came forth, "Sir! We found her purchasing some food and drinks when we called you." the scout explained. "Where is she now?" Michael asked. "She is currently underneath the bridge, sir. She has moved since then." the scout added, pointing towards the bridge. Michael nodded, "Thank you. We'll handle it from here." he said.

Michael then ordered the scouts to head home or return to work. He just let some stay behind for safety measures. He looked at me and I nodded back, "Let's go..." I said. Michael followed behind me as we approached the bridge. As we got closer, I could definitely tell someone has been here since there were footprints in the ground and some scattered trash. I took a deep breath and peered under the bridge. And there I saw a familiar figure curled up with her face buried into her knees.

As soon as I saw her, I wanted to rush to her side and apologize but I was afraid. I was afraid she wouldn't forgive me for what I did. I was trembling at the thought of it because I dislike the thought of people hating me. So right now, despite my efforts I couldn't even approach her. Just then Michael smacked me back to reality, "You'll be fine. I know you will." he reassured me.

So I inhaled once more and stepped beneath the bridge where she was curled under. I looked at her for a second before speaking, "Hey..." I greeted, weakly. Cupa lifted her head and looked at me, "Oh. It's you..." she grumbled. Then there was a moment of silence. "How should I say this?" I wondered. She sighed, "I'm guessing you came to apologize, right?" she muttered.

I nodded, "I...yes, I came to apologize." I said. "Come on, Xander! Just apologize already!" I thought. I took another deep breath and began apologizing. "I know that I may have gone too far with what I said...earlier. It was rude of me to push my own...beliefs and ideals onto you. I assumed that your problem could be resolved the same way I would, but instead it produced an opposite reaction. I ended up hurting you more than you already have. I guess...I didn't think things through properly, right?" I paused to breathe.

Cupa didn't reply, she just stayed silent all the while with her face buried in her knees. "It seems she's reluctant to hear my apology. But what's more important right now is getting her home, even if what awaits her is not to her liking. I just need to get her into a mood where she'll listen to me at least. Even if she doesn't forgive me, I need to atone for what I have done." I pondered.

Cupa was still silent and avoiding eye contact with me. "Mind if I sit near you?" I asked. "Whatever..." she replied. "I guess I'll take that as a yes." I said. I sighed, "At least she's listening." I thought. "Look, it's fine if you can't bring yourself to forgive me but..." I paused. "At least let me help you return home." I said.

Cupa tilted her head towards me, "Home? That place is nothing more than a cage that prevents me from fulfilling my promise..." she retorted. "I suppose that your Father is the main reason you won't go back and not just your sudden marriage." I said. She fell silent again, but this time she's making eye contact. "I assume that's a yes. If so, why not try talking it out with him?" I suggested.

"Hmph! Ever since Mom died, he only ever listened to himself. He always makes decisions for me without my approval. He rarely listens to what I want. He presumes that what he thinks is best for me. And that I should just leave everything to him." Cupa blurted out suddenly. After ranting, she buried her face into her knees again. "I see..." was all I could say.

"Talk about serious Daddy issues..." I thought. But now I basically know what's going on with her. "Are those the reasons why you ran away?" I asked. "Partly..." Cupa replied. "Partly? So what's the real reason you left?" I asked. She sighed, "Same reason as to why I ran away from you..." she muttered. This time I was the one who fell silent. "So he...ridiculed your promise to your Mom?" I muttered.

She sat up and nodded, "He said 'This is exactly why your Mom is gone. She kept doing what she wanted despite my warnings, just like you. Your following in her footsteps and it's worrying me. So please, listen to your old man and forget about that stupid promise of yours. It's just a promise, you don't actually need to fulfill it'. That was when I snapped and yelled at him. I then sprinted towards my room and locked it." she explained

"Then you ran away afterward..." I added. Cupa nodded, "That pretty much sums it up, yeah..." she agreed. Upon hearing more of her story I kind of felt bad for her now. "Do you hate him?" I asked. "Who?" she replied. "Your Dad, do you hate him?" I asked. She went quiet for a while before answering, "I...I don't hate him. I just got fed up with him. When he told me I was about to get married to 'that' guy, my fuse lit up. And when he insulted both Mom and her promise, I exploded...hypothetically." she explained.

"Then how about this, does your Dad hate you or your Mom?" I asked. She fell silent once more before answering, "N-no...he doesn't hate either of us. I know for a fact he does love both us. I mean, I still remember the days when Mom was still alive. Those were...happy days." she paused as a tear rolled out of her eye. "Huh?" she mumbled while wiping off the tear.

"Haha, am I...crying? Right now, seriously?" Cupa muttered as tears begin to form. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Okay? Of course I'm not!" she started, suddenly standing up. "My Mom died, my Dad became paranoid and overprotective of me, I couldn't enjoy the things I liked, I was about to get married to someone I don't know...let alone like, I ran away from home due to my own selfishness, and I caused trouble for the people who helped me." she ranted with tears rolling down her cheeks.

I was stunned by her sudden outburst of emotions but it made me think. "It seems she's aware of her Dad's motive and her own selfishness as well. She also feels bad about causing trouble for us. But why does she still press forward?" I wondered. All the while, she stood up while crying...not muttering a single word. Her tears kept rolling down and gently falling onto the ground.

Seeing Cupa cry made me pity her, "She's been holding back all these emotions that have been accumulated for so long, yet she couldn't express it up until now." I thought. "Maybe I could comfort her...but how?" I wondered. As I rattled my brain for an answer, a memory popped up...one that I'm not familiar with.

Upon remembering, I reached to Cupa and placed my hand on her shoulder. She looked at me, "Seriously, what is up with you?" she asked. I flashed a genuine smile, "Let it all out, let all your pent up emotions spill out and fall to the ground. You did well to endure the years of pain and sadness." I said as I embraced her, whole-heartedly. "Y-you think this is enough to..." she paused.

She fell silent for a second, then she gripped my clothes with trembling hands and began sobbing more than she was a while ago. I stroked her head as she let loose her tears onto my shirt, "You can ease up now. You can cry all you want until you feel better." I muttered. "Ahh...my shirt is soaking all her tears. Oh well, it ain't so bad anyway. I'll keep this up until she feels better." I thought.

We stood together in each others embrace for a while. All the while Cupa kept crying, it lasted for about a minute or so. So I continued stroking her head until she calmed down, and soon enough she did. "You can let go of me now..." she muttered. And so, I let go of her. "Feel any better now?" I asked. She looked away, "Y-yeah...I feel better now... T-thanks for the hug, it somehow felt b-better than a normal hug." she said, blushing.

Those words were music to my ears, it made me smile genuinely again. "Thanks! And I'm glad you feel better now." I said. Then it was quiet once more until Cupa shook her head and slapped herself. It surprised me, "W-what are you doing?!" I exclaimed. As if nothing happened she smiled, "Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked. I stood there suddenly confused, "What are you talking about?" I asked.

Cupa chuckled, "Don't tell me you forgot the whole reason you here?" she said. Then it hit me, "Wait...what time is it?!" I exclaimed, opening my inventory to check the time. I sighed, "It's 4:30 pm..." I said, feeling relieved. She chuckled once more, "What is it this time?" I asked. "I still can't get used to your inventory clock, hahaha!" she said, laughing.

"Okay, you had your laugh. Let's get going already." I told her. Cupa smiled, "Sure thing!" she agreed, walking on ahead. "Well, I'm glad she's back to her usual self. She's better off like this." I thought. Then she stopped walking in front of me, "What's wrong?" I asked. She turned around, "Consider this...a thank you for what you've done for me." she said.

I tilted my head, "A thank you? What do you-" I paused as Cupa jumped and gave me a hug this time. She latched onto me with her arms behind my neck and her legs around my waist. I lost balance and fell from the impact of it. I landed with a thud, "Oww...that hurt. Didn't know you topple me over." I groaned, rubbing my ass. She paused then smiled, "Sorry about that~" she apologized. I sighed, "You don't seem sorry but I'll accept the apology." I said.

"Now will you please get off me? We can't go towards our destination like this." I said. "Sure thing!" Cupa agreed as she got off me. I then dusted my clothes to make it look a bit tidier. "Let's get going, shall we?" I asked. She nodded, "Of course!" she agreed. Michael was waiting for the both of us outside, he greeted both us. I gave the quick summary to him for his report, while Cupa apologized to them for the trouble she caused them before we left.

Hence, both of us headed for the Mayor's house where my uncle was waiting for us. The trip wasn't too far since we were right at the center of town, we just needed to go north. Soon enough the gates were within sight, "Look! That's the place were going to." I told her. "Wow! It's freaking huge!" Cupa exclaimed. I chuckled, "Well, it is a mansion that serves as a home and workplace for the Mayor." I explained.

"Then, let's race! Loser treats the other to some food!" Cupa declared. I blinked, "Wait, what?!" I exclaimed. "3...2...1...Go!" she announced, speeding up. "Hey! Hold on! I didn't agree to this!" I retorted, chasing after her. With that, we arrived at the gates faster and exhausted. "Yay! I won. Now you got to treat me to some food later, 'kay?" she stated while jumping for joy. "I didn't...agree...to this. But...I'll think...about it." I replied, gasping for air.

"Just agree to it already." Cupa ordered. "Umm...do you...have business here?" the guard asked. "We...would like to enter. We have an...appointment with...the Mayor." I said, gasping. The guard then recognizes me, "Xander? Is that you?" he asked. "Yep, it's me alright. How was today, Gerald?" I asked. "Pretty good. Anyway, do you have a permit?" he asked. I grabbed the letter from my inventory and gave it to him. He read the letter then nodded, "Ohh! This seems important. I'll open the door for you." he said, opening the 8ft tall door.

"Thanks man!" I said. "No problem." Gerald replied. He then noticed Cupa following behind me, "Welcome to the Wellspring Town Hall and Mayor's estate, Princes Cupa!" he greeted. She just smiled and awkwardly bowed, "T-thank you, have a nice day!" she responded. "You don't seem used to this despite being a princess and all." I teased. She elbowed me by the stomach, "I was never used to it anyway. It makes me feel uncomfortable. It would be better if they just called me by my name." she ranted. "Then it'd be awkward for your subjects instead..." I thought.

"If so, then how'd you like me to refer to you then?" I asked. "Just call me Cupa. It's much better." she told me. "Wouldn't it sound disrespectful of me to you?" I asked. She pinched my arm, "Nah! Were friends anyway, so it shouldn't be like that." she explained. "I see..." I muttered. "She raised a brow, "It sounds like you don't believe me. Do you not consider me as a friend?" she asked.

I smiled, "I dunno..." I joke. "What?!" Cupa exclaimed. And all the while we were walking to the Mayor's house, she was fuming at me...though she didn't seem angry at all, it was more like she was having fun yelling at me. It didn't take too long for us to arrive, so I knocked on the door. From the inside a familiar voice answered, "Coming!" it replied.

Then I looked at Cupa and suddenly felt kind of light-hearted, "Honestly..." I said. She looked at me without a puzzled look, "Honestly, what?" she asked. I smiled, "Never would I thought to have a friend like you." I told her. She smirked, "Guess you couldn't deny the fact that we are friends." she said. The door then burst open with a very cheery lady on the other side, "Xander! It's good to see you." Mella announced. I was about to reply when suddenly my entire body went limp and then everything went black.

Author's Note: That's it for now! I hope you enjoyed the story. If you have anything to say about it, don't be afraid to leave a comment. I accept all forms of criticism, opinions, and compliments. I hope you all have a wonderful day. Stay safe during this difficult times. Thank you and God bless! :)