Chapter 14: Nathalie's Back story

Sky returned to the Mercenary Agency with the Somnias flower in his hands. The other mercenaries looked at Sky with an "unbelievable" face when they recognized the Somnias flower. One even went and openly congratulated Sky with a thumbs up and saying, "Excellent job, lad," while raising a toast at him. Sky was smiling at the old mercenary that said that and responded to the toast with… some grape juice.

Sky walked to the receptionist again, "Here these are the blasted flowers that took so long for people to find!" The receptionist raised an eyebrow and laughed at Sky. "Well you did get those blasted flowers, so you are fine." The receptionist said with a small laughter. She (receptionist) realized that Nathalie wasn't with Sky today and asked where she was. "She's at her home right now," Sky replied. "Ohhhhh~," as if understanding something the receptionist purposely made her voice go longer. "It's really not what you think… You know what think what you want." Sky knew it was going to be in vain trying to explain the situation of him and Nathalie.

After, Sky had turned in the quest and was rewarded handsomely of 3000gold, Nathalie and him had once been so close to each other when they were seen out shopping for clothes also due to the "Lake harassment event" because Nathalie had dropped Sky's cloths into the lake dirtying them. Sky had to borrow Nathalie's dad's clothes and obviously it looked way too big inferring that Nathalie's dad was big. They had been in the shopping district side of the city together giving the surrounding people the view as if they are couples. When they walked into the Guys clothing shop, a cashier had jokingly said, "Looking for a new clothes for your boyfriend aren't you?" with a tiny laugh she greeted them two. "No! She's not my girlfriend (He's not my boyfriend)," they both simultaneously said, which didn't seem very convincing to the cashier and she just waved them on.

After 2 hours of shopping for Sky's clothes it ended up turning into Nathalie's shopping for clothes. Nathalie would always look up to the rich as they just have their servants cover and box everything they want and have them carries them for as long as they want. Sky looks at Nathalie as if thinking, "Does she live in the slums, no, she doesn't look like it, but the way she admires the riches…"

Nathalie would have Sky buy her some clothes, which Sky didn't realize until he had paid them that he was buying her clothes and some daily goods for no reason! He was thinking maybe just maybe I have fallen for her…? Sky had now switched roles with Nathalie, him being the stalker and Nathalie being the stalked since Sky was curious where Nathalie lived. To Sky's expectations he was right! Nathalie walked into the slums area.( there are slums area, they aren't too poor but they can't expect to buy high standard things especially houses)Sky watched Nathalie walk on a semi dirty street as three ruffians walked up to her. Sky feared that they might harm Nathalie so he took a step but just as he did he heard the ruffians say something he would tip over for. "Big Sis!( In Japanese it would be Aneki I guess) You're back!"

"Yeah, I'm back, what's up, Lil' J, Kerrin, and Flakes." She said to the three with care unlike how she talks to Sky. "Ol' man Adasen is really on his last straws…" one of the ruffians named Flakes said. Nathalie didn't show much emotion but her eyes gave it away, she had a blunt flink in her eyes. "I could care less, that man…had abandoned mother…" Nathalie went on with tears slowly crawling out of her eyes. "He… wasn't a good husband or father! I wouldn't care even if he died!" "But, at least… go see him one more time, sis! Even though he is an alcoholic, when he was younger he did take us three in… We treat him like a father…" The guy named Kerrin said. Nathalie responded by walking into a shabby house made of coarse bricks and hay mattresses.

Sky followed from behind to see what was going on. Many of the people of the slums had looked at him like a weird creature; Sky wears sophisticated warrior clothes with two blades hanging from his waist that looks very unaffordable to them. This made some girls want to strike rich and started to flirt with him, but Sky would just wave them off. To the girls in the slum, Sky appeared to be a rich boy with a pretty big background due to a special crest on one of his swords.

…

Nathalie slowly walked to a bed; there lies an old man around his mid 40's. The man looks old due to the overdose of alcohol. His face looks obviously worn out with the heavy eye bags under both of his eyes as if he never had a peaceful rest. Nathalie looked over the man with a deep emotion. The man seems to be walking towards death doors when he suddenly puked blood. Seeing this Nathalie still did not falter as she just stares. "Why did you abandon mom?!" Nathalie asked the man with a little bit of anger. After her mom had given birth to Nathalie, they had a great 10 years together with both her mom and dad but everything started to collapse when her dad was found cheating on his wife. Nathalie's mother had caught her husband (Nathalie's dad) going to the brothel and wasting all of the family's hard earned cash making them owe a lot of money to the slums mafia. Nathalie's father had had no money left to pay them off when they had broken into their house one night.

The mafias took his wife as "down payment" which sounded better than to make Nathalie's mother into a prostitute due to her beautiful appearance. Her dad couldn't do anything; he was just a normal person without any power. The mafia guys were all at least gold ranked and higher.

After that night, Nathalie's dad became cold and an extreme alcoholic; he would recall that night in his dream every single day. Nathalie has never forgiven her dad after that night ever since her mom was taken. That was also a reason why Nathalie had tried to warm up to Sky for; she knew Sky has the potential in becoming one of the strongest person on this world and would help her find and bring her mother back.

The man rested on the bed breathing heavily as he drawn his last breath before passing away… Nathalie's face had tears flowing out but her facial expressions were still hard and cold watching the man die. NO matter how she pretended to not care about the man, her father, she could not hide her true feelings after all he was a great dad to her when she was young.

Sky had walked into the house looking at Nathalie as if being empathetic; he knew the feelings of losing both parents from a young age. Sky took a step forwards towards Nathalie and hugged her from behind and whispering with tears as well, "We'll find your mom, I will track down those fiends and have my blade on them!"These words were very meaningful to Nathalie, as she accepted the hug and threw her head into Sky's arm and started to cry very painfully.