Disclaimer: GUST/NIS

Chapter 4: The Truth. The Darkness.

Once Roze steps into the city, he sees the street full of peoples, bustling and noisy. Think of the scene from yesterday, Roze quickly walks to other direction without bother the others.

He comes here not to join the festival. He follows the road that Ulrika leaded yesterday.

"Good morning…"

"Welcome…ah?"

The girl with spectacles sitting behind the counter, holding a book, seems enjoy her reading. Both of them stare blankly at each other, at least ten seconds later Chloe catch her mind.

"Oh, is you."

Roze walks into the shop to the counter. Chloe looks around him, then ask.

"You are alone, huh?"

Roze nods. Chloe notices his serious expression, she puts down the book.

"Is it something you want to ask?"

"Yes…something about Ulrika."

Chloe adjusts her spectacles. "Why don't you ask her in person?"

"I don't think she will tell me."

Recall the conversation they had yesterday, they was no doubt Ulrika wanted to evade the trouble she is facing now. Roze doesn't think she will answer his questions. Besides, it is better not to ask her directly.

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

"About your suggestion yesterday…why doesn't she move?"

Since there are many towns nearby that she can actually move to, why she insist on staying here? She can move to a farther place that no one know her and start her new life. That is what he wants to know.

"…I don't know, either. I have asked her the same question before but she said she still has important task left to complete. That is why she can't leave."

Chloe seems she doesn't know either. If Chloe has no idea at all, who else does? Roze ponders, looks vex.

"Roze." Chloe hesitate. She pauses for a while. "Since you get along with her, mind if I ask what do you think about her?"

"…What do you mean?" Roze blinks, stare at her.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I mean…do you think she is weird?" Chloe lower her head, stare at her own feet. "Since I am the one who been with her all these years, I should know her more than anyone else…but sometimes I just don't understand her at all."

Roze nods. He agrees with her.

"Yeah, I feel the same way. She seems like she hates the citizens but she just pretend she is not. From what I saw, her expression always betrays her. She needs other way to reveal her own feelings."

"She does not only hate them. I'm doubt she is deeply, very hate them." Chloe speaks calmly, but Roze get stun by her words.

"You mean because of the mentality maltreat?" Think of the way the citizens treat Ulrika, Roze has not surprise Ulrika feels hatred.

Chloe deny the thought.

"Ulrika…she doesn't tell you how her parents died, right?" Roze shakes. "Her parents were killed by the citizens."

This time, Roze widen his eye but say nothing. More correctly, his mind goes blank. He repeats the words Chloe just spoke out then only he finally understand the meaning.

Chloe ignores him, continue.

"As far as I can remember, her parents actually worked in our shop back then. That was when I got to know Ulrika. They always got complained by the customers and peoples around no matter what they did. Well, you can see through the reason, right? My mom ignored those complained since these peoples just made things difficult to Ulrika's parents. My mom thought it would be fine later, but she was wrong. These peoples reported the case to the council and finally reached to the nobles. Thing turned worst. More and more peoples joined the complaining. It was serious until it became the political issue, even the imperial family couldn't hold it down. At last, thing settled as Ulrika's parents handed their resignation." Chloe pause for a while. "Because of losing outcome, they decided to work at the town nearby. It was a dangerous but high paid job. On the day they worked, they fall down from the mountain and died. Then, that was the first time I really notice Ulrika unnaturalness."

Chloe looks up to Roze, find him frown.

"When she saw her parents' corpse, she just watched them with emotionless stare, not even a single tear. She was not the Ulrika that use to smile and cheerful all the times. All I felt was terrified and coldness."

Roze doesn't reply a word. No, he can't speak anything. He doesn't know what to say at all.

"If those peoples didn't report to the council, her parents wouldn't have to pick the dangerous job. In other words, they killed them." Chloe turns to Roze, she looks pretty down. "May I ask you a favor? I know you won't stay at the cabin forever, but can you pleas watch over Ulrika while you are there? To tell the truth, I'm very worry about her."

She is calm and steady when she says so but her tone show worry. Roze can tell that. He nods as a promise.

After the question and answer, Roze leaves the shop. He walks on the street while lost in his thought. When he comes to realize, he is already on the way to the celebration. He scratches his head, turn back and meet the noble girl Lily.

"Roze?" She smirks, run up to Roze. She looks around curiously.

Roze knows what she is looking for.

"I'm all alone."

Her smile brighter, face reddens.

"T-Then Roze, do you mind t-to accompany m-me?" She sounds stammer.

"Huh?...um…okay, I guess."

She cheers up, turn and look at Whim.

"Whim, you can leave us be."

"Don't worry Miss Lily, I know what to do. I swear I'll never dare to disturb you and Mr. Roze…"

"Shut up already, you stupid maid!" Lily pulls her ear. Whim scream for help, apologize again and again.

Lily finally kicks Whim out of the place. Then she takes Roze to the celebration. On the way, Roze finds the citizens greet her politely. It is peaceful and wonderful compare to yesterday. This shows Lily's status and her influence to the citizens themselves.

"Why Country Pumpkin doesn't come with you?"

"You know how hard she will be if she is here. Besides, I'm here for my own business."

Lily sighs. She nods.

"…Well, you are right, especially at the time of festival." She looks forward, to the bustling street. Her voice softens. "She is strictly not allowing here during these days. I'm bet yesterday was her first time here during the festival. I can imagine what she been through."

"…What about you, Miss Lily?"

"Me? I don't care at all." She lingers for a while. "Despite her rudeness, I'm quite admire her, I mean, her alchemy skills. She is a talented and hardworking alchemist. I see that during our study back then. That was why I always challenged her every time we got assignment." Lily laughs as she reminisces.

"It is stupid to hate Country Pumpkin because of that funny story. That is A story after all, but not everyone think the way like me. The youths like our age mostly influenced by their parents. They have no reason to hate her, not that they scare or what. As for the adults like my father…I guess there is nothing I can do."

"It is not her fault for born in that family…" Roze mutters. His heart getting hurt again,

"Yes, it is not her fault. I can only say that she is…unlucky. I feel sorry for her but I can't blame for the citizens for the mentality maltreat. It is the man's fault for the foretold. The citizens are scare. They need someone to bear their fear and hatred. The Mulberry family just fit to be the one. Of course, their stubbornness had cause unnecessary tragedy."

Roze glance at Lily, look like she is talking about Ulrika's parents. He looks down to his shoes and the ground.

"Then what about you, Roze?" Lily asks him in reply.

"What do you mean?"

"You are not from Civitate Dei, right? I have no idea how you both met, but her and her thing doesn't seem related to you. I'm quite surprise to see you getting worry like that. May I know why?"

The question Lily throws to him is hard to answer. Why is he so worry about Ulrika? He doesn't know the reason. When the time he saw her crying at the corner, he felt his heart broke into pieces. He couldn't tell how much he wished to embrace her, tell her everything will be okay. That was the first time he experienced this feeling.

"…I just want to help her, at least stay by her side."

Lily stare at him for a few seconds. Then she lowers her head, look somewhat sad.

"Roze…you are not…" She mutters. Roze doesn't hear her, he continues to speak.

"Besides, I'm not outsider. I'm actually from Civitate Dei."

This time, Lily is the one who get shock. "Huh?"

"I was very weak when I'm still a child. My old folk entrusted me to his friend when I was five years old. I followed the guy, or I called him master later moving from place to place. He also taught me sword skills, that he claimed to while away his free time, it was tough but interesting life. At last I left him to other place."

Think of the master him been followed all the years, Roze get irritated. His master was quite a good person, despite his evil and odious ideas. Roze always got dragged by him whenever he caused trouble. More, his master also been chased by his old enemy…even though that old enemy always got defeated by him.

Roze grind his teeth as he thinks of his master's evil face and smile.

"Really?" Lily widens her eye. "Then why are you staying with Country Pumpkin? You can go back to your home, instead of staying there."

Roze narrows is eye. "I'm searching for someone." Another disgusting guy shows up in his mind. "I don't want drag my family in, at least not now. Besides, it is more convenience to stay at Ulrika place…" He pauses for while. "I wish to stay there for now."

Hearing that, Lily's face becomes gloomy.

"So you really are…"

"…Um?" He looks at her, waiting for her.

"No…no, is nothing! Er…let's go to the shop there. Their cakes are amazing!"

Lily breaks the conversation. She pulls Roze to the cake shop she just said. She doesn't give him any chance to ask about the thing she wanted to say just now.

At last, Roze gets his hand full with the foods that Lily highly recommended.

"I'm bet Country Pumpkin has eaten these before. Oh yeah, don't tell her those are recommend by me. I'm doubt she will eat them." Before Roze leaves, Lily reminds him. She seems she has fun, too. "Thanks for your accompany. It was fun."

Roze goes back with all the delicious foods he just bought. "I'm back."

"Welcome back! Wow… what with all these?" Ulrika curiously looks at the plastic he is putting on the table. "Oh god! This is…"

The things that Roze brought back are the most delicious and famous foods in Civitate Dei, which she wishes to try but never she does all the time.

"Thank you! These are the one I wanted to eat for a long time!" She quickly brings the foods to the kitchen. "Oh yeah, I have prepared dinner for you. Why don't you go to take a bath first?"

"Okay."

Roze nods. His lips curve into a light smile. He feels delighted just as Ulrika.

When he is about to step into the bathroom, a loud and noisy knocking sound shock them both.

"Yes…right here! I'm right here!" Ulrika rushes to the door and open it. She finds Puni brothers and Puniyo standing outside, gasping.

"W-What happened?"

Puni brothers got all scars around their body, Taro especially the worst. Puniyo looks just fine, despite her red and swollen eye.

"What had happened?"

Chapter 4 end.

I don't know you will find bored in this chapter or not. Sorry for advance! It is time to reveal Ulrika past and Roze background…even just a little. I don't plan to make this story too long, so the next chapter will slowly move into climax. Still, next chapter will talk more on Puniyo though.

Can you guess who is Roze's master and the "old enemy"? Anyway thanks for reading!