"Where are we going next?" Florian asks while stuffing his face with rice balls and udon. It was pretty entertaining to see someone his size do that. "Keterberg, we're going to get someone from there." Forte gives me a look, almost immediately he noticed that Hymn spoke to me about her problem.
"For Viola, right?" Florian questions, everyone looks at him in disbelief. This boy, I mean seriously…
"H-how do you know?"
"Maybe next time, Hymn, you should know that you shouldn't be laughing so loud in the middle of the night." Florian winks and eats the last rice ball in his possession.
"Keterberg it is?"
"Yup."
"O-okay…"
"I don't like the cold can we go to the casino there, maybe the spa."
We get to Keterberg port to see guards by the entrance and exit.
I get covered up by Forte's cape.
"O-oh! Welcome Hymn! We didn't expect you here!" One guard says he eyed the Liger nervously.
"I'm going to see my daughter who lives in Keterberg. This is her pet Liger, he's a good boy, so no need to worry, sweetheart." The guard appears flustered to have acted so frightened in front of her. At least everyone in our group can tell she's as smooth as a Jade.
"That was close…" I gasp as we walk away.
"We should have been more careful, so far the guards only recognize Arietta as a criminal."
We approach Keterberg, snowy, cold, and windy as usual.
"Peony grew up here…"
"Surprising, huh? Nowadays he's usually stripped naked from the heat in grand chokma-
"Forte, you're going to die one of these days."
"Maybe your daughter works at the casino, she had some really good knockers, you know?" Everyone eyes Forte weirdly. Florian just sighs and shakes his head disappointed. Forte just stood there innocently and shrugged while saying "what" over and over nonchalantly.
Hymn thinks a moment and then blurts out. "She probably does come to think about it. She said she had a good job… Not that I'd ever consider it good…" She shivers a little with a look of disappointment on her face. Florian just marches up to the casino.
"What's so bad about the casino?"
He opens the door just a little, we wait a little and he walks out red faced and delirious. "I-I think I saw your daughter…" We all walk in to see the usual, bunny girls, gamblers and people who look like they wasted their lives. One orange haired girl in the back with some other bunny girls caught everyone's attention.
"Viola?"
"Mom?" She squeals, embarrassed and exposed.
"Do you want to leave with us? I'll explain the rest later. Hymn laughs out.
"Y-you're not embarrassed? And I get to find daddy with you?" Viola asks.
"Well, at least my daughter is making money." Viola perks up.
"I'll get my stuff mom, can you tell me during that? Bye guys!" She waves to her dumbstruck friends who were mumbling somethings in between the lines of "I wish my mom was like that" and "her mom's cool"
"Bye momma, papa." Viola says while hugging her elderly parents.
"I understand what you're going through, Hymn, deary. Keep your friends safe." The old woman spoke softly. She turns to Forte Abruptly.
"I expect you to behave, young man! You're like my husband!" Forte laughs loudly and thanks her for the advice. She turns to me and Florian.
"You poor girl, I wish you the best of luck. How dare they hunt you down when you don't know what you've done? It's shameful to know people could do such things these days. But I do understand their reasons are larger than your reason's to stay alive." She gives me a wishful look of "good luck".
"Take care of your friends, young man." Florian giggles and blushes. "Thanks."
She pats Liger on the head. "Be a good boy and don't eat people."
"See you later!" The elder man says.
"See you later!"