I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Within the deep void that was his mindscape, Issei and Ddraig watch as the avatar of hate continues to rage on while trying to escape.
"We have to admit it. Its desire for survival is massive." Issei says. He was watching the beast in front of them that was trying to escape.
Ddraig, who was an exact copy of Issei, doesn't look impressed. "It should just give up and allow itself to be absorbed. We don't have the time to play around with this beast. We have other things to do."
Issei nods. He knows what he is referring to. "Mikhail. We need to go to Italy for that. That would also mean us needing to go to Palermo and find information about Bella. It's not going to be easy. It has been almost 100 years since Mikhail died."
Ddraig sighs. "But we still need to try. Mikhail didn't deserve to fall into madness. None of the hosts of the boosted gear deserved that. Even the worst ones didn't deserve to lose themselves and become mindless beasts because of my power. We need to see what has happened to his family and if we can offer them monetary support that would be enough for me. Money doesn't pay for lost lives but it can help those that stay behind."
Issei understands the urgency that Ddraig had with the issue. It was his guilt eating him from within and just getting to know their fate would be enough for them. "As soon as we figure the matter with Le Fay we can depart for Italy. We just need to talk with her parents and tell them what the situation is going to look like."
"Are we sure we want to do this? Two years? Shouldn't we take her with us right away?"
"This is the best way. Two years for her to come to terms with the fact that she's no longer going back to England would be enough. Based on what she said her maid is the only maternal figure she has and leaving her would be the hardest thing she could ever do. I want to be firm but not extremely cruel with her. Giving her time to say goodbye is fair enough."
"And if her father says no?"
"We both know what is going to happen. I'm sure that he was the one who taught her that self-sacrificial ideal. Giving your life for the nation. No child should be saying that. If we leave her with her dad, she is going to do another stupid thing in the future. She is too childish to realize that her life matters more than what she thinks. She is not a messiah nor was she chosen by the bible god or any other deity to give her life for the nation. We may even say that she has an inferiority complex with her brother. Based on what we saw on the island she isn't the favorite child of the family."
"Typical monarchs and royalty. One child is always preferred above the others."
"It seems like more than that. The other families dislike her because she is a witch and lacks the ability of her brother with the sword. She is also named after her ancestor Morgana and you already know that story." Issei looks at Ddraig.
"That is a hard pill to swallow. Let's not talk about that. So, two years and then we take her away. What if they just throw her out right away?"
"We just take her with us then. We are giving her two years to enjoy her home for the last time. We both know that there is no way in hell for us to move to England. I don't want that and the church is more present over there. Dragonslayers don't sound appealing at all. At least in Kuoh town, we know who is in control and we have a closer connection to Grigori and the devils."
Ddraig smiles. "How did the crying child grow so much in just two years? Now he is planning his whole future and fighting supernatural entities without a single sign of fear."
"You and their memories are to blame for that." Issei looks at the husks which are dragging the avatar of hate into the depths of his subconscious. A place in which it will dissolve into a memory. "I am you and you are I. Our minds are one and we share sins, memories, and the rest of our existence as one single being. If I make such harsh choices is because of your influence. You're not a saint."
"Neither are you at least no more after those two years." Ddraig shows a smile full of sharp teeth.
"Idiot," Issei says.
"You're calling yourself one as well," Ddraig replied.
The void in his heart still existed even when he was able to smile but at least now it was a little smaller than before. Since he began to meet Tiamat and other people that he could trust in his life began to look a little brighter than before. He was never going to forget his parents or his desire for vengeance but not everything was so dark like before.
The memories of those two years inside the egg still linger inside his mind. The tears, the fears, the moments in which he wished to die but every single time Ddraig continues to drag him to the surface.
"You're young. Everything feels like it doesn't mean shit right now but it can change. Do not stop now and don't give up. You are still alive and there is a future that is still waiting for you outside. Grab my hand and let's reach it together as one being. I have the experience, the memories, the power but I lack too many things. You're still a blank slate with the potential to become whatever you desire to be so become the pieces that I lack. I need you to change me forever. I don't know how to forgive most things and I don't know how to endure most of these draconic instincts. This rage I feel most of the time is restless and almost uncontrollable. I need to give up on my rivalry but I'm too attached to it to take the steps necessary for the sake of Albion and me. I need you, the one who lacks so many of the things I have. I also need you because you can possess the things I need. I need you to change and move on. Accept me and I promise that your life is going to change." Those were his words then and he still was following them.
One day these talks were going to end. One day the second voice in the ear was going to disappear. One day Issei Welsh was going to be the final name of this whole situation. That day 'We' was going to be just 'I'. His mindscape was going to become a solitary place but until then Issei still had a partner on which to count on.
"I think it is time for us to wake up," Ddraig says.
"Is this thing going to be fine?" Issei signals the avatar of hate.
"Yes. Leave it to me and the husks. We're going to finish the job. This curse is as good as dead." Ddraig transforms into a dragon and then approaches the beast.
It was time to bury the beasts.
Back in the real world.
As he began to open his eyes, Issei realized that his surroundings were completely unknown to him. The sealing, the fancy bed sheets, the expensive lamp on the table next to the bed.
"Welsh-sama? Are you awake?" Raynare asks as she puts the book she had to the side.
Issei starts to sit up and looks at the fallen angel. "How long was I sleeping for?"
"8 hours. After you fell unconscious, we came to England. The exact location is the mansion of the Pendragons. Kuroka just went outside not long ago for some water. We have been waiting for you to get up." Raynare explains.
"How's the situation?"
"The lord of the house learned the basics of the current situation. He said that he wanted to talk to you as soon as you woke up. Elaine, the maid of the house, took Le Fay away. We haven't seen her since then. They offered us food and this room for the night." Raynare said as she helped him to get up. "You didn't react to anything we tried."
"It was a deep sleep. The beast was giving us troubles and I was conversing with Ddraig. Sorry for making you worry."
Raynare shakes her head. " it Is ok. You fought a massive fight against that son of two whores. I and the girls were completely immersed in the fight and couldn't believe the extent of your abilities. You demonstrate once more why we fear and respect the title of the Welsh Dragon."
Issei smiles and stands up. "I need a shower and a change of clothes after all those days." He looks at his black pants, boots, and green jacket. They're a whole mess after their days within the cursed island. "I imagine that you already took yours and that uniform is a different one."
Raynare nods.
"Well, we both know that you and I don't do that type of master and servant activity. Can you give me some privacy?"
"Understood. I'll wait outside." Raynare leaves the room and Issei walked towards the bathroom.
Minutes afterward.
Raynare watched as he came out of the room wearing a deep blue suit. Kuroka, who was next to her wearing a black and pink kimono, began to whistle.
"Look at our leader. Can you stop looking so cute?" She tries to make him blush.
Issei shakes his head in disappointment although a small smile forms on his face. "We can talk about who looks better on another occasion." He approaches her and pats her head. "But we both know that you're the one that looks the best in all of those kimonos of yours. Raynare let's go."
Issei leaves Kuroka with a blushing face. "I will get you one day."
Raynare and Issei shake their heads. They had been traveling together for almost two weeks and they were getting used to each other's antics.
The group continues to walk through the halls of the mansion for some minutes until they arrived at the office of Uther Pendragon.
Raynare knocks on the door.
"You can come in." The voice of an adult male is heard from within the office.
The trio opens the door and walk-in. Issei's eyes focus on the man sitting down in front of a desk. His blue eyes and blond hair match those of Le Fay to the most minuscule detail.
"My name is Uther Pendragon. I'm the current head of the Pendragon family. Please take a seat." Uther says.
Issei and the girls do as told.
"My name is Issei Welsh. I'm the Welsh Dragon and the former user of the Boosted gear. I imagine that your daughter told you my whole story." Issei looks at the man and focuses on his every action.
"She did. First of all, thank you for saving my kids' lives days ago. I didn't know that they were planning to go to the cursed island and it seems they forgot to tell Elaine about it."
Issei nods and Uther continues.
"Second, thank you for taking care of the cursed island. Le Fay was very detailed about what happened inside and afterward. I did not expect for the situation to be so serious and you save us from a catastrophe." Uther then looks at him with cold eyes. "What I can't accept is the fact that you made my daughter into your bride without my consent."
Issei looks at him with the same cold eyes. "First, is it your fault that the two of them were even on the island in the first place. A parent should pay more attention to his kids no matter what job or charge he has. Second, your sacrificial ideals are the ones that led to her offering herself in exchange for my collaboration. I told her many times and gave her many reasons to turn back. She denied each one of them and claimed that she was willing to sacrifice herself for the nation. What do you think she was going to do if I said no? We both know the answer to that. I wasn't going to bring her along for the sake of doing the right thing and neither was I going to have her death on my mind. So, I did what I did."
Uther looks completely unaffected by Issei's words. "Us Pendragons are the blood and soul of this nation. We live and die for this nation as King Arthur did. We should always put the nation before our own desires. My daughter did the right thing but you should have taken the money in the first place or wait until returning to me for your payment."
Issei stands up and walks up to him. "I am not a mercenary and no amount of human money or whatever you might offer can pay for my collaboration. If you believe that sacrificing one's life at that age is the right thing to do, you're more insane than many psychopaths. If it were up to you, Le Fay would be sold like a piece of meat for the sake of this glorious nation of yours. Your child should come first, even before the needs of the many. I won't allow any more of these suicidal ideals when it comes to her and she's no longer yours to control. I'm giving her two years to say goodbye to this house. After that, I'm taking her with me. You don't need to pay or do anything for her after that. She is my bride and you can't stop me from taking her with me. Use that time to say goodbye to her."
Uther keeps his emotions in control and says the following. "Since she is your bride, you can take her right now for all I care but I appreciate the formality of giving her time to prepare herself. In two years from this day, Le Fay will be your responsibility. You might also want to take her maid Elaine with you. She is her teacher and only mother. She has served this family well for many years but I believe that it is still necessary for Le Fay to continue to improve her skills."
"I accept those terms but any children that came from our marriage are never going to inherit this family or its legacy. Don't expect to meet them if it comes down to me. If at any point something happens to her, England is going to be the next Atlantis so be careful with what you do to her. I will come and visit at different times of the year and if she wants to leave at any point before the two years, I'm going to take her with me." Issei says.
"Understood. I believe our exchange is done. You can leave my office. Please leave our house by tomorrow morning. It was not a pleasure meeting you."
"Neither was mine, Lord Pendragon. I wish you a long life." Issei turns and begins to walk alongside the girls.
The matter was taken care of and the conditions were set in place. They didn't need to meet ever again.
As soon as Issei and the girls got outside the office they found Le Fay and Elaine waiting for them.
Issei looks at her face and sees a few tears. "Did you hear all of that?"
Le Fay nods.
Issei approaches her and grabs her hands. "You might be hating me right now but know this, I'm doing this for your sake. He might be right in some ways but you shouldn't need to sacrifice your life for this nation just because you and your family are the descendants of the first king. You're Le Fay Pendragon, a child, with only six years of age. You shouldn't have been on that island no matter what. I'm your husband and worrying about your life is part of my job as one. So please stop thinking like a member of the Pendragon and begin to live for your sake. Your life is not a tool for peace."
Le Fay nods and hugs him. She was still dealing with the whole situation but hearing his words was helping her to endure all of this.
After a few moments, she lets go of him. "Thank you." She then turns toward Elaine. "She is Elaine Westcott. She is my teacher and the closest thing I have to a mom."
Elaine looks at Issei and sighs. "I have many concerns about you but I can respect many of your opinions. Is a pleasure meeting you, my soon-to-be master."
"You don't need to call me that. Just Issei is ok."
"But that maid refers to you as Welsh-sama." Elaine points at Raynare.
Issei sighs. "That's a whole different story. You don't need to call me that but if your ideals as a maid are that strong Welsh-sama works."
"Welsh-sama is going to be then. Please follow us. There are things we need to discuss." Elaine offers to guide the way.
Minutes afterward.
Now they were in one of the gardens of the house. They sat down under one of the trees as they enjoyed the night breeze.
"Miss Westcott you can ask any questions that you might have," Issei says. Le Fay was sitting down in between his legs while Kuroka took his right side and Raynare sat down on his left side.
Elaine sat down in front of them. "So, Le Fay has told me you have a wife already."
"I do. Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon." Issei replies.
"So, it's really the case of the male dragon syndrome. Fantastic. Are these two lovely ladies also part of your growing harem?"
Issei looks surprised at the mention of a scientific name for the common state of relationships among male dragons. Before he can answer, Raynare and Kuroka do it for them.
"I'm his attendant for as long as the treaty between him and the fallen angels continues. Once his vengeance against a common enemy is done there is a high chance that I will leave his side unless we form a new agreement." Raynare says.
Issei thinks about how many books it was going to take for Raynare to continue to work for him after Kokabiel was eliminated by him.
"I'm a stray devil. As you might expect, there is a non-official bounty on my head and following him is the way for me to survive. I'm alive thanks to him so I follow him as a member of his team. Once I'm strong enough to defend myself I'm free to leave but I'm still figuring out what to do after that." Kuroka looks at him and smiles.
Issei had a hunch that told him that she was going to be around him for a long time no matter what she chooses to do in the end.
"No mistresses then. That's a relief. Regarding your plans for the near future." Elaine continues.
"After this, Italy is the next stop. The previous host of the Boosted gear had a lover and child waiting for him but he never got to go back. As the Welsh Dragon, I have curiosity and the mission of at least checking on them. If they need my help, I will offer it. At the very least I need to know that his descendants are doing fine. After that, my next treasure is in an area in the North of Italy and the final one is in South America." He then looks at the sky. "I will then move back to Kuoh Town in Japan. If I heard any news of my target, I'm going to chase him down. Outside of that, training and a few jobs for my allies are going to be most of my activity. A normal and quiet life is in the plans but we both know that problems are going to arise and drag me in even if I don't want any of it."
"Like with me." Le Fay interjects.
"Yes, like with you. Because no matter what I do, it always seems like luck is not on my side." Issei admits.
Elaine looks at the boy. "So, you have plans for now. You have a house and your future might lead to more problems. I really can't leave Le Fay alone. Welsh-sama, once you decide to take Le Fay with you, I'm going with you as well. We can talk about my pay when the time comes."
"I wouldn't expect anything else. Please continue to take care of her and make sure that her training continues to increase. She has potential but she needs more experience and development. If you ever need my help, call me and use any method at your disposal to get to me." Issei says.
Thus continues the night for the group until Le Fay and Issei are left alone.
"My brother wants to talk to you before you leave." Le Fay says.
"If it involves fighting him or some conversation that sounds similar to that of your parent I prefer not to," Issei says.
They were all alone and the night breeze was quite enjoyable.
Le Fay had many questions but this one was crucial for her. "Would you ever fall for me? We are husband and wife but we don't really have feelings for each other." Le Fay asks.
"One day I will. Ddraig is saying the same thing by the way. Things like love take time and you're not the only one that wants me to develop those feelings. Tiamat and I are starting to get to know each other. It's not going to happen right away but I know it will. I doubt that my instincts would kick in if I didn't feel attracted to you in some way."
"Aren't they kicking in for Raynare or Kuroka?"
"No or at least I'm keeping them in check unintentionally. Tiamat told me to make sure I don't let them run wild or it would lead to disastrous situations. Kuroka is under my protection and Raynare is my ally. Creating tension between us this early due to my instincts running wild is not something I want. If at any point we begin to feel something for each other that is going to be a different affair but I'm not going to force them to do anything."
"No neck bites like with me?"
"None of those unless they ask for them." He begins to stroke her hair.
She closes her eyes and enjoys the feeling. Then she asks one more personal question. "Are you going to keep having more girls join this harem of yours? Are you doing this to recreate the sense of having a family?"
Issei goes silent and thinks about it for some time. "I don't know. I have never thought of it that way. I lost my parents and Ddraig was never the one that cares about love. But after hearing Tiamat's confession and coming to an agreement of getting to know each other, I have started to enjoy the feeling of someone that cares about me. I do want a family. I can't replace my parents but I want people that can share a close connection with me. I imagine that more girls will appear in the future if this syndrome is real but I want to assure you that my goal is not faking feelings for anyone. If this is going to work, I will show the same levels of affection for each girl that joins this weird family."
"Would you kiss me then?"
"Why?"
"You kissed Tiamat before and based on what Kuroka said you did share a kiss with her. So, I want one."
"One of those was an accident."
"I still want one."
"Do you?"
"Yes, I do."
"You're six."
"Almost seven."
"I'm eight."
"Only physically. You're a dragon that is several centuries old when it comes to your mind and memories. You're an adult in the body of a kid."
"And that makes it better?"
"Just kiss me. We live an abnormal life in which normal values don't apply." Le Fay turns around and looks at him.
Issei looks at the blush on her face and smiles. "You're pushing yourself."
"I'm not."
"You are. The blush, your hands are shaking, and your voice doesn't sound convincing."
"But Tiamat and Kuroka did it."
"Tiamat is several centuries old and has waited for Ddraig for centuries. Kuroka misread my words and acted without thinking about it. We have time so you don't need to push yourself but I can give you this for now." Issei kisses her forehead. "Once you're ready for the rest we can give it a try."
Le Fay blushes even more before she rests her face on his chest. "Dummy."
"That's much better."
"Idiot."
"Go ahead."
"Airhead."
"Give me another one."
Le Fay stops before she says something else. "I might have a small crush on you."
"That wasn't what I expected," Issei admits. He was enjoying the fact that she was acting like any normal girl and not one that was ready to give her life for a nation. He wasn't expecting her to go there.
Before they could continue to talk, Arthur interrupts their conversation. The heir of the family appears before the pair after falling from the sky. "I have been waiting for you for far too long." Arthur points a wooden sword at Issei.
"Do you really want to do this? I had a massive argument with your father and now you want to spoil the night? I'm leaving by tomorrow morning. I don't have the time for any of this."
"You're strong and I need to get stronger if I want to defeat my father. Face me, Welsh Dragon." He then throws another wooden sword at Issei.
One of the levitating arms of his armor appears and catches the sword. "If I give you this fight, are you going to leave me alone?"
"I will. This also will prove to me that you're capable of protecting Le Fay as a man." Arthur says.
Le Fay removes herself from Issei and allows him to stand up.
Both combatants move away from the tree and take their positions.
"You better endure this and learn from it," Issei says as he throws the sword into the air.
Arthur looks at it with curiosity. "What- "
Before Arthur can even say a word Issei disappears from sight. Arthur then feels many cuts all around his body and even his wooden sword is cut into pieces.
"You lost." Issei reappears in the initial spot and then catches the falling sword.
Arthur grabs his chest as he feels a cut across it. "What was that?"
"Shapeless style. A style that incorporates everything from martial arts and swordsmanship to even the usage of other weapons as well. The body becomes a weapon capable of doing the impossible if one has the speed, precision, and power to make it into a reality. If I had used this wooden sword, I was going to end up hurting you since I'm not a master yet. Those cuts you're feeling aren't real but they do hurt like hell. You can thank one of the previous hosts of the boosted gear for this defeat." Issei offers his hand to the boy.
Arthur takes it. "I have a lot to learn if this is the power of an apprentice. I appreciate this fight."
"Why are you so focused on getting stronger?" Issei asks.
"Elaine. Father gave me one chance to gain the right to choose my own bride. I need to defeat him if I want that right."
"And you believe him?"
"If it is a lie, I'm going to cut him into pieces and leave the family to decay. I won't marry anyone that I can't trust with my life nor will I take over a family that doesn't allow me to choose my own wife. Le Fay is now free so he has no other options beyond accepting the deal. Thus, why I'm striving to become stronger." Arthur explains.
Issei looks at Le Fay. "Is all of this true?"
"It is. They like each other that much. Ellaine and Arthur do share the same feelings for each other, but our father will not allow a marriage between them that easily. Pendragons might be the descendants of the first king but they are also pressured by the other lords to follow certain standards. Arranged marriages are almost always a must and our mother was the bride that my grandparents choose for my father. Arthur is going to be in the same path as him as the next lord of the family." Le Fay explains.
"I won't give in and let father choose what's best for me. I choose Ellaine and I won't back away." Arthur's face looks calm but his emotions are a whole different case. He was a void of anger and hate which Elaine was keeping in check.
"You do realize that Elaine is going to leave this house in two years from now. You can just leave and get married if that's what you want." Issei looks at the blond and waits for his answer.
Arthur shakes his head. "I can't. Father will surely find a way to hurt her or the other will do it instead. She is still a member of Golden Dawn and my father possesses influence beyond normal means. The only way I have of gaining the right of marrying Elaine is to defeat him."
Issei reflects on Arthur's words before offering his opinion. "You need to keep gaining experience but I'm not the perfect master for you. I imagine that you know what you should do. Leave this place and travel on your own. That's the only way you can increase your skills and achieve that goal. There is a world full of fights out there and by challenging other adversaries you can get much stronger. Just make sure you don't create more problems for yourself or join a group that can get you in trouble. Stay away from anyone called Kokabiel or his associates as well."
Arthur nods. He appreciates the fact that Issei had read his whole plan even before he said it. "I leave Le Fay and Elaine to you. Make sure to protect them. I also expect a rematch when the time is right, brother." He extends his hand.
Issei grabs it. "Leave it to me. Make sure you grow much stronger and sharper."
Le Fay watches the interaction with a smile on her face. She felt sad about the fact that her brother needed to take such drastic actions for the sake of his own future but she had hope for Arthur and his skills.
The rest of the night went ahead with no other problems and by early morning the trio had left the house of the Pendragons.
Their path continues, and their next stop was the last place where Mikhail's lover lived.
Palermo, Italy.
"This is so good," Kuroka said as they walked through the streets. There was some Stigghiola in her hands. She saw all the food and there was no way in hell in which she could continue without trying some.
"Welsh-sama, you shouldn't buy anything that she asks for. Although we have the money, we shouldn't start buying everything that catches our eyes." Raynare says.
"What about those thirteen books that you asked me to buy?" Issei looks at the fallen angel.
"But they were cheap and it is not every day when I can get some Italian literature." Raynare replies. Her weakness for books was easily usable against her and Issei had in the bag.
"This is just some food; Your books are a whole different matter, Ms. Book maniac." Kuroka laughs and takes another bite of her food.
Issei enjoys the positive atmosphere that his group had for the moment. The fresh air, full streets, different stores, and good food made this small part of the trip quite enjoyable. But all of this was just the calm before the storm.
Almost 100 years had passed since Mikhail died and without him, many things took place without his knowledge.
An hour later, an area in the outskirts of Palermo.
"Is this the place?" Kuroka asks.
Before then a mansion lays on shambles of its former glory. The gates were almost non-existent. The gardens were unattended and left to their own devices.
Issei approaches one of the gates and touches it. "It is. This was Mikhail Colombo's house. His lover and soon-to-be wife Christa Ricci was in this place before Mikhail left for the battle."
"Well, it doesn't look like the family had a good time after he died," Kuroka says after seeing the mess that the outside of the home had become.
"We might find some answers after we look inside the house." Raynare looks at her leader and sees that he is not taking this too well. "Welsh-sama don't blame yourself just yet. We need to find some information before we can make any conclusions."
Issei says nothing and moves past the gate and into the gardens that lead to the house. The girls follow him.
As they move deeper into the house, the group sees the full extent of the damage. Statues that used to stand up around the area were now in pieces. The main fountain is filled with trash. There were also signs of a fire that took place not too long ago.
"Do you have any idea of what could lead to all of this?" Kuroka looks at Raynare.
"None. This city is not under the jurisdiction of the fallen angels. I think that the catholic church is the one that has control over it like the rest of Italy. I have zero information on all of this." Raynare affirms.
Kuroka then sees the house and she really loses hope in finding any information. "It is not even a house. It is just ruins of what it was once."
It truly was. A few walls were still standing up but most of the house was completely destroyed. A fire? An accident? Maybe too many years of not getting maintenance? No matter the reason, the house of Mikhail Colombo was no more.
"Welsh-sama?" Raynare called out to him.
The boy didn't turn back and just kept walking into the ruins. He began to search for anything he could find. Documents, letters, maybe even a painting but he was not successful.
"Welsh-sama, you need to stop. There is nothing here. If we want some answers, we need to look somewhere else." Raynare says as she stops him.
Issei stops and looks at Raynare.
The maid looks into his eyes and sees the guilt that he was feeling. "Don't do that. We don't know what led to this and you said yourself. He couldn't return home after losing himself in that fight."
"But I didn't stop him. I should have done more. He had a child that he never got to meet." Once again, the two halves were in synchronization.
The girls weren't surprised at this. It was becoming more common. The stronger the emotions are, the more they synchronize and begin to talk as one being.
Raynare shakes her head. "You did what you could. The past can't be changed and what happened after Mikhail died was outside your control. Let's go back to the town and look for any information that can tell us what led to all of this."
The boy says nothing and his head just hangs in there. Raynare is forced to drag him alongside Kuroka back into town. They needed an answer and Raynare knew how to get it.
Three days later.
It took them some time to collect the information they needed but now they had a mostly completed profile. The decay of the family involved many things but they had one last source they needed to hear from before taking any actions.
An old man was sitting down in front of the group. "So, you claim to be a distant relative of Mikhail Colombo?"
"Yes." Issei takes out a bag of gold and presents it to the old man. "I came to this place to learn about what happened to his child and lover."
The old man grabs the bag and looks at it before talking. "You came too late. I was working at that house when I was only 17 as a member of gardeners. The day that master Colombo disappeared was the day that everything began to go wrong for Christa. They were supposed to get married a few weeks after that last trip. She waited patiently for him but he never came back."
The trio said nothing and allowed the man to continue with the story.
"Josephine was born three months after the disappearance of Mikhail but she was born amidst the chaos that was beginning to take form around the house. Mikhail was the breadwinner and the businesses he had were beginning to drop due to the mismanagement that came with his disappearance. Christa was a good wife but she lacked the drive to take care of all of his affairs. The partnerships began to break down one after the other and more than once the associates of Mikhail took advantage of her lack of experience as a businesswoman. She was losing money and she was also dealing with the disappearance of Mikhail. She said he was alive and he was going to come back but he never did."
Issei continues to keep his emotions under control.
"Two years after the disappearance of Mikhail, she was forced to make a choice. She sold the mansion and left with the money she had left. She planned to go back to her hometown in Milan. She was young and many men were looking to replace Mikhail but she chose not to. She was madly in love with him and no other guy could ever replace him. She knew it was going to be hard for her when she went back to Milan. An unmarried young woman with a child and no husband it's not seen in a good light even if she has some money."
"Do you know anything else?" Kuroka asks.
"I have heard that her life continued to go downhill after that and that after she passed away at the age of 35 the family has been under some sort of curse." The old man says.
"What curse?" Raynare didn't get any information regarding this during their research.
"I learned that Josephine got married when she reached the age of 16 and she had a girl shortly after. Then the story began to repeat itself. Her husband disappeared just like her father did and the cycle began to repeat itself since then. Only girls had been born since Josephine within the family and each time they find a guy, they lose him. Death and misfortune began to follow her descendants. Husbands don't last, they either leave them for another person or die due to accidents and diseases. The curse of the green eyes is the name that was given to the misfortune of the family. I couldn't believe it myself but the fact that each one of them had the same blond hair and green eyes like emeralds made it impossible for me to ignore its existence. I saw Josephine and three of her descendants. Each one had the same hair and eyes." The old man says.
Issei stands up. "I thank you for the information." He walks outside the café without saying another word.
Raynare and Kuroka apologize to the man before they run after their leader. They knew that he was blaming himself for all of this.
It was his nature and as the Welsh Dragon, he couldn't ignore the connection that he had with the family. He wouldn't be able to move on until he confirmed the situation with his own eyes.
Meanwhile, in a church not too far away from Milan.
A young girl with golden hair like the sun and green eyes that shined like jewels continues to pray in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary without knowing that her fate was about to change.
If the eyes of the devil were set on making her into one of his dolls, those of the two-headed dragon was set on protecting her at all costs.
*Notes of the author: Here we go. That is the story of Asia's heritage for this story. The next chapters are going to focus on her. Let's hope that this ends well.*