Sofya City
[Two days have passed since the dragon's re-appearance at Strum road, the place where the adventurer's camp was situated. This large stretch of land that the dragon recently terrorized stood between the ancient Marbaro forest and the now uninhabitable ruins of the once great Rugio city]
The 7 refugees and the remaining two caravan members, Benjin and Hoby, have clung to life by hiding like rats in the nearby ruins of Rugio city. Two days that felt like an eternity of living in fear of being hunted passed. The little reserves of food they had managed to save were now on the brink of expiring. Under these dire conditions, the group is left with no choice but to risk their lives in order to try and reach the safe haven known as Sofya city.
The refugees pack what little they have and begin the long arduous journey to Sofya city.
Kei, who has been restrained for the past two days as if he were a prisoner, is tied up to be brought along with the group. He was now wearing an outfit that was made by virgo. It was a black pants and a long black coat that was given to him by Benjin.
…
Kei can only see darkness due to his blindfold. He feels no cold or heat for some reason. He can barely move due to his restraints. He lays in an almost unconscious state for what feels like weeks. The only thing he can do is to think and reflect. Memories of that day rush into his mind endlessly. He simply sits in silence and bears the weight of the pain he feels without even making a sound…
…2 weeks after the Black dragon's re-appearance…
In the distance, there are walls that seem to tower above a massive city
Hoby: "Finally! Our destination lies over there!" He says happily
Kei sits in silence with the same dejected look he's had since the incident occurred. This along with the fact that he was tied up and had his head and eyes covered with a black hood and a blindfold, made all the other refugees keep their distance as much as possible.
… 2 hours later…
The caravan arrives at the city gates. Hoby goes and talks to one of the knight's guarding the gate. After a few minutes, the knight gives the order to let the group enter.
After entering the gates, they find themselves in a massive field area that lies on the outskirts of the real Sofya city. All around, were hundreds of tents that housed other refugees that were previously rescued.
After ensuring the refugees safety, Benjin and Hoby leave the unconscious Kei inside his very own tent in the refugee camp…
…A few hours later…
Kei quickly sits up in shock!
Kei: "Huh? What happened!? My restraints are gone!" he questions confused
A few moments pass as Kei becomes aware of his surroundings. Beside him, he sees a letter laying atop a wooden shield with the sigil of the caravan. Beside that was a small white sack that looked to have coins inside.
Kei: "Huh?" He says
Upon seeing the contents of the letter
Kei: "Tch! Thanks I guess" he simply says before crushing the paper and throwing it aside
…
[The sea port, located northwest of the city, was filled with citizens buying from numerous fishermen.
The synthesis and blacksmith's shops, located near the heart of the city, were each bustling with business too.
The most famous merchant set up shop near the entrance of the city and was thriving as usual with her business as well.
The streets were littered with common citizens and adventurers alike. This was Sofya City, the largest, most beautiful and richest city for miles all around]
Right in front of the entrance of the city stood a man with a black hood covering his head. His eyes were both shielded by a black blindfold. He wore a long, almost ankle length black coat. His outfit was then completed by his long black pants which also complimented his sleek black shoes. This unknown and mysterious man was none other than Kei.
Kei: "So this is Sofya city" He mumbles
Kei looks over to see a scarecrow near the city's gates. Out of curiosity of what is written on it, he approaches. It turns out that the scarecrow was just being used as an advertisement for a merchant shop not far away.
Kei: {A merchant huh?... I need a way to make some spina if I plan on staying here. This is just the place to start…} He thinks
Kei walks off, following the directions specified on the scarecrow.
While on his way to the shop, Kei walks by a man with blue hair, dressed as a Sofyan guard.
At first, They both just walk right by each other, minding their own business, until…
Blue haired Sofyan guard: "Huh?... Hey kid!" He says sternly as he turns back around and looks at Kei
Kei: "Huh?" He responds as he stops and looks back at the man
Blue haired Sofyan guard: "What's up with that blindfold and hood? You look kind of suspicious, you know?" He says
Kei: {Crap! I'm already getting into trouble!?} He thinks as he panics a bit
Kei: "I-I have a serious condition. My eyes are really sensitive so I keep this blindfold on. I-it's the same for my skin too. I have really sensitive skin" He responds as quickly as he can
Sofyan Guard: "Oh? And how exactly do you see where you're going? That's pretty impressive" He questions further
Kei: {Shit! I didn't think of that! Do I just tell him that they are enchanted for me to see through them?} He thinks
As Kei opens his mouth to speak-
Boom!
A loud explosion is heard
Sofyan guard: "Huh!? Don't tell me, those damned adventurers again!?" He shouts in annoyance
The guard quickly runs off towards the explosion
Kei: {Lucky break… I don't know if enchantment is a common thing here. From how Virgo spoke about it, I have a feeling that not everyone can do it}He thinks
…
Kei arrives at the merchant shop to conveniently see the last of her customers leaving with a pleased look on their faces. She was a surprisingly very small woman wearing a brown hat with long fluffy dog-like ears.
Sololo: "Hello and welcome!" She says with a happy smile
Sololo: "Huh?... We've never met before have we? Is this your first time in the city?" She says suspiciously
Kei: "...Yeah, it is. I saw a sign on a scarecrow that led me here" he responds
Sololo: "Oh, I see! That makes sense!" She says
Sololo: {That sign's actually useful?}she thinks
Kei: {Guess she doesn't find the mask and hood weird…} He thinks
Sololo: "Well since this is your first time here, I'm willing to answer any questions you may have about this city. This is a one time offer, so I suggest you not waste my kindness" She says with a huge smile
Kei: "...I'll accept your offer then" he says with a bit of hesitance
Kei: "Tell me, is this city as safe as I've heard?" He asks
Sololo: "Hmm… that's a tough question actually…" She says as she starts to rub her chin
Kei: "Why's that?" he asks
Sololo: "The thing is… There once existed dragons who protected nature. However, Many of them disappeared after the cataclysm…"
Kei: {The cataclysm? Dragons who protected nature?} He thinks in confusion
Sololo: "...As a result, the land around us is being destroyed and the monster attacks have slowly gotten fiercer as time passes… From what I've heard too, unknown monsters and powerful threats have appeared all over the world. Sadly, peace is not a thing that the world has been accustomed to for several centuries. Lately I've even heard that a certain evil dragon was spotted lurking around some nearby ruins…"
Kei perks up at this
Sololo: "...With all that being the case, I can't really tell you that this city is safe… Luckily however, we do have goddess Pino's protection, and a lot of adventurers here at all times. It's most likely one of the safest places on the planet. Is that a sufficient answer for you?" She asks
Kei: "...Yeah, a bit much to take in all at once, but it puts things into perspective" He responds
Sololo: "Well glad I was able to help. Is there anything else you're just itching to know?" She politely asks
Kei: "Yeah actually, about the people… On my way here, I realized that most of them had weapons, but the guards didn't even flinch. I find it odd that they just let me enter with my sword too without facing any repercussions. What's the deal with that?" He asks
Sololo: "Oh that? The adventure's presence in this city is very advantageous for its survival. It doesn't make much sense to confiscate their weapons and scare them off, so we allow everyone to bring their weapons on hand at all times." She responds
Kei: "...Won't there be a lot of escalated conflicts then?" he questions further
Sololo: "Yes… But the Sofyan guards have proven themselves to be able to handle any challenges that may occur from this predicament. It's a sticky situation but I think they've done a good job with it so far… Not to mention, we have sanctions and guilds put in place to help keep the peace" She answers
Sololo: "If anything, your strange hood and blindfold would be more of a concern to the knights" She adds
Kei: {Yeah, I just saw that first hand} he thinks
Kei: "Thanks alot for those thought out answers. I really appreciate it" he says
Sololo: "No problem. Now then… to return the favor, I'll need you to do something for me as well" She suddenly says
Kei: "Huh!? What?" He questions
Sololo: "I can't see your face clearly, but that shocked expression is pretty obvious you know" She says cheekily
Kei: "You offered the information to me didn't you? Why do I need to repay you?" He questions
Sololo: "Don't be so dramatic, that's how business works. It's use, or be used, understood?" She says
Kei: {From what I can gather, she is the go-to merchant in this city… It's best if I build some rapport with this mischievous little merchant... If I don't, the potential to earn some spina will quickly evaporate} He thinks
Kei: "...So what do you want?" He asks
Sololo: "Hahaha. Smart boy. I'll make you run an errand for me as payment…" She says
Kei: {She intends to make me a pawn, is that it?} He thinks
Sololo: "It's simple, all you have to do is…" she trails off before searching under the counter for a large bag
Sololo: "... Bring this bag of scrap metal to the blacksmith in the town square. His name is Zaldo, that's not so hard is it?" She asks
Kei takes the bag and puts it over his shoulder before walking away.
Sololo: "I look forward to seeing you again!" She says as she smiles and waves him goodbye
…
Kei walks at a comfortable pace through the big beautiful city. Everywhere he looks he sees adventurers and regular citizens alike going about their days doing whatever they liked. It was a lively atmosphere that he had never experienced before…
Before long he makes his way to the blacksmith's shop by asking various adventurers and citizens for directions… He soon finds himself in front of a large building with hammers painted on it.
After walking inside, he sees a bright red haired man hard at work, hammering away at the mold of a sword.
Zaldo: "Huh? Hey, I'll be at the front desk soon!" He says upon noticing Kei
Kei stands patiently with the bag over his shoulders for several minutes before the man arrives to greet him.
Zaldo: "...Sorry to make you wait so long, so what's the purpose of your visit today?" He asks
Kei: "I've been asked by the merchant Sololo to deliver this to you" he answers as he plops down the bag of scrap metal in front of Zaldo.
Zaldo: "Huh? Sololo sent these? I have to thank her soon for this!" he says excitedly
Kei: "...Yeah whatever, I'll be on my way now." he says as he turns and begins to walk out
Zaldo: "Hey wait a second, there's something I wanna ask you" he quickly says
Kei: "Yeah… go on" he says as he turns back to look at the man
Zaldo: "You're a Straye right?… Have you found your life's purpose? I've never seen you before so it caught my interest, that's all." he says
Kei: "...My purpose? what are you talking about?" He questions
Zaldo: "Well, just like any other Straye, you're traveling around the world trying to find your purpose aren't you?" He asks as a bead of sweat runs down his face
Kei's mind flashes back on what happened with the Black dragon.
Kei: "...I have no purpose, I'm simply an adventurer, nothing more… I do it for fun." He says coldly as he turns back around to walk away
Zaldo: "For fun?... I'll never understand you adventurers and your carefree attitudes. We fixions settle down quickly, but it's hard to make ends meet for our loved ones with the constant threat of monsters roaming about…" he chuckles before saying
Zaldo: "...No matter how much I wish I could travel the world and go on adventures, it can never be a reality for someone like me. After all, I'm not capable of using magic like the resistle people, and I don't have much knowledge of science like the Technista. The best I can do is develop my skills as a blacksmith…" He continues
Kei: "Not to cut you off, but why are you telling me all of this?" He asks in annoyance
Zaldo becomes embarrassed by his rambling.
Zaldo: "T-thanks for delivering the scrap metal, take this as a token of my appreciation. That shortsword of yours looks pretty shabby" he says quickly changing the subject
He walks over and takes a longsword off one of his shelves and presents it to Kei.
Kei: "You're giving me a sword?... What's the catch?" he says suspiciously
Zaldo: "There's no catch, I just hope to do business with you from now on. It's essential for business partners to start out on good terms don't you think?" He responds
The man seemed genuine with his offer so Kei takes the sword
Kei: "...Thanks, I appreciate it" He says with a bit of a smirk
Zaldo: "There are some weak monsters in the land under development a few minutes away from here. It would be a great place to try it out." he advises
Kei: "That sounds like a good Idea, thanks for the advice…" he says
As Kei walks out, Zaldo says his final words to him.
Zaldo: "By the way, just forget my little tangent earlier, I truly didn't mean anything by it." He says with an embarrassed expression
Kei: "What are you talking about?" he responds before walking out
Zaldo smiles at the boys words and waves him goodbye
Zaldo: "Hmm… What an interesting kid… But what was up with that strange blindfold and hood he was wearing? It felt strange for some reason…" He ponders
As Kei walks out, a red haired girl bumps into his shoulder while walking right past him and into the Blacksmiths shop. Kei looks back for a moment in annoyance before going about his business.
…
[A beautiful, luscious garden somewhere in Sofya City]
A blue haired Sofyan knight is standing in front of a long, spiky, brown haired woman with beads of sweat running down his face.
Brown haired woman: "So you're telling me that this boy seemed suspicious to you and you ran off and left him?" She questions coldly
Blue haired Sofyan Knight: "Y-yes m'lady. I thought that something even more concerning was happening at the time. I did not perceive him to be a threat madam" He says as he shakes a bit
Brown haired girl: "Stupid fool!... ugh! Where'd he go!?" She questions in anger
Blue haired Sofyan Knight: "I-i'm sorry. When I returned, the boy was long gone…" he says shakily
Brown haired woman: "(*Sighs heavily*) Fine, you may take your leave now. Don't be so incompetent next time or I'll make you regret it…" She warns
Sofyan Knight: "Y-yes!" he says before immediately making his exit
Brown haired woman: "Such a pain… What does the Goddess want with this stranger anyways?" she mutters
…The next day…
[A place that lies just outside of Sofiya city to the west. This land was set in development in order to expand the city and be able to hold refugees of Rugio city, thus the name land under development]
…A blonde haired girl with big green eyes, carrying a sword and a blue haired boy wielding an ax are fighting off a large swarm of colons. The girl was dressed in a long green dress with several armored metal parts. She wore a brown hairband with her hair in a most intriguing part of her however, was the length of the girl's ears. It was much longer than a normal hume's ear, indicating that she was an elf.
The boy wore high brown leather boots, A blue sleeveless armored shirt with a long sleeved red shirt underneath. His accessories include brown gloves and a white scarf.
Triel: "At this rate this'll take forever… We should stop holding back so we can finish this quest faster" She says in annoyance
Balft: "No, That'll be too dangerous. We don't know who could be watching…" He responds
Triel: "Ugh! This is so annoying" She mutters
Just then, the two hear some of the Colons at the back of the swarm start to cry out in pain… Suddenly, a path opens up and a white haired boy wearing all black lands beside them.
Kei: "This sword, It feels better than I expected…" he comments as he looks at the blade, ignoring the people and monsters around him
The blonde girl and blue haired boy just look at the boy in confusion
Kei: "...It's a bit heavier but I guess the range makes up for it…" He comments further before finally looking over at the pair
Kei: "You two look like you could use a bit of help… just stand back, I'll take care of these weaklings." He says with a cool mysterious demeanor and a slight smirk
The pair just continues to look at the boy with comedically confused expressions.
Kei: "Huh? Why the hell are you two looking at me with those blank expressions? I said stand back, I'm going to save you" He says
Balft: "Who the hell are you…?" He says with his blank expression
Kei: {Certainly not the reaction I expected. What's up with these two?} He thinks
Kei: "I hardly think this is the time for introductions, being that we're surrounded by these monsters and all…" he says
Triel: "Yes! you're right… Whoever you are, we appreciate your help." she says with a gleeful smile
Kei: {That's more like it} He thinks
The three then set their sights on the swarm of colon and begin their attack
…Over 1 hour later…
Blonde elf girl: "Thank you so much for lending us your aid" She says with a smile
Kei: "It's no problem. I was just out testing a new sword and ran into this mess… How'd you guys end up in the middle of this anyways?" he asks
Triel: " Well, My name is Triel, and my brother's name is Balft" She says as She points to the blue haired boy that was now walking over to them
Triel: "And… you are?"
Kei: "You can just call me Kei… So what was up with all these monsters? Why were they all attacking you guys?" He asks again
Triel: "Oh! Our guild was hired by the government to slay the monsters taking up residence here. They've apparently been causing trouble for the refugees from Rugio… We took the job because-"
Balft: "We wanted to" He says as he cuts Triel off
Kei: "Ok?"
Balft: "Anyways… Who the hell are you anyway?"
Kei: "Huh?" he says confused
Balft: "You only managed to kill 32 colons… You're a weakling, so I don't know what the hell possessed you to make such an entrance and talk like some big shot" he snickers
Triel: "Brother! Watch your mouth!" She exclaims
Balft: "Tch! He's the one who was acting all high and mighty! Then he turned out to be so weak!" He says
Kei's hand twitches as he motions to draw his sword in annoyance-
To his surprise, Balft's axe weapon is already pointed at his neck!
Kei: {So fast! I didn't even see him move!} he thinks in shock
Triel: "Balft! Put down your weapon!" She shouts
Balft: "You saw it too didn't you? He was reaching for his sword just now…" He says
Kei: "..." he simply stands and looks at Balft calmly
Balft: {He keeps his cool pretty well at least… But I can't get a clear read on his expression with that weird blindfold he has on} he thinks
Balft removes his ax from Kei's throat and puts it back on his back
Balft: "Kei was it?" he asks
Kei: "...Yeah" he answers
The two stare each other down for a few seconds
Triel: "That's peculiar, from what I can tell you're a Straye, aren't you?" she questions, finally intervening and stifling the deafening silence
Kei remembers back to what Zaldo had said about Straye people
Kei: "Yeah, why?" he asks
Triel: "It's just that, you don't have the badge" she says
Kei: "The badge?" He asks with a confused expression
Balft: "Are you stupid or something? She means the Straye badge you moron" he says
Kei: "What was that?" he questions now clearly annoyed
Balft: "I asked if you were stupid, dumbass. Are you deaf too?" he continues as the two inch closer a if they are about to start fighting
Triel: "That's enough you two!" She shouts as she pushes the two boys apart and steps in between them
Triel: "The badge identifies its wearer as an official Straye person. With it, you are able to receive jobs much easier. It's essential for any straye's survival" She explains
Kei: "I had no idea…" he states
Kei: {I guess it's something the guys back at the caravan forgot to tell me}he thinks
Balft: "I can't believe you didn't know something so basic and call yourself a Straye… Lucky for you, I got some badges from a bandit that tried to rob us the other day. I could give you one…" he says
Kei: "Yeah? And what's the catch?" he questions
Balft: "Oh? you're not as slow as I thought" he says as he chuckles a bit
Kei: "..." he looks unamused
Balft: "The leader of the army of the colons that we just beat is around here somewhere... He's not very strong so it should be pretty easy, even for a weakling like you. I want you to find and defeat it in 1 hour… Do you accept these terms?" He asks
Kei: {With this badge, I can make enough money to stay somewhere in the city and buy some decent food… I can definitely put up with this guy until then} he thinks
Kei: "Yeah, I'll do it…" He says
Triel: "Be careful out there. It is a boss monster afterall" she warns
With those words, Kei sets off to hunt the boss colon…
Triel: "Balft! What the hell was that!?" she questions with anger
Balft: "Huh? Why are you so angry all of a sudden?" he asks
Triel: "Why did you treat that kind man like that? That was so uncharacteristically mean of you!" She says
Balft: "It's no big deal. I just lost my temper a bit after he tried to treat us like damsels in distress, that's all" He says as he shrugs the girl off
Triel: "(*Sigh*) I swear, that pride of yours… I want you to apologize when we see him again. Is that understood?" She commands
Balft: "Yeah, Yeah. I get it" he responds
…
Kei scours the land under construction searching for the Boss Colon…
While walking, he briefly thinks back to his interaction with Balft.
Kei: {How was that guy so much faster than me? I'm sure I went to draw my blade before him, but by the time I blinked, his ax was already at my throat…} he thinks
He eventually happens upon a trail of dead Torpos… Torpos were small yellow rat like monsters with long diamond like tails
Kei follows the trail that eventually leads him to a large Colon gouging out the insides of a dead Torpo.
The Colon quickly takes notice of Kei's presence.
Shing!
Kei: "I assume you're the boss of the colons around here…" He says as he unsheathes his long sword from his back
Boss Colon: "Huh? Another foolish Hume not wanting to mind their own business? But what strange aura you have" it responds
Kei: "So the overgrown vegetable can talk huh? Why don't we shut that mouth then" He says
Boss colon: "Die!" it yells
The colon pounces with its leaf-like claws at the ready
Clash!
Kei blocks Colon's claws with his sword
He endures the attack head on without moving back an inch
Kei: {those claws look harmless, but they're as hard as iron} he thinks
Kei steps back after completely stopping the Colon's momentum
Whack!
He kicks the colon into a building under construction.
Crash!
The building comes tumbling down atop the monster
…
A few seconds pass as Kei simply observes the destruction that just occurred
*Pounce*
The colon suddenly pounces, trying to disguise it's movement with the rubble
Bam!
Kei punches the colon back into the rubble before it can build its momentum
Crash!
*Flip*
After a few seconds of playing dead, the colon flips back onto its leafy feet
Suddenly the ground beneath Kei glows a bright red.
Kei: "What the?" he says as he looks down in surprised
The Colon pounces at the distracted Kei and swings its leafy arm at full force
Its arm catches a blaze!
Bam!
Kei blocks a the attack with his caravan shield just in time
Whack!
He swiftly jumps and kicks Colon back a few meters.
Crash!
The Colon tumbles into the ground
Kei: {That attack just now, It looked like my "hard hit" technique…}He thinks
The colon positions to flip itself up again
Stomp!
Kei closes the distance and stomps on the Colon's face
Boss Colon: "Damn yo-"
Slash!
He cuts the colons in half, leaving the area of impact scorched
Kei: "To think that monsters can control mana like that, it never even crossed my mind" He says softly as he stand triumphantly over the Colon's corpse
…
Kei returns to Triel and Balft only to find a note on a nearby building
Triel's note: "We've gone to the synthesis in Sofya to deliver some herbs. We'll be back soon so stay put if you've read this"
…
Kei waits patiently for a few minutes… He soon sees the siblings walking towards him.
Triel: "Sorry about disappearing on you like that Kei…" She apologizes
Balft: "So, did you do it?" He questions curiously
Kei drops a piece of the body of the boss colon in front of the siblings
Kei: "See for yourself…" he says cockily
Balft: "Not bad, you work quick don't you?" He responds
Triel: "He did what you asked Balft, it's time to honor your end of the deal and apologize for the way you acted" She coerces
Balft: "Yeah I know. Tch! Sorry if I came off as a jerk to you before, you just rubbed me the wrong way with that stupid entrance of yours and that weird outfit…" He says reluctantly
Kei: "Is that supposed to be an apology?" He questions
Balft: "Shut up, it's the best you'll get alright! Now here, take this…" He says as he throws a badge to Kei
Balft: "In the name of the 12 gods, this badge now belongs to you." he says with annoyance
Triel: "Congratulations! You're now officially recognised as a Straye person"
Unknown to the siblings, Kei's face begin to glow in excitement upon receiving the badge
Kei: "So with this, I can really make some spina" he says with a smirk
Kei: {Somehow, I lost the bag of spina Benjin and Hoby left me. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, I'm starving right now} He thinks
Triel: "Some Spina you say? Oh I know!" she perks up
Triel goes into her small pouch and takes out some coins.
Triel: "Here's 100 Spina. This should help you out a bit" she says with an angelic smile
Kei: "S-so kind!" He says as he looks up at the angelic vision that now stood before him
Balft: "Hey hold on a second there! What do you think you're doing? We barely have enough for ourselves! Don't just give away what little we have to strangers!" He yells in annoyance
Triel: "He helped us out a lot by beating the boss colon. I feel it's only fair to repay his kindness, don't you?" She questions in confusion
Balft: "We already paid our debt by giving him the badge, if anything he should be the one paying us!" He retorts
Triel: "But-"
Suddenly loud shouts can be heard in the distance
"Help! Help! Please help us!"
Two clearly distressed men along with a woman run up to the trio frantically. They were dressed in noble looking uniforms, almost as if they were high authoritative figures of sorts.
Among them was a woman with green hair and pointy long ears. She wore glasses and a fancy top hat that matched the color of her dress.
The second was a brown haired man with a full beard, brown eyes and also wore a similar style top hat as the woman.
The third was a short man with red hair, a fancy red mustache, long fluffy ears and a similar top hat.
Brown haired man: "Please! We need your help!" He shouts in desperation
Kei: {What the? Who are these guys?} He thinks
Balft: "What's wrong!? Did something happen!?" he questions with concern
Brown haired man: "W-we found a golem!" he shouts
Balft: "A golem!?" he shouts with a disgusted look
Balft and Triel then share a quick glance with each other
Brown haired man: "W-we didn't know it was in working condition. We accidentally activated it and it went on a rampage! (*Breathes heavily*) We had to run in fear for our lives… It's a miracle we even escaped. If this little fool hadn't been such an idiot and connected the cable before we could use our control magic, this would have been avoided!" He yells in frustration as he gestures to the small man beside him
Small red haired man: "What did you say?! I asked a thousand times if you had used the magic! You just kept giving me vague answers and that's why this happened!"he retorts in frustration
Green haired elf woman: "Enough! You are both responsible for what happened!" She scolds before looking over to Balft.
Green haired elf woman: "I'm sorry to ask this of you adventurers, but if that golem gets out, many people will get hurt. I beg of you to stop it…" She says as she bows her head slightly and awaits a response
Triel: "We'll handle it, don't worry!" He exclaims
Green haired elf woman: "You're so kind! Thank you" she says
Triel: "...We need to hurry" she says
Balft: "Yeah… let's do it!" He responds
Triel: "...Actually, why don't you come along?" She says as she looks at Kei
Kei: "Huh?" he responds with a shocked look
Balft: "What? You want to bring this guy along? He'll just get in our way!" he says annoyed
Triel: "Balft!... I've made my decision, please respect it" she says sternly
Balft: "Tch! Fine…" he responds
Triel: "So, are you coming? I'll even give you the 100 Spina if you help us beat the golem." she says, turning her attention back to Kei
Kei: "I'm in" he says without a single second of hesitation
…
Kei finds himself walking along closely behind the siblings and the taller bearded man into the underground ruins. The man serves as a guide to them as they make their way through the ruins…
They soon find themselves deep inside the ruins. They watch on silently from a distance at the golem planted on a platform in the open.
Bearded man: "This is as far as I go… I wish you three the best of luck." he says
The man finds a spot and hides while urging the trio forward
…
Triel: "That's the golem? It wasn't what we thought it was..." she says with relief
Balft: "Yeah... Now let's crush this thing quickly and get out of her" he proclaims