Chapter 11: Conflict

It was a brand new day.

I was grateful for having a good night's sleep this time, although, to be honest, sleep wasn't that big of a concern anymore. Since at least one golem was successfully rescued, Johnathan relieved Rana and I of our duties as night protectors. As such, we could basically sleep for as long as we wanted.

In any case, I figured it was about time my day started. Like yesterday, I walked up to Rana's door and rapped on it a few times. Unlike yesterday, however, the response I got, indicated that she'd been awake for at least some time.

"Come in."

I complied. It was honestly a little odd. I'd expected she'd tell me to wait for her downstairs. Why was she inviting me to her room? Did she really feel that comfortable around me? If that's the case, then... No matter...I opened the door gently.

"Good-"

"Steve."

I'm not going to lie; I tensed up a little. Hearing her say my name with such little emotion, while also facing away from me, was an odd shift from yesterday. It was strangely ominous. In a way, it sort of reminded me of my encounter with Sebastian in the library.

"I...sensed...it was you," she continued. Any word I was trying to utter got stuck in my throat. Why was the atmosphere so heavy?

"You couldn't have come at a more perfect moment..."

At that point, I was waiting for some kind of movement. Something. Anything.

"Exactly as I'd planned. Now..."

"..."

"I can introduce you to my kitty! Say meow!"

"...!?"

Well, talk about a shift in tone...So, what happened there was, Rana turned around, sporting a huge smile on her face, while cradling a cream-colored cat in her arms. I probably should've seen that fake-out coming, yet I still fell for it. Oh well, at least it was charming.

"His name is Sky!"

"Ah, I didn't know you had a cat."

"I found him here, in Cornelia! He's the reason I needed all those fish, by the way. So, if you want to blame someone for almost dying to a gross water-zombie, blame him!" she stated while pouting. She was obviously only pretending to be irritated, though.

"Haha, I'll keep that in mind. Uh, may I?"

"Well, he's not very used to coming into contact with strangers, but you can try if you want."

I reached out to pet the kitty. His gaze was fixated on my hand. I didn't know how he would react, but it was a risk I was willing to take. Surprisingly enough, when my hand came into contact with Sky's fluffy fur, the feline displayed no reaction. Or at least, that's what it seemed like at first. After a moment, it began to purr. It was a little weird...

"Wow, he really likes you, Steve! That's impressive! Do you have a good relationship with animals?"

"That's kinda tough to tell. I do like them, but I don't interact with them much."

"Well, liking them is pretty important as well."

Rana placed Sky on top of the chest near her bed, and he proceeded to curl up.

Overall, Rana's room wasn't too different from mine. That being said, there were a few personal touches that set it apart. For starters, her bed covers were pink. There were many paintings adorning the walls. Most of them depicted various landscapes, and abstract objects, but one of them had a...creeper? Lastly, beneath the windowpane, stood a make-shift table, with an empty flower pot resting on it.

All things considered, the decoration really reflected Rana's more happy-go-lucky personality, at least, when compared to mine...

"So, do you wanna head downstairs and get some breakfast?"

"Sure thing."

While going down the stairs, I decided to bring up the topic of today's event.

"Say, Rana?"

"Yeah?"

"Today, there's gonna be a public reading event held at the library. Do you want to come with me?"

We once again sat at a table for two.

"Oh, that? Wow, Steve, I don't know...I went to the previous session, and it was...extremely boring. Are you sure you want us to go?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't have anything better planned. Also, I told Catherine that I'd be there, so I can't exactly back down..."

"Did you tell them that I'm gonna be there too?" she asked, with an almost worried look.

"No, I didn't. Man, do you really not want to go?"

"It's not that..." she protested weakly. After a few moments of – what appeared to be – internal debate, she resumed.

"Steve, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The real reason I don't want to go, is that... they suspect I might be the Fallen. You've heard of the prophecy, right?"

"I have, but what exactly is the problem here?"

"Well, I don't want to get involved with something so...pivotal."

I thought about her statement and managed to see her point. However, due to the nature of prophecies, I couldn't help but ask:

"Wait, if the prophecy is real, and it turns out you're actually the Fallen, doesn't that mean that you'll get involved anyway?"

She worked up an uneasy smile before replying.

"Well, you'd be surprised by just how well I was able to procrastinate back on Earth. Not even a world altering prophecy could make me do things I didn't want to do!"

I found myself chuckling along, at first.

"Heh, I don't mean to offend you, but that's not really something to be proud of..."

Her uneasy smile faded, and I started to worry. Had I hurt her feelings? I didn't have the chance to ask, because she responded before I could.

"I know. This is a little embarrassing to admit, but if we're gonna be friends, I guess I should tell you. I have a... how do I put this?... Let's say I have a bad habit of...avoiding my responsibilities... It's not something I'm proud of, and it got me in quite a bit of trouble back home, but...I can't help it..."

"..."

I took a moment to think what the best way to approach this revelation would be. It must've taken her some courage to confide in me, so I chose to support her.

"Well, if you want to improve on that aspect of yourself, then... I could help."

She perked up slightly, as I continued.

"Coming to this event could be the first step. I'll go with you for support. What do you say?"

She weighed the options for a few seconds.

"Okay. I've made up my mind. If you go, then I'll come, too," she said with assurance.

"Awesome! I was really looking forward to going with you."

She looked away, in an almost bashful manner.

"Thanks..." she spoke in a low voice.

"You're welcome."

With that out of the way, we placed our order. She got pumpkin pie once more, along with some milk, while I opted for some rabbit stew and a bottle of water.

After we finished our meals, we began heading to the building in question. Upon leaving the inn, it became apparent that the weather was rather gloomy. Even though it was a clear sign that a storm was brewing, maybe that would enhance the atmosphere, in a way? This was a reading event, after all.

Passing through the library's imposing doors, we were met with a rather cozy atmosphere thanks to the sporadic use of torches, which opposed the cloudy weather. There was a bit of a commotion going on, however. Then again, that wasn't very surprising, since most of the town's population was present.

Among the sea of townsfolk, we managed to spot a few familiar faces, no pun intended. Two of the three members of the Council, Gordon, as well as Catherine, were here and accounted for. Johnathan was the only one absent, strangely enough.

"Would ye, great heroes, mind givin' us a hand?" the blacksmith asked.

"Sure thing! What do you need help with?" Rana replied.

"'nside that chest 'ere, are a bunch of staircases. Could ye place 'em in three rows of five?"

It was a reasonable request. Over time, I learned that the villagers were unable to place down blocks, so it made sense for them to ask us for assistance. We opened the chest, split up the oak staircases between us, and got to work. Once we were done, there were enough seats for everyone present, with some spare ones to boot. We even made sure that the seats didn't take up too much of the hallway.

"Okay, everyone! The reading shall begin momentarily! This time, we'll be continuing the story we started two sessions ago, since last time was a special event. Until then, please, take a seat!" Catherine announced. We all did as we were told. After a few more moments of behind-the-scenes work, Sebastian stepped up to the lectern and cleared their throat to draw attention.

They did a brief recap of the events that transpired in the part of the book that was read previously. The story turned out to be a myth of sorts. The gist of it was that a race of pig monsters called 'piglins', which hailed from a nightmarish realm called 'the Nether', set out to invade the Overworld – which was the name of the world we were currently in. The narrative was centered around a group of heroes, and their efforts to curb the invasion. Seeing as how neither Rana, nor I were present for the first session, the recap was appreciated.

Moving on, Sebastian resumed reading the book. After a few lines of narration and dialogue, it became abundantly clear why Sebastian was chosen to read. Each line was delivered with precision and just the right amount of emotion, and the description of each environment was vibrant and vivid. It was honestly impressive, coming from the, usually, indifferent librarian. It's like they were living every moment of the story.

Taking a look around me, I could tell that everyone else was immersed as well, minus some of the villager children, who were probably dragged here by their parents. Looking to my right, I noticed that Rana didn't seem disinterested, either.

"What do you think so far?" I whispered to her.

"I think...you were right. Thank you for bringing me here," she whispered back.

...

The event moved on as scheduled. Upon finishing, Sebastian took turns asking each townsfolk their opinion on the story's progress. It was neat to hear everyone's thoughts on the recent revelations, but things took a bit of an unexpected turn when it came to Gordon's opinion.

"'t was fine. Would've liked it more if the protagonist wasn't a know-it-all. Kinda reminds me o' someone, in that aspect," they stated, squinting at the librarian.

"What are you implying?" the latter asked with suspicion in their tone.

"Oh? What 'appened? Did the ingenious Sebastian get stumped by this lowly blacksmith's riddles?"

"Whatever are you going on about?"

"Oh no, not again... Um, guys? Let's be civil about this..." Catherine chimed in, but the two didn't seem to pay them any mind.

"You think you are clever, do you not? If you have something you wish to share, do so openly," Sebastian stated sternly.

"As a matter o' fact, I DO have somethin' I wish to share. I think you're so full of yourself, that you, as a member of the Council, have complete disregard for what we have to say." In their accusation, Gordon didn't skip out on pronouncing half as many letters as they usually do. That must've meant that they were pretty serious about whatever they were talking about.

The rest of the audience's responses only solidified my theory. Some of them seemed to agree with Gordon, while others...

"Seriously? This again? Guys, this is a reading event. Get a life."

...were simply annoyed by the sudden political debate. A part of me wondered just how long Gordon was waiting to say these things.

"You dim-witted simpleton. Just because you cannot figure out the positive outcomes our decisions will bring in the future, that does not mean that no one else can. There is a reason why we are in charge here; because we have been trained specifically on how to rule. It is our job. It is not my fault you fail to understand that." A few people seemed convinced by Sebastian's assertion.

"It's also not our fault that your ego's as big as your forehead, yet we're still gonna be the ones to face the consequences of your rules directly, anyway! Shouldn't our opinion be taken into account, for once?" The number of people siding with Gordon increased greatly after that statement. The entire library was filled by the sound of chatter and discord.

"Hey, Steve," Rana whispered to me.

"What is it?"

"Do you think we should do something?"

"I don't know, Rana. I don't think we really have a say in this... Regardless, it's clear that there's a feud between the two."

"That may be true, but the situation's spiraling out of control! If we don't do something, someone might get hurt!"

I looked towards the source of the commotion, once again.

"You are but a simple-minded plebian!"

"You're nothin' but a big-mouthed braggart!"

Near the corner of the stage, Catherine had a worried look on their face, while Emily was staring at the floor, downcast.

I turned back to Rana.

"You're right. Let's come up with something." She nodded. I tried to give this situation a general overview.

'I could try and side with Sebastian, since we have already started off on the wrong foot. Maybe that could help things between us. Then again, if I do that, maybe it will put a dent on how people view me...Maybe I should encourage Emily, instead? They look a little dejected...Maybe a word of encouragement could help them get the confidence they need to settle this debate! They are member of the Council, though. Is that even going to convince anyone, or will the disparity increase?'

I took a deep breath and, having made up my mind, I took a step forward.

"Hey-" I spoke up.

"Stay outta this!"

"This does not involve either of you two!"

The two completely shut us down before we even got a chance... It seemed a little hopeless. The only thing we could do was watch the argument dissolve into a mindless flame war. That was, until the doors opened, and a figure, soaked by rainwater, calmly walked in.

"Ladies. Gentlemen. What's all this commotion?" It was the mayor themself.

"Johnathan, finally! Help me explain to this idiot-"

"Hold on," Johnathan interrupted, and started heading to the middle of the hallway. "Say no more. Let me guess what happened. This whole reading event started off well, until it all went south when politics got involved. Am I correct thus far?"

"Precisely."

"And don't tell me; this political conflict is about the disconnect between the Council and the people. Is that right?"

"'at's right! But how did ya know?"

The villager in green stepped up to the lectern and replied. "I knew, because it's something that's been plaguing my mind for a while now. In a way, this is all my fault. As a leader, I've failed at establishing transparency between the individual and the Council, and for that, I apologize. For now, there are a few things I want to make clear."

Johnathan faced Gordon and continued.

"Even though a few of our decisions may seem arbitrary to the eyes of many, just know, dear citizens, that it's a matter of looking ahead. We are trying our best to solidify the most favorable outcome for our town in the long run."

They then turned their gaze to Sebastian.

"Just know, dear citizens, that our goal and your goal are one and the same. There's no point in these conflicts, because we're all on the same page. The council isn't some otherworldly entity, that's concerned only for its own benefit. That being said, a lot of you share the sentiment that your voice isn't being heard. From now on, then, I can personally guarantee you, that we'll start taking more opinions into account, before coming to a decision. That would be it."

...

With just a few sentences, the mayor managed to calm the spirits of the audience. A neutral stance was taken, and as a result, no one got visibly upset. Gordon and Sebastian seemed a little hesitant still, but they both withdrew. As for everyone else, they seemed fairly satisfied. In little time, Catherine stepped up and dismissed the event.

As Rana and I were about to leave, Johnathan stopped us.

"Great adventurers, I apologize for that outbreak, as well as for the interruption, but there's something I need to ask of you."

"Did something happen?"

"You see, the reason I was late for the event is that our wandering trader informed me of an abnormal spawn rate of monsters stemming from a temple in the desert. Could I get you two to investigate it sometime soon?"

Rana and I exchanged glances. Despite not exchanging a single word, we could tell what the other was thinking, from our gazes alone. As such, we answered at the same time:

"Sure."

"Not a chance!"

"Wait, what!?"

"Haha, I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Yeah, we'll check the temple-thing tomorrow, probably."

Second time I'd been bamboozled that day. I found it pretty funny regardless, though.

...

A/N: Rana's cat, Sky, was also created by Dock, the same person that created Rana. That being said, I couldn't find whether Sky is male or female, so I took creative liberty. Let me know your thoughts of the story so far, if you'd like.