It was cold outside. Even with the windows closed and having taken a warm bath prior, there was no denying how cold it was that he could feel it through his feet from the wooden floor of his room. The air itself felt stilled, though he might be imagining that.

And he couldn't tell whether he was grateful or not that he could feel the cold air. That he knew this was reality, and not simply an imagination on his part.

Eugeo isn't a stranger to dreams. He'd had just as many good ones as there are bad ones, and he knew that no matter how uncomfortable they are, things always turn out fine when he wakes up. That is simply the nature of dreams; ethereal imaginations conjured by his mind to occupy his sleeping time that would eventually disappear the moment he returns to the waking world.

He'd come to accept that life would be fine. That no amount of nightmares would truly shake him, and that he could keep moving forwards in life with a grin on his face and his friends by his side. That every moment in life would be a new start and everything would stay fine.

Life… doesn't really seem to care, as he realizes. What he'd hoped to have been a horrible nightmare that would then go away never played true to its imaginary stance.

Alice is gone.

It's already happened, but it doesn't feel real yet.

He isn't sure he's ready to face it, and he'd never thought he'd been ready to face Kirito once more.

Watching his friend's outburst like this, he wasn't sure what to feel himself. Despaired? Tired? Afraid? Truth be told, he'd been lost these past two days, caught between the desire to just find someplace to cry or stay by his friend's side until he woke up.

But life doesn't let him.

Time kept moving. Even with Alice gone, Rulid's days never stop moving. Everyone still has their jobs to get to. Eugeo still had a «Sacred Task» that he needed to do. As such, he still had to go on with his day, tending to his task on his own—and, with nothing to do after, friends either gone or unconscious still, he returned home, checking in from time to time.

Now that he's here and Kirito has already woken up… he couldn't help but feel relieved.

Relieved to know that he was awake; that he was alright. And…

"…Eugeo," his voice was strained. It drew Eugeo's gaze to his friend and he was inwardly shocked by the expression that he bore. Onyx eyes glared into the bedsheets, teeth gritted so hard a vein in his neck was popping lightly. This raw anger… It was something he'd never seen before. Something he'd never known his kind and happy-go-lucky friend was capable of manifesting at all. "That Integrity Knight… Deusolbert Synthesis Seven. He really took Alice away, then?"

"…Yeah," it was still hard to believe. It started out like any other day, and an honest-to-goodness Integrity Knight had shown up in their village out of the blue, only to arrest their friend on the spot before taking her away. "She's gone."

"…So it isn't a dream."

If only it was. "No, it's not."

Not a single sound escapes his friend. Not one of acknowledgement or anger. Neither friends knew what to say afterwards. He wasn't even sure what they could possibly talk about; Kirito had made it clear enough that he was feeling fine, and as much as he wanted to ask him further, he just… didn't feel like it.

There was nothing that he wanted to do or say. Nothing that he knew what to do or say.

'Alice is gone,' he'd repeated that thought countless of times every moment, even in his sleep. There was no forgetting the sight of that Integrity Knight hoisting his childhood friend up, strapped to his dragon like cargo, and taken away without wasting a moment.

There was no forgetting how he'd done nothing but watch her. Stand amongst the crowd like an idiot, helpless to do anything.

It had been made even worse when Kirito had injured himself trying to fight Deusolbert. That, of everything, had been the biggest scare he'd ever had in his eleven years of life—one friend was already taken away right in front of him. He wasn't willing to lose anything.

It was to his great relief that Kirito had been fine. Unconscious, but at least he wasn't… he…

Two soft raps on the door caught his attention. " Boys…" Someone's voice called out to them. Gentle. Feminine. " Can I come in?"

Eugeo didn't respond, looking over to his best friend. For a moment, it looked as if he didn't want anyone else in the room save for the two of them, but he eventually relented, raising his voice to let her know. "Yeah, come in…"

The door slowly opened up. The boy turned to look, and he could see similarly-coloured hair to his own and green eyes staring back. Her features were much slimmer, gentle and reminiscent of their deceased mother—a splitting image of the woman who'd birthed the both of them and the youngest twins. She was quiet, watching them with a sorrowful look. He simply smiled back before looking back at his friend, who was staring intently at his hands.

No one said anything for a very long time. His sister just stood by the door while both boys were seated on the bed. Eugeo felt like he should have said something, but once again, his mind was drawing blanks. Something that he's starting to realize is a big issue considering how there were certainly many things he could say.

What was holding him back? Awkwardness? Fear? Discomfort? He wasn't sure.

All that he knew was that, if there really was anything they'd be talking about, he only knew of one thing, though he doubted any of them were comfortable enough to speak further about it.

"Kirito," his sister must have expected none of them to utter a single word, so she was trying to spare them the effort of initiating the conversation. "How is your body feeling? Does anything hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Whatever that Integrity Knight did to you looked incredibly painful," she came over to the side of the bed, slowly taking her seat beside him to rest her hand on his shoulder. Her voice, warm and gentle, was a balm that comforted both of them. Kirito visibly untensed a little. "It left quite a bad bruise when you passed out. You must be very strong to only come out with that and not a full-on cut."

"I don't think I'm that strong…" Eugeo highly doubted that. Between them two, he knew that Kirito was the stronger one, as much as he would try to deny it. And even if Deusolbert had been holding back, he had no doubt that the average person would be injured far worse. "I just… Was it a «Sacred Art», Sulinea?"

"That's… actually a good question, but I'm not exactly sure. I don't recall him chanting anything. Then again, none of us would have been able to hear him since we were so far away from him."

"Well, I was close, because… well, you guys know what I did," yeah. Reckless wouldn't enough to describe it. Charging at an Integrity Knight with just an axe was just suicidal—heart-stopping for him who just watched, that was for sure. "Anyways, I don't think he chanted the typical last thing most people do, like « Discharge» or « Burst» when he projected that blade of air at me," he perked up at that description. Kirito saw what Deusolbert sent at him? Neither him nor anyone else knew what he did. All they'd known was Kirito suddenly thrown back, and signs of impact to his chest were made clear only after closer inspection. "I didn't hear him say anything. Could it be possible to use «Sacred Arts» without actually saying anything?"

That was… a pretty curious topic. Perhaps Alice would know something about that, since she studies «Sacred Arts». "I… don't think that's how it works. Words are needed to guide the person's thoughts when you're initiating «Sacred Arts», which is why we need to learn the sacred tongue. As far as I know, no one has ever executed a «Sacred Art» without uttering the commands."

"I see…"

From the looks of it, Kirito seemed less high-strung than he was earlier. Likely, the only reason he'd even talked at all was to get his mind off of things, and having Sulinea to chat to helped a lot. She'd always been good at that. He shot his sister a thankful look, and she nodded in return.

After a while, his friend looked to him. "Eugeo, sorry to leave you to do your job alone these past two days. Must have been exhausting."

"A-Ahaha, it was, I'll admit. But even so, it wasn't like I could just not do it, you know? I did my work either way, and it's all good. You don't need to worry about it."

Truth be told, he'd gotten his work done much faster than before, if only because he wanted to get it over with quickly and get back home to check on his best friend. He would certainly end up feeling way more tired than usual at the end of the day, but it felt worth it.

Kirito wasn't satisfied with that, though, frowning a little. "I'll find a way to make it up to you, I promise."

"No, no, you don't have to. Really."

"Well, I'm still gonna' try and figure out something even if you ask me not to."

"What? But then—Ah, fine. No changing your mind when it comes to things."

"Yeah, I'll find a way."

"Eugeo," he perked up. The two boys turned to look at his sister. She was patting the spot on the bed beside her. "C'mere."

"Uh… sure?"

He did as she asked, sitting beside his sister and eyeing her in confusion. She was much taller than both him and Kirito, so he'd somewhat reached her shoulder seated as he was.

Sulinea didn't give anything away. The entire time, she was only taking time to look between the two young boys, switching her gaze every once in a while with an unreadable expression on her face. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

And then, without a word, she hooked her arms around their shoulders and pulled them into a hug. A surprise he wasn't expecting.

He could feel his best friend tensing up in her embrace, caught so off-guard he wasn't sure how to react to this sudden development. Eugeo himself wasn't sure what to say. He was about to ask her what she was doing…

Until she started humming. A soft tune that comes across as a murmur, for how soft it was sung made it almost inaudible. It was only thanks to how quiet the room was that they could hear her, along with their breathing and the sound of his own heartbeat in his head.

And yet… the song itself resonated too strongly with him. It was too familiar. It was one that he recognized to be a melody their mother once sang to them when they were little—when she was still alive.

It felt like a recollection of the past. A brief reimagination of a scene from when he'd sat beside his mother while Sulinea took the other side, leaning against her with closed eyes and a smile on her face. She cradled both of his younger brothers in her arms, singing this tune to them every night to put them to sleep. He'd been in that position before, and even as he grew up, he would stay awake just to listen to her hushed voice. Soothing. Homey.

The memories are coming back to him, and the mere thought of her brought about a swirl of emotions to his breast. Water began to well up in his eyes, and he simply screwed them shut. He didn't last long. He was the first to cry before his friend's voice joined him.

It was much colder outside.

A lot colder than he'd expected it to be in the summer. Either had to do with tonight being one of those nights that doesn't really tally up to the usual climate, or because he was underdressed. Likely the latter, which was why he was glad that Sulinea had suggested them to wear scarves, or else his neck would have frozen over by now.

Both of them stood outside of the church, him and Sulinea a foot away from Kirito, who stood before an elderly woman.

Kirito stared up into the sister's eyes, nervous. As if he was waiting for something bad to happen. Considering what he'd done, perhaps he had some reason to be concerned, so it was to his surprise when the elderly woman crouched low to his eye level, patting him gently on the head.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you boys," she said, first to his friend, then to him. She did not smile, making her look far older than she should be. "It shouldn't have happened to the three of you."

He was at a loss for words, only capable of dropping his gaze and staring at his shoes.

By the time Kirito had woken up, the light of Solus had long faded away—most villagers had already returned and all the children were tucked away. Sulinea had invited him to stay over in their house, but he'd been adamant of returning to the church, not wanting to bother them any longer than he already had.

Eugeo himself had personally asked if they could keep watch over him when he was unconscious. He'd been glad when she agreed to it.

He honestly wouldn't have minded it if his friend could spend this night over at his house as well, but Kirito didn't want to. Didn't want to intrude any more than he already has, he said. There was no convincing him.

"Have you made sure to thank Eugeo's family for their hospitality?"

"I did," he nodded. He was a lot of things, but rude was simply not one of them. He'd been taught manners by the woman. He turned his gaze downwards, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry if I troubled you."

"You didn't. I was simply worried, but it is nothing that you should guilt yourself over," she then turned to look to Eugeo. "Thank you for accompanying Kirito here, and for watching over him these past two days. That you even covered for him during your calling is simply too much."

"It wasn't any trouble. And none of us minded having him over," well, except for his father, who was more concerned over the fact that they hadn't prepared any guest rooms, which meant that Kirito had to sleep in Eugeo's bed. There wasn't an issue with that; Eugeo had simply slept in his brother's cot while they shared one.

"Now then, Kirito, have you eaten before you came here?"

"I did. Eugeo's sister made some food for me when I woke up," the girl in question smiled in response. "It was nothing too heavy. Some porridge. It was really nice."

She nodded back. "That is good. Well then, you've been asleep for two days. I would recommend that you turn in for the night even so, but if there's anything you'd like to do..?"

"I… don't think I've got anything in mind," he shrugged back, weakly. "Guess I can sleep it off. I'm not really tired, but I don't feel like doing anything either."

"Alright. Go take a bath and then head straight to bed, alright? If you need anything, I'll be in the canteen."

Eugeo watched him, just about ready to head into the church before he turned around to look at him. Black orbs met green for a moment before they turned away from him. "Thanks, Eugeo. For, you know. All the stuff I said already. Hope I wasn't a bother or anything."

"Oh, no, you weren't," he smiled back in return. "Wished you were awake, though. We could have done things together. Hung out and stuff."

"…That would have been nice."

"Yeah… A-Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

Afterwards, as he watched his friend's back retreating into the church with the sister right beside him, he couldn't help but frown a little. His friend looked tired, no matter what he said, physically and mentally. Why wasn't a mystery, but he wished he could do something to help.

As it was, though, there really was nothing that could be done. They were both meant to be asleep at this point, so he didn't waste any time to head back home, wondering if he'd be able to sleep easy again.

He doubted it. These last two nights hadn't been easy. This one wouldn't be, either.

25th day of the 7th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village

Say something.

Anything.

Is this some talent of his? The ability of not being able to say even a single word when it matters?

No matter how much his brain was screaming for him to say at least one word to his best friend, he had literally zero ideas. Likely because a part of him expected to greet both him and Alice, and then they'd be on their way together to the Gigas Cedar, talking and bantering rambunctiously together about all sorts of things.

That wouldn't be happening anymore, he quickly realized. She isn't here anymore.

"Mornin', Eugeo."

"O-Oh. Good morning," well, that's one hurdle down, he supposed. "How are… you feeling?"

"Honestly? A little sluggish," he had a stone-faced expression, rubbing his chest. "Maybe it's because I've been sleeping for so long without doing anything. I guess it's not something I should be too bothered by. Soon enough, I'll be back in the motions."

"Riiight… And are you sure you're in a condition well enough to work?"

Personally, Eugeo never knew what being unconscious for days could really do to his body. But he could imagine that a few days without any physical work done would make the body a tad bit weaker. Plus, he did get injured.

"Like I have a choice," Kirito scoffed back, crossing his arms behind his head. "I mean, if I don't do my task, you'll have to cover for me. Like I'm gonna' let you do that. You've already done that for two days while I was unconscious," he wasn't wrong about that. "And I'm pretty sure it'll be considered 'breaking the «Taboo Index»' if I skip out on it. And you know what that means…"

He does, sadly enough.

Without any other words exchanged, both friends departed from the village. They exit through the southern gate, the sounds of bustling villagers and cheers slowly growing softer as they put distance between themselves and the village. They continued on.

The route to the Gigas Cedar is something the two boys have remembered by heart. At this point, they'd gone there over and over again so many times that they'd once joked how, even if they were to lose their memories, they'd still remember how to get to the Gigas Cedar.

On both sides of the road they walk on, yellow wheat fields spread out as far as the eye can see. Several farmers are out at work, straw hats protecting them from Solus's heat. The two boys don't exactly need hats when they're at work, considering that the shade from the Gigas Cedar is enough, but on the way to the tree, the sun beating down on them is certainly something. With it being the summer, the heatwave is much worse than any time of the year.

Still, the heat is something that they'll just have to learn to tolerate. The blessings from Solus's light would be bountiful for the crops, something that he was certain everyone would be incredibly happy for.

As a shadow begins to loom over them, he looks ahead and sees their target. Even from the village, the Gigas Cedar is visible, considering just how tall it is. Eugeo sighs, knowing that he and his friend would have to cut that. Still, there was a good reason for that.

Rulid has plans of expanding its wheat fields southwards, as that was simply the only reasonable direction that they could take—to the west was a patch for livestock. To the east is an orchard. To the north is the path that leads to the mountains, and the rocky area makes it unsuitable for crop growth—but with how it's sucking up all the resources in the area, that plan's a bust until it's cut down.

That was the sole reason why so many generations of fellers have tried to cut down the Gigas Cedar, because there was simply no telling what would happen to the earth if they allowed it to continue standing. It might just drain the world dry!

Would be nice if there was some sort of incantation or tool that could make cutting it down a lot easier.

"You know," Kirito began as they were heading for their location, eliciting a hum from him. "I'm honestly surprised no one actually tries to steal the axe. It's made from dragon bones, right? It could sell for pretty high."

"Obviously, it's because the «Taboo Index» clearly stated that no one is allowed to steal from another person," he replied. "You don't remember?"

"Nope," his easy answer makes him sweat-drop. "I mean, there's just too many things to remember. So if I ever need confirmation for something, I can always just ask you."

Eugeo sighed. "Honestly… In any case, you don't need to worry about the axe getting stolen. If someone takes it, they'll…"

He cut himself off there and then, the implications of such actions not unknown to them. Apprehended by an Integrity Knight, taken to Centoria to be interrogated, followed by execution.

He wondered if there was someone else out there who was brave, or foolish, enough to try and break any listed taboos. He doubted there are any. From little, everyone had been taught to always abide by the «Taboo Index», no matter the circumstances. It's ingrained into everyone's mind. No one questions it—they simply obey it.

Kirito, on the other hand, has always proven himself to be the complete opposite. Too reckless and adventurous of a person. There were times when he'd step on the line, coming close to crossing them in fact, though Eugeo and Alice have always managed to reel him in from making any mistakes.

His only remaining friend… Alice would be incredibly sad if Kirito dies too. For her sake, his own and Kirito's, he'll make sure neither of them make the same mistake.

As they approach the bark of the tree, Eugeo speaks up. "Say, do you want me to start first? You haven't worked for two days, so you might not be feeling up for it."

"Nah, it's fine. The sooner I get started, the sooner my body will get used to this again, and then I'll be back in the motions," he responded, lugging the axe onto his shoulder—the action makes him wince a little. "Don't worry. If I get tired, I'll tap out."

"Tap… out?"

"You know, switch with you?"

"…Kirito, I feel like you're the only person in this entire world that I actually know to use such weird terms."

"It makes me different, and certainly not boring, am I right?" He couldn't deny that. Kirito was one of a kind, in just about any way, which made him a pretty great friend to hang out with. "Besides, you'd catch me dead trying to talk like a dumb snobby noble."

"Not all nobles are snobbish, you know…"

"I know," he hummed back, taking his place before the bark of the tree. Right in front of the not-exactly-large gash in the tree. "Those nobles who come into our village every year. Some of them are merchants, right? They're pretty nice. Especially the Arabel's and the Schowatcha'ma-call-em'."

" Shtolienen," to be fair, that one is rather difficult to pronounce. "And yeah, I agree. From what I heard, the both of them are low-ranking noble families, and they're pretty close with one another. Both of them practise merchantry, travelling around towns to sell wares and find ingredients. They dabble in medicine."

"Medicine, eh? Like an apothecary?"

"A… what?"

Kirito turned his head to look at him. "Apothecary. You know? People who prepare remedies using traditional ingredients like plants and animal sources?"

Eugeo ended up staring at his best friend with what he could only assume was a greatly incredulous expression. Afterwards, he said the first thing that came to mind. "How in the world did you know such a big word like pock-a-therry—"

" Apothecary."

It took him a moment to realize that what he'd said before he felt his face burn, accidentally saying it the way his brothers always pronounce it. "Err, sorry. But yeah, how do you know that word?"

"I heard it from time to time. Ivenda used to call himself that before he finally settled in Rulid and become a fully-fledged doctor in our village."

Ivenda… ah, right. He hailed from a city in the west, close to the icy mountains where it was considered almost inhabitable and frigid. He'd picked up the knowledge of using herbs as medicine during his time there, and he'd travelled to Rulid for no specific reason. Needless to say, he's become an integral part of Rulid.

Before he could raise a question, the sound of breathing caught his attention. He looked towards Kirito, noticing him spread his feet and relaxing his arms as he swung his axe back. His eyes were focused, aiming for the gash. There was a quiet focus about him that made him look pretty impressive.

It was enough to make him simply sit still, watching curiously and (admittedly) with some amount of excitement.

To be fair, their job isn't the most exciting. Cutting a tree that refuses to tumble isn't what one might call 'fun', but they'd gotten relatively good at it after all their years doing it. It's become something of a chore.

Yet, in this single moment, it's a first for him to witness such conviction in his friend. As if he sought to strike it down with just this one, precise blow.

Kirito swept his right foot back, raised his axe behind him—

And swung!

The blade of the axe met its mark, right in the middle of the slit. It was a perfect arc, strength pumped into the swing to deal as much damage as he possibly could in that single motion.

And yet…

"Yeah. Looks like I've still got it," the other boy breathed out. "Just one swing, and I doubt it actually did anything noteworthy, am I right?"

"…Yeah," it was a shame to admit, because that blow really did look amazing. But there was no kidding anyone; just a single blow would hardly be enough to actually cut down the Gigas Cedar. After all, if countless others have tried before them (stronger men and women than them, he'd bet) and they couldn't do it, he had very low hopes of them managing it. "But that was a really good swing, actually. The best one I've ever seen, in fact."

"Oh yeah? Well, it would be nice if this axe," and he glared at the thing in his hands, as if it was personally ridiculing him. "Actually does its job of cutting down this damned thing. Seriously couldn't do any better."

"Well, the villagers who were the first ones to live here… I think it was three hundred years ago—"

" Goddesses, that's so long ago."

"—They requested an axe from Centoria. So likely, the head of the Axiom Church at the time ordered crafters to make this axe, and then deliver it to our village. Afterwards, for the next few generations, either one or two people are given the job of cutting down the Gigas Cedar using that exact same axe for the job."

"Urgh. Well, clearly it's not doing anything. And this is supposedly made of dragon bones," he braced himself and swung once more, grunting from the impact. "Isn't it supposed to be some really tough material or something? Like, tougher than iron, too? Can't believe that it doesn't even do much. It feels more like a relic than an actual tool."

"Well, no use arguing about it, Kirito," he sighed back. "I mean, this is the strongest thing we have, and likely the only thing we'll ever get. There's no way we could find anything else that could actually be strong enough to—"

"The sword," Kirito's interjection gave him pause. "The one in the cave that we went to, the other day."

"…Ah, that one. The Blue Rose Sword."

His best friend nodded, swinging his axe once more. He'd already fallen into a rhythm, methodically cutting into the tree without a distinct pause in his motions. "One of the stories in our village is how one of the founders of our village, the hero Bercouli, once entered the dragon's cave to steal its treasure. When he laid eyes on the sword, however, he had tried to take it for himself, but got caught in the action. The dragon forgave him, though, and he quickly left the cave. The exact same sword in that story is still in that dragon's cave."

"But… it belongs to the dragon, right?"

"…True. Doesn't really feel right taking something from someone else," he grunted. "Even if that person is actually a dragon. Plus, it's dead, so that's much worse."

Eugeo agreed with him on that one. Try as he might to find a reason for wanting to take the sword for themselves, it didn't feel right to steal from a dead person (or dragon, in this case).

There was one particular rule in the «Taboo Index» that stated how it was completely disallowed to steal from another human. There was clear biasness in the sense that this only applied between humans, although he supposed it made sense; it wasn't like there were other races living in here.

Ogres, goblins, and all that sort live beyond the walls that encapsulate the Human Empire. They are that of the Dark Territory, and he'd never personally seen one before.

But always, when they were children, they were taught by their parents just how dangerous the people from the Dark Territory were. That all they ever cared about was killing humans, destroying their homes and simply sating their desire for blood sport. It was a horrifying thought, and certainly one that kept him (and likely many other children) from venturing too far out until they reached the enemies' lands.

And yet, all he could think of was that black-clad knight, bleeding on the ground and reaching his hand out towards them for help. For someone. How human he looked in that moment, looking none too different from the man who slew him.

"…Even if the «Taboo Index» specified that stealing is only wrong if it's done towards another human, I still feel like it's wrong to do it. Does that seem weird?"

"Not really. That's just your… beliefs. Your moral compass," Kirito shook his head. "It's what you feel is right or wrong. It's something that no one can really teach you because it all comes down to you. Like, both of us think it's wrong to steal from the dragon. I bet at least one person doesn't care and would go for it."

"Everyone's just different."

"Yeah. And on that note, I still feel like what Deusolbert did was wrong," the mention of the knight's name brings forth a temporary surge of anger, but he's quick to quash it down. "I get that Alice touched the ground of the other place, and we've all been specifically told not to do it. But does it really merit execution? It's not like she wanted to do it."

"Does intention really matter in this instance?"

"Of course it does," he sounded so certain of himself that Eugeo couldn't help but want to listen. "Think about it. One of the things mentioned is how we're not allowed to hurt someone to the point that their «Life» drops. I get that. But what if it wasn't done with the intention to actually hurt them? What if they just did it to protect themselves, or a friend?"

"Well, that's—"

"Use me as example. If someone was trying to hurt you, I'd obviously fight that person," and Eugeo knew he would. He wouldn't hold back for anything. "And I might be charged for hurting that person, but it's not like I did it because I wanted to hurt them in the first place. It was to protect someone. Or, say, I accidentally hurt that person without even wanting to. I obviously didn't plan to do it, but it could have been a slip of the hand. Could you really count that as a crime?"

He'd been prepared to answer 'yes', but now, he wasn't sure. It wasn't like his reasoning was the strongest, but it merited some truth, and he couldn't help but feel like it was true.

Alice… didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident. There was no reason for Deusolbert to call her a criminal, in that instance; she should have been given the opportunity to explain herself first. Maybe that way, she wouldn't have to be killed…

It really does seem like everything's in a 'did you do it or not?' ruling. There was no leniency offered. If one made a mistake, they would immediately have to pay the price, whether they'd intended to do it or not.

Damn… Eugeo trusted the system. To him, he felt that the ruling and jurisdiction system of the Axiom Church wasn't flawed. In fact, it was thanks to the Axiom Church that the Human Empire hasn't seen a single instance of crime even once, protecting the people both from themselves and outsiders. But perhaps it was too strict. Too…

"What's the term?" He asked out loud. "About the Axiom Church's rule. Alice got arrested even though she was technically innocent. Just because she touched the Dark Territory's soil, she was immediately considered guilty without even understanding the context of the situation. What is that called?"

"…Oh, right. Deontological."

"…Excuse me, what?"

Kirito shrugged back, continuing on with his work. "It's basically something similar to 'absolute'. You break a crime, you are punished for the crime. No other way to it. That's what it means."

He stared at his best friend for a very long while. "I'm really worried as to how you know all these complicated words. Kirito, where have you been hearing all of this from..?"

"That one, I learnt from a merchant that once came into our village… five months ago? He said that he enjoyed studying the relationship between the human behaviour and the «Taboo Index», so he talked about some terms that I remember, if only a little. I'm not sure if he was a philosopher or a social study sort of guy."

"Yes, that's fine and all, but I'm a little terrified by how great your memory is… and maybe a little confused by how you supposedly don't remember everything in the «Taboo Index»."

"The «Taboo Index» is just a bunch of 'Don't do this' and 'Don't do that' stuff," he scoffed back. "Not particularly interesting, and it's not like most of them apply to us. We won't be doing almost three quarters of the things in there, so I just ignore them."

That was easily the dumbest reason he'd ever heard, and it was enough to make Eugeo sigh in exasperation. Then again, he grew up alongside him for plenty of years.

He really isn't too surprised by this.

"Whoo..! Guess I made a little too much, ey?" That was certainly putting it lightly.

Coming home after a long day of work, he wasn't prepared for the barrage of scents. That didn't mean it was bad, though—quite the contrary. His appetite was dialled up to a ten from zero the moment the first smell hit his nostrils, but he'd at least been patient enough to go and take a bath before joining everyone at the table.

A myriad of colours was spread out, from the gentle brown tones of meat stew to oranges and greens of vegetables, to browns of soft bread and blues of berries she'd handpicked from the forest. It was a very delectable sight, and Eugeo wondered if he'd ever seen a dinner spread as varied as tonight's.

Sulinea looked every bit like their dearly departed mother, what with the apron she put on and the messy bun she'd tied her hair into and the lovely smile. She'd learnt to cook from their mother, always volunteering to help in the kitchen at every opportunity that she could get. And that had paid off, considering how she's the one who handles the kitchen work now.

As good as that was, his sister tended to go overboard from time to time. The volume of food on the table is a clear proof of that "Well, everyone, go ahead and eat as much as you'd like, 'kay? I made plenty," then, she looked at the spot beside him. "You too, Kirito. Don't need to hold back, okay?"

Black eyes reflected great confusion. "Um…" He looked from one dish to the next, then looked back at her. "Are you sure it's fine for me to be here?"

"It's fine. We enjoy the company. Plus, you never exactly ate anything proper since the night before, did you? So might as well recover your strength by eating with us. I made plenty!"

Plenty was an understatement. Eugeo felt like she'd made enough to feed four families; at least, that's how it looked like to him, but he knew that she'd been very particular about how much food she'd made for everyone. It was still rather sizable, though, and he doubted that they could finish everything by tonight.

At least, that's what he would think if Kirito wasn't a big eater. Having him over certainly is a boon in that aspect, making cleaning plates a much simpler ordeal.

For a moment, his friend turned to look at him. They exchanged glances, Kirito wearing a look that said 'seriously?'. Eugeo responded with a shrug.

They got back to the village after they were done with their work. Before they could split off to go to their respective homes, his sister had shown up and asked if Kirito was busy. The next thing they knew, he was sitting with them at the table to eat together.

Obviously, his best friend didn't consider it at first, not wanting to 'bother them any more than he already has'. Still, his sister's continued insistence eventually won out in the end (it was a difficult task, trying to deny her), and Kirito agreed to join them for tonight.

"Well…" His gaze moved back to the food, and he eventually nodded. "No use denying the invitation. Thank you."

His big sister's smile eased his friend. He dug in slowly, making barely noticeable sounds throughout dinner as he ate.

Eugeo noticed his two younger brothers, Euden and Eugene (there was something to be said about the fact that the three of them shared almost similar names—their mother came up with their names, from what Sulinea told them), staring at his friend in quiet curiosity before eventually shrugging, tending to their food now. They easily look like two younger copies of him, though their eyes were a little bluer than his.

Grinning to himself, he didn't waste a moment to dig into his own food either. Sulinea filled everyone's glasses with water before she, too, took her place at the table. She plucked a berry and popped it into her mouth, humming delightedly at its sweet taste.

"So," his sister began, trying to bring some conversation to the table. "How was today?"

"It was fine," Orick, his father, replied. Or, more like grunted. He's never been one for conversation, even with his own family, much less anyone else. Not unfriendly, by any means. Just not a chatty one.

"It was… like always," Eugeo then decided to add, looking to Sulinea with a small shrug. "Kirito and I worked the Gigas Cedar, and… well, you know. Not exactly a lot of progress made, but it is what it is."

"And I'm not rusty," his friend followed up afterwards. "We both thought that my body wouldn't be able to handle it, but it turned out pretty good."

"That's good to hear! But you shouldn't push yourself, alright?" She's going full-on mother mode here, he could tell. "You need to be certain of your limits and be sure not to go over it. If you feel tired, switch with Eugeo and let him work, and then switch with him again. And of course, you need to make sure to eat well and sleep enough," she then nodded to herself, smiling. "After all, if you want to grow up healthy and strong, you need to start taking care of your body from the very beginning."

All the boys (and one man) in the room shared a tired glance with each other. She tends to go off on tangents when it comes to giving advices, although they suppose it's something that they've gotten used to. That was likely another aspect she'd inherited from her mother.

"I'll… be careful," Kirito offered, receiving a satisfied smile.

"Good. I'll hold you to that."

"Still can't believe you got the job of doing something so dumb like cutting that big old tree," one of his brothers, Eugene, said. "Can't they ask someone else to do it? No way you'd be able to cut it! You have such lanky arms!" He's not wrong, but ouch.

"You know that's not how it works," Sulinea patiently told him. "After all, once you've received your «Sacred Task», you're not allowed to change it. Only under certain circumstances can you do it, like completing your task," she gestured to both him and his friend. "Like Eugeo and Kirito here. If they're able to cut down the tree, only then are they allowed to change «Sacred Tasks». Our village's guards, if they pass specific tests, may also have their tasks changed to officially become knights."

That sounded so wonderful, but also a pipe dream if he's ever heard of one.

As far as he knew, «Sacred Tasks» would count as lifelong jobs, and he really didn't know any way to get rid of his job. If there was some way to change it, then he and Kirito would have done it long ago. Life is life, however, and as far as he knows, he and Kirito are saddled with this job for likely forever.

He honestly did not know how they'd managed to pull the short end of the stick—a part of him wondered if the village chief had any power in deciding that. Likely true, but there was no helping it, he supposed.

"Huh… Then Eugeo, what would you be if you could change your task?"

"Hmm? Me?" Receiving nods from his two brothers, he crossed his arms and looked down into his soup. Green eyes stared back from the reflection in the brown soup. "I… actually don't know. Maybe something that involves a lot of travelling?"

"Plenty of jobs like that," his father said, spooning stew for himself. "Any particular skills that you consider yourself good at?"

Skills he was good at… Eugeo wasn't sure he had any redeeming qualities of himself. Not like he'd had the opportunity to try out different things, or figure out what he could do and stuff. After all, he'd only ever been focused on his «Sacred Task», so he'd never given any consideration for anything else.

Kirito hummed audibly. And then, he offered his suggestions. "Couldn't he be a merchant? Or an apothecary?"

"Ooh, an apothecary you say? Big word…" He agreed with Sulinea on that one. "And that sounds like a splendid job for him."

One of his younger brothers tilted his head, confused. "What's a pock-a-therry?" Both older boys traded glances at each other. Kirito aimed a sideways glance his way, and he refused to meet his gaze. He was not going to talk about his slip earlier today!

" Apothecary," the older girl answered with a giggle. "It's basically someone like a doctor, but his skill is mostly preparing medicines from materials that you can find around you. It's a pretty important profession, and they usually go around from town to town, helping out people who need help."

"Medical professions aren't exactly common," his father contributing to any conversation isn't common, and it drew everyone's attention his way. "Becoming one comes with great responsibilities and requires much patience. People will appreciate you for it," that last part made him blink, partly surprised and a little embarrassed at the prospect.

"Whoaaa… That sounds pretty cool. And you, Kirito?" The boy in question perked up at Euden. "What 'bout you?"

"…Maybe something that involves labour," he replied with an uncertain shrug. "I don't think I'm really good at anything, but I like to think that I'm pretty good at physical work."

After spending every single day of his life swinging a heavy axe at a tree, Eugeo believed him. Between the two of them, he liked to think that his best friend was far stronger compared to him, in terms of body strength and stamina—today had proven that. Even after days of having been unconscious, it did nothing to weaken him in the slightest.

And certainly durable, considering how he'd gotten hit by whatever Deusolbert threw at him and gotten out of it with only a bruising on his chest. Perhaps Deusolbert was holding back not to kill him, but even then, that was impressive. Eugeo felt that the average person would have at least bled, even if a little, or gotten a worse injury.

"Because honestly, I don't really got much going for me," he sighed. "I'll work maybe in construction? Or maybe I could go travelling around with Eugeo."

"That sounds nice," he smiled back, honestly liking the sound of that. "Travelling around the Human Empire…"

"Well, no use getting too excited about that for now. We still haven't felled the Gigas Cedar," and there goes all the excitement.

"Or maybe you could just set it on fire or something?"

"And risk setting the rest of the forest, potentially the wheat fields and our own homes on fire?" Their father did not look pleased by the idea. Both his brothers withered under his gaze. "A horrendous idea if I've ever heard of one. Besides, I'm sure that someone's tried that before… or at least a similar yet safe alternative. Unfortunately, the bark of the Gigas Cedar is incredibly resilient, and the only thing capable of cutting into its bark is the Dragon Bone Axe that our village was gifted generations ago."

To the side, Kirito grumbled. "And it's still not enough."

He shared that sentiment completely. Seriously, six generations of tree cutters before them, and no one has managed to cut it down? The Dragon Bone Axe has been and is useless in the long run, then!

Sulinea offered a sympathetic gaze. "I'm sorry that the two of you have to bogged down by this dumb job, but just… keep at it? Maybe, someday, the two of you will finally be able to knock it all the way down."

"Highly doubt it," his father's words made him hunch his shoulders. "Not to undermine your efforts, but let's face it. All of us know that neither the two of you will be cutting the Gigas Cedar any time soon, or at all. No amount of time spent on it will change anything."

"Father…" She sighed. " Try to be a little optimistic, would you? I'm sure the boys could figure something out."

His best friend seemed to perk up at that, lips ajar for just a second before he closes them, focusing once more on the food. Eugeo notices that but keeps quiet.

"I'm just being realistic. If dozens of other people before them failed to cut it down, what chance do they have?" He sighed, deeply, sounding tired. "I wouldn't be lying if I said I hope they could do so. The sooner we can get rid of it, the quicker we can begin making plans of expanding our wheat fields to the south. We'd be able to increase food supply and likely turn that into our primary exportation product. Trade it with other settlements. Especially Southacroith. Place is barren, with not much fertile lands for crop growth."

"You've been there?" Eugeo asked, curious.

"Aye, once. It was a long time ago, and even then, I was travelling with my father and his colleague for work. It's a desert there, hotter than anywhere else in the summer. You'd do well to wear light when you go there, and bring a lot of water with you."

"Wooow, you get to travel a lot, father?"

"Back then. Now, I've settled here in Rulid, and I won't be going nowhere any time soon."

Eugeo wondered, briefly, if his father had ever encountered an Integrity Knight during his travels long ago. Probably not. The knights likely patrol the empire's lands from the sky on their dragons, and they might not actually go out of their way to make their presences known to the public usually.

Still, though…

As his sister and father exchanged words regarding the things he'd seen, he couldn't but imagine himself, Kirito and Alice going on a journey around the Human Empire; seeing places, meeting new people, doing crazy things together, trying out all sorts of things and sleeping under starry night skies—or perhaps they'd be awake, sitting around a fire and eating fish they'd caught from a nearby river. They could go from settlement to settlement afterwards, exploring caves and woods and journaling every single moment down.

Just that thought alone was… well, despite all the events that transpired, he found himself smiling.

It was a rather farfetched, and likely impossible, scenario. But it was one that seemed so close to what they'd always been doing before Alice was arrested.

Days of never needing to worry about the future. Having fun together and just doing things together—Alice yelling at Kirito to stop trying to climb trees and injure himself while Eugeo would be stuck trying to be the mediator. Hanging out together at the Gigas Cedar after he and Kirito finished their calling. Sometimes, they'd visit the woods to find bugs or fruits, or even play near the river.

'And we'll never be able to do that sort of thing ever again,' he looked back down at his food. The dull pain in his chest ebbed away just a bit as he swallowed a spoonful of soup. 'Oh well. Nothing that can be done anymore.'

Alice is gone. Taken away to someplace he and Kirito could never dream to reach to get to her. It was just the two of them left, stuck in this little village with a calling that will never truly end.

Even still… Eugeo refused to stop hoping. Refused to stop dreaming of a day when he and Kirito could, should they ever succeed in truly ending their calling, leave Rulid's border to see the greater world. It might be impossible. But it was a dream he clung to all the same.

This time, the soup tasted just a little warmer.

Author's Notes:

I downloaded the fanfiction website's app on the phone, and it works like a charm. Would have done it on the mobile website, but I apparently wasn't able to 'make a new story', so migrate to the app it is.

Also, this story might get a little hectic with how many characters will be introduced. Mostly side characters that will contribute only some amount to the story, really, but you'll understand a little better in the future.

It's because I never got the opportunity to read the light novels save for volumes 16, 17 and 18, so there was no real opportunity to learn more of the background / side characters like Eugeo's family. So whatever comes next, I'll be doing a lot more creative work to fit them into this story. I'll be sure to manage it in a way that works, hopefully.