Faith had never cried. Not a single moment since the couple found them, and never once since she'd taken him into his care.

Sister Azalia frowned as she set the babe gently on the small cot she'd prepared for him, gently smoothening out the pillow beneath his hairless head and tucking it beneath a light blanket. Wondering if it was a little too bright in the room, she moved to adjust the curtains, making sure not too much light entered the room.

Not a single sound.

'I've seen and raised many a babe, both orphans and those whose parents have business to attend to, but I've never seen a child that has never made a single sound,' she thought to herself, mildly concerned that something was off. 'Ivenda had checked on him already, but he'd supposedly said that nothing was wrong.'

Even so, that was a big concern for her. It had become somewhat of a persevering rule that a newly-born always cries the moment it is brought into the world. Sister Azalia could attest to this, for she'd assisted in delivering babes countless of times throughout her time in Rulid. Such is her duty for how much she works with children and infants on a daily basis.

And every single time, none of them ever fail to cry out.

A travelling doctor who once visited their village theorized that it was a sign of the babies trying to get air into their lungs. The science had all but flown over her head, though she'd taken note of how necessary it was for them to cry no matter what.

Given time, the babies would turn crying into a message; to tell adults that they are hungry. It's effective, loud, and generally a simple fact of life.

Faith simply doesn't do the sort of things that are normal for other babies. The child, likely from Eastabarieth since he has black hair (though that was just a conjecture on her part. He might just be from around these parts, though it did not help that the couple found him in the woods), simply doesn't cry.

It was something that worried her to no end. His previous caretakers had said this was normal for them, which meant that they simply had to make guesswork on when to feed him and clean up his mess whenever it's necessary. Every three hours, they'd check on him and make sure he was fed until he was full.

She'd had years of experience when it came to tending to babies, but Faith truly is one of a kind. He was different, she could tell.

'Even so… is it a good sign, or a bad one?' She thought to herself, gently brushing the back of her hand against the child's forehead. It made a mumbling sound in response, something that elicited a smile from her. Though he never cried, that he reacted to stimuli at all was a sign of good health. "Well… there's no use worrying about it. Rena and Lowa blessed you before their departure, so I am certain everything will be fine."

And then, for just a quick moment… Faith giggled.

It was a sound that came out of nowhere. One she'd never thought possible come from the child whatsoever—a cruel assumption on her part for how little emotion and reaction he'd ever displayed.

Yet, in this quiet moment within these walls, the sound of his pealing laughter felt like a maiden's song, shocking her into stilled silence and wide eyes.

It didn't last long, however. For just as quick as he'd showed emotion, it was just as quick for him to return to slumber, soundless as he always is. The smile on his face never faded away, small and almost unnoticeable. But to the woman who'd watched him every single day, this single change stood out like a sore thumb.

Was it from the mention of their names..?

'…Hah. It seems like he still remembers the two of you,' she couldn't help but smile to herself once more, clasping her hands in front of her. 'If only you could have stayed… I'm sure Faith would be happy to have you with us.'

There was nothing that could be done, however, and all that she could do was raise him to the best of her ability. Faith's life might be filled with much joy, and if she could make sure he'd live to experience them… then there would be nothing more that she could ask for.

And then, in his eleventh year of life, everything changed when he lost a beloved friend.

24th day of the 7th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village

"Hey… is it true that Alice was arrested?"

"Mmhm… I saw her that morning, in the village square. She was strapped to the dragon's saddle and carried away by a knight in white armour."

The girl's tone indicated a mixture of sadness and disbelief, as if the story seemed too outrageous to actually be real. He had to admit that he felt the same; neither of them, and a good portion of the villagers, had ever laid eyes on an Integrity Knight. They were that sort of thing that people understood existed, but accepted that they'd never witness in real life, for their duties required them all around the empire.

So to see one for the first time as that day, and for all of that to have happened…

Both of them traded glances. They should be asleep right about now. It was getting pretty late, but after accidentally listening to Sister Azalia's conversation with Eugeo's father about how Kirito would be returning tonight earlier, they'd wanted to wait for him together.

Raiza wondered if Sister Azalia would scold them for staying up. Probably will, but they can't help it. They haven't seen Kirito for two days now, so they'd want to at least welcome him back into the church.

Still, he couldn't help but worry. If Eriana is telling him the truth, Kirito and Eugeo were there when Alice was arrested. In fact, he'd even go so far as to try and attack the Integrity Knight, only to get knocked out cold for two days straight. No idea what he did, but she described it as a burst of air that threw him backwards.

He remembered the state of chaos that all the kids in the orphanage were in after getting wind of what transpired. It took some great effort on Sister Azalia to calm everyone down, promising them that Kirito would return someday once he was fully rested at Eugeo's house. It wasn't enough, of course, but they kept themselves in check just to make sure they didn't cause any additional trouble for Sister Azalia. So really, the two days since had been restless for just about everyone.

More than that, though, he was worried about Kirito. He couldn't imagine what's going on through his head at the moment. Kirito, when he'd been brought into the village, was supposedly very, very young. As time went on, he'd befriended Eugeo and Alice when he was given the same «Sacred Task» as the former.

He'd never seen any friends as close as the three of them, so to see them broken apart like this…

He supposed that's why he and Eriana are awake and waiting for him. Perhaps, if he was feeling down, they could—

The doors to the church opened, bringing in cold air. Their heads snapped towards the entrance, spotting a quiet-looking Kirito being guided by Sister Azalia holding his hand. She paused upon noticing them, frowning a moment later.

"Eriana, Raiza," her tone made them flinch. "What are the two of you doing, awake like this? You should be in bed, just like the others."

"We…" Should he try and lie to her? No, that wouldn't work. Sister Azalia has always seemed capable of reading their minds, like reading a book. "We wanted to wait for Kirito."

"The both of you could have greeted him in the morning. He wants to go to bed—"

"It's okay," the boy in question interjected, waving weakly at the both of them. "Thanks for waiting for me, guys, and sorry for making you worry. I'm fine."

He wasn't. Raiza would never say that he was good at spotting a lie, but he could tell that the older boy was anything but fine. His expression gave no emotion away, yet both of them could tell that he'd cried, even if only a little, before he'd come here. His eyes were a little puffy, and with the slight way the muscles around his eyes seemed to be a little tense and how tense his smile seemed, his clenched hands and the way his eyes didn't seem to be focused on them… he most definitely was trying his best not to cry again.

Sister Azalia's voice carried through the room once more. "Well, you've had your chance to see Kirito. You can talk more in the morning if you—"

Before she could finish her sentence, however, Eriana left his side to run forwards, tackling Kirito in the midriff. The older boy grunted a little, surprised, but all of them soon realized that she was hugging him. A small sniffle could be heard.

"We're sorry for what happened, Kirito…" She mumbled into his chest, arms tight around his body. "It's not fair…"

He was motionless, too much at a loss for words before he eventually returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around the small of her back. His head dipped down, trying to hide his face in the crown of her head, but Raiza could make out only the smallest of smiles.

Saddened, tired and weak. But a smile all the same.

Sister Azalia didn't say anything, simply excusing herself as she headed for her bedroom. Quietly, she asked him to keep their friend company. Raiza simply remained in his position, watching both of them quietly as she took her leave.

Kirito had lost a very close friend. One that he had spent almost all his life with alongside Eugeo. Everyone in the orphanage knew that, whenever the boys go to the Gigas Cedar to work, Alice would often join them, bringing lunch to share with them and playing with them afterwards. It was a confirmation of the strong bonds they possessed, something that everyone in the village acknowledge.

And that had been ripped away with the Integrity Knight's arrival.

Raiza would never dare say that he understood what it felt like; to lose someone dear to him. He'd never known his parents, and he still had all his friends with him. Kirito's pain must be far more visceral, far weightier than anything else.

But as long as he'd allow it, everyone in the church would be there for him. They were a family, after all, and a family looks after each other. And seeing the both of them right now… no matter what, they won't leave his side.

"Thanks, Eri. I… I needed this…"

11th day of the 9th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village, in the orphanage

It was a pleasant day today.

It felt weird to acknowledge it; storybooks often portrayed painful moments with dreary rain or some other dramatic element, yet today had been anything but. It was bright outside, with lots of puffy white clouds in the sky and the everlasting blue instilling a sense of calm in him that he'd generally affiliated with his days spent with Eugeo and Alice.

Never would he have thought the sky could be this beautiful without Alice.

It felt like an attempt by Lady Solus to say that, no matter what happens, they aren't meant to despair. That Alice would want them to be happy no matter what. Honestly, he could believe that.

Returning from their work, he bade Eugeo farewell before returning to his own home. Kirito stretched his arms above his head, feeling the joints in his body pop and crack from the action. He could feel the mild pang of soreness in his body, but he knew that a warm bath would do him well.

"I'm honestly surprised at how my body hasn't given up on me after doing this thing for so long…" And the pain in his chest had all but faded after that day. "Guess I should be glad about it."

Entering the church, he finds it to be rather quiet. There's no one in the canteen, and he couldn't make out the sounds of footsteps anywhere else. Guess the kids are still out playing. Can't exactly blame 'em. Kids will be kids, and they deserve to have fun and roll around in the mud if they want.

Not for him, though. A hot bath is precisely what he could go for. Before he could head upstairs to his bedroom, a voice calls out to him from the kitchen.

"Kirito. So it is you," an elderly voice that he recognizes to be Sister Azalia's calls from the kitchen. A grey bun and firm black eyes greet him. "You're finished with your calling, it seems. How was today?"

"Ehh, it was pretty good. Eugeo and I finished early, so we just spent the rest of the time just lazing about and watching the clouds," when Sister Azalia gave him a quirked brow, he raised both hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, we just need to finish our «Sacred Task». Never said nothing about what we can't do after we're done, am I right? That means we can do whatever we want after."

"…I suppose," she sighed. "If you have time, would you mind helping me cut the firewood? I'll be starting dinner soon. You'll find some in the back."

"Sure thing."

The woman nodded, excusing herself to go and purchase some ingredients. Huh. She probably needs to restock the shelves. He did notice how they were running low on meats and spices. To make their food every single day really does make her like a mother.

He couldn't help but think about that as he exited the building. Kirito couldn't remember what his parents' faces looked like, or what his old home was like. From what he'd heard, he'd been called a child of Vector, likely implying that he'd had his memories wiped or something.

Although, from the very beginning, all he could ever think of is this church, which has become more home that he'd expected—well, Eugeo's place counts as one too, but more of a 'second' home.

He really can't imagine himself moving out. Sure, he'd become an adult someday. By then, he might just find a wife to settle down with and they'd be living in a house of their own. But until then, he would be living in this church with all the other kids.

And man, that sounded amazing.

He reached the back of the church fairly quick, whistling. The shade thrown over the ground kept the place rather dim. There was a little well there, with a wooden bucket attached to the crank. A basin was provided as well, and they'd usually come here to wash their faces and hands if they'd like—sometimes, he'd just dunk his head in the basin to cool himself off if it got too hot.

There was a pile of firewood nearby, as well as a little hatchet buried in the midsection of one little log. He snorted. Even after he's done cutting a gigantic tree, he still has to do some woodcutting.

"At least this one will be split apart," he reasoned, finding that prospect to be a lot more satisfying than getting absolutely no results. Just like that stupid Gigas Cedar. "Alright-y, let's do this."

The hatchet is much lighter than the Dragon Bone Axe, making it much easier and faster to swing, making it appropriate for chopping firewood. For every meal that Azalia makes, she'd always made sure to tell him that she'd want ten pieces of firewood, so that meant he'd just need to cut five pieces of wood into two each.

With a profession of cutting a tree, this isn't difficult, even for him. In no time, he's done with his job and brings in the wood into the church. Sister Azalia isn't in the kitchen, but he secures them into the furnace, preparing some other fire starters for her to use later.

He was thankful that Sister Azalia's cooking was great. He's not too picky with his food, of course, but even he has his limits; that bread they have to buy from the bakery every morning they decide to leave early tastes more like a rock than actual bread. No idea how it turns out that way.

"Hey Kirito!" He perked up, finding a young boy with auburn hair standing behind him with a little smile. He had a few twigs stuck to his clothes. "Were you and Eugeo working out again today?"

"We go to the Gigas Cedar literally every day except for rest days, Matias," he rolled his eyes in return. Approaching the younger boy, he began to pluck out the sticks, flicking them away. "But yeah, we were. What's up?"

"Well, we had a talk about stuff today. You know, normal stuff. And Susie told me that there might be monsters out in the forests. It's really dangerous out there! Did you find any?"

"Nope, we were safe. Plus, the area around the Gigas Cedar is literally empty, so we'd see if there was a wild animal or a monster coming towards us. But there's been nothing so far."

"That doesn't make sense!" A high-pitched scream responded. Ash grey hair peeked into his vision, a pout on her face. "The forest is a scary place! How come you don't find any monsters?"

Kirito just shrugged back. "I don't know, Susie. Maybe they don't attack humans that don't go after them. As long as you mind your own business, they won't try to attack you. Well, usually. Some of them can still be pretty vicious, like wolves, but I've never seen them close to the Gigas Cedar."

"I guess that made sense…" The little girl said in response. "But even if a monster attacked you both, you'd still be strong enough to fight it away, right? You know how to use an axe."

"I know how to swing it and chop a tree, not necessarily to fight," he scoffed back, pushing past the two children—idly, he noticed how the other church kids are beginning to show up in the canteen, judging by the animated chatter and some excitedly calling his name. "Plus, have you guys seen me? Look at me, I'm scrawny!"

Both Mattias and Susie paused to scrutinize his figure, before eventually shaking their heads. "No."

"No?"

"You're pretty strong. In fact, you're the strongest out of all of us!"

"That's true!" Someone else in the canteen yelled out. It was Miranda, a girl they'd found in the forest a month ago, but no less exuberant. She stood out from the others thanks to her dual-coloured eyes of brown and pale blue. "I remember when you fought that mean Hotaru guy! You won so easily!"

Sounds of agreement boomed from all children present, making him sigh. Why did he agree to fight with Hotaru again?

Oh yeah, because he was bullying his brothers. And they, in turn, reached out to him to ask him for help. He'd done what any normal person would do and tried to tell their eldest off, hoping that it would end there (and, if it didn't work, he could always just tell their parents)… only to be challenged to a first-strike-styled mock battle with just their fists.

He didn't understand what kind of style that is. And then, he'd been lectured about the two styles of duels in the Human Empire (stopping short before hit, as well as first hit. Huh. He never those existed).

Well, he wished he hadn't accepted it. Because he'd ended up misjudging his own strength and putting a bit too much oomph into his punch. Guy was crying on the ground and with two teeth knocked loose afterwards.

The worst part about the entire thing was the fact that Hotaru's parents weren't mad at him. On the contrary, they used that opportunity to lecture their son to stop being so mean to his siblings, and they were just so thankful to him that the entire situation felt ridiculous. He punched a kid in the face, for crying out loud! He should have gotten in worst trouble!

'Then again, he did ask for it,' he mentally deadpanned to himself. 'Either he moved super slow or I'm just that good from all the physical work I do. Bleh. Probably him just being slow.'

"It was the coolest thing I ever saw…" Someone said, dreamily.

"Sana, don't say that. I literally punched someone. That would have been a crime if we hadn't promised to treat it as a duel. At least Sister Azalia punished me for it. That makes sense."

"Hotaru was a bully, so it was fine," everyone agreed with that, and he resisted the strong urge to facepalm.

"Uh-huh, sure. Anyways, all of you should go take your baths already. Sister Azalia will be making dinner soon enough, and she'd probably get old and angry if all you start stinkin' up the place. I can see the mud on your faces. Go, shoo!"

Giggles erupted from the children as they rushed off, leaving him to smile as he watched them run. Honestly, Sister Azalia is just amazing; the fact that she's willing to raise so many children, himself included, despite all the hassle they give her must be something that tries her patience so much. She's so much like a mother, he'd have thought she is his mother if he didn't know any better.

For a moment, he wondered if his mother was a loving person. There'd never been any mention of his parentage; he was found in the woods, deemed a child of Vector, and been raised by Sister Azalia ever since. He had absolutely no idea what she looked like.

But no use thinking about it. She's gone, he's here, and he's got a pretty good life in this village.

'Hmm… I wonder if I have siblings. Eugeo and Alice has siblings,' he thought about it a little longer before he shrugged. "Welp, if I do, they probably have it better off than I do. Now then, time to go freshen up…"

20th day of the 9th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village, in the village square

The sky today is bright and warm, just as it had been the past few days.

Right now, they'd just finished working and were resting beneath the Gigas Cedar. Looking out over the wheat field, it was just so bright today that Eugeo doubted that it'll rain today. He hoped it would, though; today is so hot. The spread of gold looked almost glistening and wavy from the heatwave. It's enough to make him excited to get back home and take a really cold bath.

Perhaps even a cold drink, too…

"Now that I think about it, we're fortunate that we don't get much wildfires like Southacroith, aren't we?"

"That is true," Eugeo hummed back. Considering how a majority of that area is comprised of deserts, the warm climate and the frequent thunderstorms there contributed much to wildfires. His father made it very clear of how dangerous those were. "If we did, we might have to move, considering just how wide this forest's area is. The destruction it would cause would be unimaginable."

"That's true… Hey Eugeo."

"Yeah?"

"If we use the 'Aqueous' element to make us some water, do you think we can drink it?"

This is pretty normal. He'd gotten used to being asked random questions by his best friend, but he had to admit that that was not what he'd expected. In fact, he stopped to think about that question, thinking if it would actually work, before eventually shrugging.

"I guess it would? But, like… you notice how, whenever you cast a «Sacred Art», no matter what element it is, it would eventually fade away? Even things that produce physical things like the 'Aqueous', 'Crystalline', 'Metallic' and 'Cryogenic' elements would eventually fade away. Their «Life» isn't as long as normal objects."

"I suppose… But still, if you drank the water you produce, it would still go into you."

"…Maybe it'd just evaporate inside your stomach?"

"Well, we wouldn't know. Want to test it?"

A part of him recognizes the sheer idiocy behind the idea. After all, putting something formed by using «Sacred Arts» inside the body sounds pretty dangerous. Alas, a part of him admitted to curiosity, so he simply agreed to it. "Sure, I guess."

He wondered what Alice would say if she found out that the thing she'd been studying all the time is now being utilised in this manner. She'd probably be horrified. In fact, even Eugeo thought it was a crazy idea, but one doesn't live forever, so might as well try out all sorts of things. No matter how ridiculous they tend to be.

Forming a simple glass cup using the 'crystalline' element, he watched as Kirito filled it up with water generated from the 'Aqueous' element. Eugeo offered to drink it, but his best friend said that, as the person who suggested the experiment, he should be the one to consume it. When he drank it, he didn't expect to see his best friend's face scrunch up in disgust.

"It tastes flat."

"Flat? That's not a word to describe taste…"

"It's basically like the bread we buy every morning. Tasteless and pretty stale. Normal water tastes cooling and refreshing. This," he gestured to his cup with a gagging sound. "Is disgusting. Do not drink that."

Without even a word of warning, Kirito threw the glass into the air, to his shock. It shattered against the ground, bursting into particles of light a moment later.

"Wha—Kirito!"

"It's fiiine. It doesn't stay forever," he replied nonchalantly, waving him off. "And before you tell me off not to do that sort of thing in the future too, I won't. At least, not with anything else. Things made with «Sacred Arts» don't last long, so they're fine."

"Urgh… There's no arguing with you, sometimes."

In response, he simply stuck his tongue out, prompting him to sigh. Childish as ever.

They ended up hanging out under the tree until the barest amount of orange began to streak across the sky—they'd lost track of time, talking with each other about all sorts of things and just taking in the sights. This has become a routine for them, knowing that there isn't really much for them to actually do after they're done with their work. They usually just head back to their own homes.

Which is weird, now that the thought about it. His sister often asked him to invite Kirito over, and he wondered why he hadn't done that. He really should get to that one of these days.

A wind blew against his face. The breeze carried away his earlier thoughts, wanting to simply enjoy this moment a little longer. This is really nice. Just doing nothing and lazing about… He used to think that Kirito was just weird, but this is actually really relaxing. Nothing to worry about, doing absolutely nothing. It feels nice.

Alice would usually come to bring them lunch, and all three of them would just hang out together. But without her here… well, he supposed they'd be eating at their own homes.

"…Huh. You know," Kirito began. "I feel like I'm forgetting something."

"Forgetting something?" He asked in return. "What's it about?"

"Uhh… Oh, right. Ilya asked me to go pick some berries in the forest," he pounded an open palm with a fist. "Told me that she was sort of in the mood for some, and everyone else wants some too. And since we've got plenty of free time right now, I might as well get started early."

"Huh. Well, do you have anything to collect them with?"

"Uhh…" Judging by the look on his face, he'd forgotten to bring any containers. "Wanna' just make one using 'Metallic' element?"

"I… guess that should be fine. Alright then," he extended his hand outwards, fingers spread out. "« System Call. Generate 'Metallic' element. Form box shape»."

It wasn't a very specific instruction, but the element shaped itself into a box of a suitable shape; he imagined it to be a cube, with a size well enough to fit at least more than five handfuls of fruits. By his imagination, he made sure that it was hollow on the inside and lacked one edge, allowing them to fill it up with something.

"A'ight, cool. Let's get to berry picking."

"Guess I'll come along too," Eugeo hummed in response, standing up and patting away at his pants. "Four hands are better than two, after all."

"That it is. Thanks, Eugeo."

There wasn't anything particularly specific in what the kids back in the church wanted, so they'd just brought back as much as they could. Once they were done, their metal box was heavy enough that he felt like it would need two people to lift it up. Still, as he carried it in his arms and moved forwards, Eugeo fretting over whether he needed to help or not, Kirito just moved on.

This isn't too bad.

The trip back to the village isn't very long. They talk about a number of things throughout the walk, ranging from mundane things to the topic of «Sacred Arts»—he had to admit, that's a topic he found a lot more interesting than anything else, although he doubted he was smart enough to understand half of it.

He sighed. If Alice was still here, she could be talking their ears off about it. Sure, it would be annoying sometimes, but it's still pretty interesting sometimes.

"—but like, ' Thermal' energy. That's all about hot energy, right? Isn't it weird how it doesn't just take the shape of fire?"

"That is a little weird," hummed Eugeo in response. "I suppose it's like what you said. Literally all the elements are converting spatial resources into energy, although four of them actually create physical things like metal, water, crystals and ice. Thermal seems to be something more like… heating something up, than actual fire. 'Cryogenic', if you think about it, cools something too. The only reason why it can even make ice in the first place is because you're imagining ice when you use a spell."

"Huh…" He couldn't wrap his head around it whatsoever. "Guess that sort of makes sense."

"You could stand to be a little more honest, you know," he huffed. "It's fine, though. I don't understand it myself, either. The both of us don't study «Sacred Arts», after all."

"You're right about… that."

Kirito felt himself come to a stop, eyes focused ahead at the church. He felt his grip over the metal box he was carrying tighten.

"Hmm? Kirito, what's wrong? Is there something…" When he looked in the direction he was, his own eyes widened. "…Oh."

With how dark it was getting, it was a little difficult to see far ahead. Still, with the torches propped up all around the paths, the place was dyed in orange and reds with some amount of illumination. Hence, it was impossible to miss the figure standing a fair distance away from them.

She was tall, with a generous figure that made it incredible to think that she'd birthed two children (or is that normal? He doesn't know, he's still just a kid). Long blonde hair fell down her back like a curtain, with only a bit of braid work done in the upper section to make it truly seem like a river. She had sky blue eyes, which she'd passed down to her daughters, with fair skin and a womanly face that had won the hearts of both her husband and many other men in the village.

…Damn. It's hard to look at her and not picture Alice as an adult, seeing that they're almost splitting images of one another. It also didn't help that Auntie Sadina still looked rather youthful, enough to almost be in her thirties when she most certainly is older than that.

What was she doing outside of the church? He'd never seen her around here, usually tending to family matters at home or around the village helping some of the residents. So for her to be here right now…

He gritted his teeth. They had never tried to reach out to him before, and he'd been too much of a coward to meet Alice's parents. He couldn't bring himself to go to them and apologize—he found excuses in being busy, or tired, or anything that could give him a reason not to face them at all.

How could he? He'd been the one responsible for the three of them going into the caves in the first place—he'd made the suggestion, and Alice paid for it. Could he face the parents of the girl he'd let be taken away? The mere thought of it ignited his cowardice.

And yet, their mother was here. And all he could think of was that worried look on her face.

It reminded him too much of Alice when she watched him knocked unconscious, helpless and terrified while she'd been bound as a prisoner.

The moment he noticed it, he couldn't help but approach her, doing his best to ignore his brain screaming at him to run or the feeling of lead in his stomach. "Auntie Sadina? Is something wrong?"

"K-Kirito?" She looked surprised his appearance, but it wasn't a bad surprised. Just surprised. He couldn't sense any anger from her—he wasn't sure if he should have felt glad about it or not.

"Auntie Sadina, are you here looking for someone? Or did something happen? You look stressed," Eugeo pointed out. "And why are you outside here?"

"Ah… W-Well, I wanted to go see Sister Azalia, but she's not here…" She was chewing on the bottom of her lip, something that he recognized to be a nervous tic of hers. "It's just… Have the two of you seen Selka recently?"

"Selka?" He blinked, trying to recall if they'd ever seen Alice's younger sister any time today before they shook their heads. "I… don't think so. We went straight to the Gigas Cedar and never really saw her along the way. Why? Did something happen?"

"I-It's just, we didn't see her earlier today. When I was preparing lunch, she didn't show up. I thought she was playing with the two of you, so I came to visit—" He flinched at that. Like she'd ever want to hang out with the guy who got her sister arrested. "—But since you said that you haven't seen her today…"

Her words were cut off when the doors to the church were swung outwards violently, enough to make him jump a little and almost drop his box. He peeked over the edge, finding Sana panting loudly and clearly out of it.

"Sana? What's wrong? Why were you—"

"K-Kirito! Have you seen Yuka and Eri?!"

Yuka and Eriana? From what he knows, they're usually hanging out in the orchards—they really like helping the farmers there, and in return, they'd get to bring back some apples to the church. Seriously hardworking, those two.

"Shouldn't they be in the orchard right about now?"

"They told me they would be returning right about now, but I haven't seen them at all! I was hoping you'd seen them…"

"Ehh, you're probably worrying about nothing," he waved her off. Or, well, he tried to until he realized he was holding up the box still. "They're probably having a bit too much fun or something like that. You never know."

"Actually, I may have seen them earlier today," a new voice joined the fray, prompting everyone to turn towards the source. Brown eyes met his black pairs.

Sana was the first to react, face souring at the sight of him. "Urgh. Hotaru."

"Lay off. I'm not here to cause any troubles," he mumbled back, combing his fingers along his head of brown hair. "As I was saying, I saw the both of them. It was in the afternoon, sometime before you got back, Kirito. My old man wanted me to go grab some firewood, and while I was going to a store, I noticed them near the gates."

"Near the gates? Which one?"

"West. I thought they were heading for the sheep pasture, so I thought about ignoring them. But then I went to go check on them before I came here to see you guys, and none of the shepherds said that they saw them."

"Huh. You sure you saw the right people?"

"I know who I saw, man. They were there," he scoffed, crossing his arms. "And it wasn't just them. Auntie, your daughter was with them too."

That got them to perk up. "Selka? But why was she…"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what they were planning, but before I left Yuka and Eriana on their own, I heard them talking about visiting the woods for a bit. No idea what for, but they're not back yet, huh?"

"Eri, Yuka and Selka are out in the woods around now..? Weird," humming, he walked towards Hotaru, offering him the box. The other boy looked at it oddly before accepting it, only to grunt loudly as he almost lost his balance. "Bring that inside, will ya'? I'll go look for the three of them."

"S-Sure..! Gah! What did you put in this?! Rocks..?!"

"Don't be silly. They're just berries we collected from the forest. Sana, help him out, and stay put," he then turned towards Sadina, ignoring the weak 'Why is this so heavy..?!' coming from the other boy. "Auntie, you just need to calm down for now, okay? We'll go check on them for a quick bit and bring them back. They probably lost track of time or something. They're fine."

He didn't even know if Selka was good friends with the two girls, although he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. They're more or less the same age, all three of them, though for whatever reason they'd gone into the woods for, he wasn't certain.

He looked up. It's going to be dark soon. They'd better get moving, or else it'd be night by then.

"I… Alright, I understand," she sighed, rubbing at her arms. Her eyes beamed gratitude at him. "I'm so sorry to bother you. You'd only just gotten back after working, too. Please, take care of yourself, alright?"

"I'll come too, then," Eugeo came to his side, smiling. "Not like I don't trust you, but it's just to be safe, right?"

"Heh, sure thing. So you just sit back, Auntie. We'll bring Selka back for you to lecture her until tomorrow, just you wait."

Her smile formed much more easily now, more at ease. "Alright… Thank you, boys. I'll be waiting."

Now feeling somewhat better, the blonde excused herself to return home, leaving the two boys to watch her retreating figure. Sana and Hotaru were in the church. It was only when she was finally out of earshot did Eugeo finally decide to speak up.

"What do you think they're doing out there?"

"Who knows? But it'll be dark soon, so we better get a move on," he huffed. "Just in case, I'm heading back to the shed and grabbing our axe."

"Our axe?" Eugeo blinked. "But why?"

"Just to be safe. The woods are pretty dangerous, if you think about it, and animals like wolves might start popping up. What with how late it's about to be," he nodded. "Wait for me by the pasture, alright? I'll be back in a jiffy."

Eugeo looked worried for a moment before eventually nodding, firmly. "Alright then. Be quick, okay?"

"You got it!" Without another word, he took off towards the southern gate.

With luck, this was all just a case of three children going on some ridiculous adventure and not informing adults prior to that. And maybe he and Eugeo would find them having some ridiculous tea party in the middle of some clearing.

He really hoped that was what was going on, because he can't shake this feeling that something is wrong.

The sheep pasture to the west of the village was rather spacious. Actually, it was large. Eugeo used to think how ridiculous it was that Rulid Village was so massive and how there were only three hundred people (that's a lot, he'll admit). It didn't exactly dawn on him just how spacious the pasture was, housing three hundred and twenty sheep, more or less.

There would certainly be enough to last them for literal months, or maybe more.

It also made them a primary exporter of meat, alongside wheat and other materials harvested from the forests. Rulid is pretty well-off, he had to admit, despite how isolated it is from the other settlements. Its citizens made good earnings and had good lives, and he could certainly attest to that.

As they passed through, they were greeted by the shepherd in the area. Karim, a man who'd been raised in Rulid and has lived in Rulid his entire life, accepted to work in the pasture—he's a gentle person despite his massive build, and had proven himself to work incredibly well with animals. "Boys, hello. You here for something?"

"Yeah. We're looking for three girls that passed by around here. You seen any?"

"Girls, you say? Sorry, but I haven't," that's not good.

"Are you sure? I heard that some might have passed around here," Eugeo pressed on.

Karim considered his question for a moment, shaking his head. "I really am sorry, boys. The entire time I'd been working here, I hadn't noticed anyone else passing by," well, that was not good.

They thanked Karim and left him to it, telling him that they'd search in another part of the village. He, in turn, promised that he'd keep a lookout in case he spotted them. Although, they'd technically lied to him.

Because right now, they were anywhere but in the village. Rather, they'd moved past the pasture and into the woods, making sure not to tip off Karim about anything. He'd probably worry if he knew they were going in the woods so late at night, so for his sake, they opted to simply keep quiet about the entire thing.

"I'm hoping we find them quick. It's starting to get real hard to see anything."

"No kidding," Eugeo gulped, looking around. Past seven in the evening, it feels like he's walking through nothing but inky blackness. He'd at least brought a wild grass to cast an illumination spell on, which at least made it relatively possible to see some distance in front of them. It casted bright cornsilk light around them in a radius, allowing them to make out the outlines of trees and the road.

In the morning, the woods are considered a fun place to explore, what with the number of things you could do in there. At night, however? It's a completely different beast, housing dangerous creatures that could terrify the average child with ease. The shadows seem to creep up the trees from the ground, making it impossible to see anything whatsoever.

Eugeo gulped. There was every chance for a wild animal to jump out at them, and though he trusted Kirito to be strong enough to fend one off, it would be another story to protect himself and Eugeo—he didn't think himself any good in a fight.

Ahh… This very situation is awful and they shouldn't be here right now, but…

'The girls are still somewhere in here. Auntie Sadina is really worried and Sister Azalia would be as well once she finds out. We need to find them and bring them back, and then everything will be fine.'

Honestly, he was probably overimagining things. Kirito once said that the scariest thing is someone's imagination, and he couldn't help but feel as if that was the wisest thing he'd ever said (for an eleven-year-old); after all, a child has a tendency to imagine all sorts of creepy crawlies and ghosts, so it really worked wonders at scaring them from exploring these kinds of locales.

He himself remembered how his brothers used to fear 'shadow people' that would hide under their bed and snatch them up if they ever fell off. It was silly to an adult, but to kids? That could very well be a living nightmare.

He had half a mind to wonder if his father was the one that implanted that fear in them. Likely used that sort of story to make them a little more obedient and not stay up late or something.

No matter. Right now, he wasn't alone and they were totally safe. They'll find those girls, get out, and let things proceed like normal.

"…Hol'up," the boy promptly ceased movement, his best friend leading the way raising his free hand. Kirito squinted his eyes, then turned his head backwards. "I can hear voices up ahead. There's… a lot of them."

"A lot of voices?" He asked back, confused. He wasn't sure he could hear anything at all.

"Yeah… Well, let's go check it out. Move slowly, ya' hear me?"

"Mm, okay. Lead the way."

A part of him wondered if it was a bunch of monsters. The blond gulped at that. They were just two scrawny kids who'd never been involved in any sort of combat. And, if it really came down to it, were they allowed to fight it? After all, only those with the task of hunters are allowed to actually hunt game and beasts—would this count as hunting, per se?

He shook his head. It would probably be a case of self-defense, he supposed. And even then, this wasn't the time to worry about menial things like… well, it's just not the time to worry about that. Right now, making sure the other kids are safe is all that matters.

Or maybe it's some adults who found them. That would be relieving. That would mean they didn't even need to come here. Everything was practically sorted out alrea—

Eugeo barely managed to stop himself from crashing into his best friend's back, having noticed how he'd suddenly stopped moving without even a single word. There wasn't an opportunity to ask what was going on before Kirito quickly pulled him behind a bush, almost causing him to yelp out in surprise if he hadn't covered his mouth with his hand and snuffed out the light. "Mmghr..!"

" Eugeo."

The tone in his voice made him pause, green eyes blinking before they slowly shifted to the side…

Only to catch sight of a pale face and quivering black eyes. His jaws clenched tight and his breath bated, and how his hand covering his mouth was shaking lightly…

Slowly, he pried his friend's hand off his lips, furrowing his brows. "Kirito… what's going on..?"

There was something unpleasant in his expression. A smile flitted across his face, but it did not reach his eyes and was incredibly strained. He was afraid, he could tell. He had the tendency to hide his fear behind a smile, after all.

"The girls… They're here," he spoke in a slow, quiet voice. Slowly, he peered over the bush. "But it's worse than what we thought. We came in here hoping to pick them up and bring 'em back home. That's not going to be any easy this time."

A sharp cry comes from the direction that they were heading for. With no explanation as to what was going on, there was no other reason for him to stop himself from rising up enough to see the clearing up ahead…

And his heart felt like it had just stopped beating altogether.

Everyone was there. Selka, Yuka and Eriana—they looked fine, untouched. The girl with tea-coloured hair was holding a basket in her hands, filled to the brim with plants and herbs that he couldn't exactly recognize from this distance.

None of that mattered, however. The first thing he truly noticed were the tears streaming down their faces.

The next thing he saw was the group of large people that were towering over them.

With the light of Lunaria shining down upon them, there was no mistaking them for what they were (and it was important to note that it was what they are, not who), dwarfing the children around them and cackling sharply. Even with their backs to them, Eugeo knew without a shadow of a doubt just whom they were.

Dark green coloured the bulging flesh and skin, with white markings painted across their body akin to war markings. Even if he couldn't see them, he could imagine them possessing eyes a shade of unnatural gold that he'd never seen on a normal human. Whitened hair, long pointy ears and fanged smiles—

'You're kidding me… right?'

No, Eugeo realized. Just as the fact that Alice had been taken away hadn't been a dream, so too are the monsters standing in the distance.

Goblins. Residents of the Dark Territory.

Author's Notes:

I was writing the water bit as a concept idea for another story, but decided that I may as well include it here.

Long story short, there're all sorts of drinking water. You know how, when you go to buy bottled water in any store, they'd either be labelled 'mineral water' or 'drinking water'? Some even have labels of 'spring water' or 'distilled water'.

Without going into too much details, distilled water is water that's been boiled into steam, which is then collected and condensed back into a liquid. This process removes literally everything inside of the water, making it virtually safe for a lot of uses. You literally use this to fill up your car's lead-acid batteries. Since they have absolutely nothing, it also means they have no ions, so there's no chance of ions reacting with the acid and electrodes in the battery that would then cause it to degrade faster.

So you can drink distilled water, but it literally has no benefit, because just as the distillation process has removed all contaminants and microorganisms, all the vitamins and minerals in the water are removed as well. In fact, the water might just pull minerals from your teeth while you drink, and out of your body. And, for the sake of this story, just assume the water produced from the use of 'Aqueous' element as distilled water. Just a little bit of an IRL science exploration.

As for the size of Rulid Village and the pasture, I actually got a bit of help from a friend of mine. We based their size off of Zakkaria's, which supposedly is five times the size of Rulid (thank goodness its dimensions were given). We did some calculations and holy jeez the pasture is massive. Three hundred and twenty sheep? Talk about plenty. And that's just the average. The lower estimation is two hundred, while the higher estimation is four hundred forty. For reference's sake, six to ten sheep fit an acre of land. Imagine how big the pasture is.

…No idea if there will be more of this sort of tangent in future chapters, lmao. We'll see.