~ Chapter 3 ~

[ Beginning ]

20th day of the 10th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village

Some situations opted to make some amount of sense. At least, that was the way she rationalized things, even if she acknowledged the fact that it isn't always like that. And, in situations like this which she'd had to deal with plenty of times in the past (not everything about her story is made up), she'd expected to see a norm or pattern to work with.

And yet, there was nothing right now.

Eyes narrowed, she focused on the ground around her in search of a trace. There was always a limit as to how much a wild animal or beast could hide, and she herself had done so countless of times before she'd met her benefactor. Footprints alone are a pretty good basis to work with; a trail of them could then help her ascertain the creature's location and promptly take care of it by herself. And they're not easily removed by weather or wind.

Every square Mel around her has absolutely nothing.

'Odd. Even if it were intelligent enough to be able to mask its tracks, it shouldn't be this perfect. It's as if this thing doesn't exist whatsoever.'

And perhaps that really is it. Maybe whoever it is that saw this creature had been imagining things, which would make this entire situation a nonsensical goose chase for something that doesn't even exist to begin with.

Still, it wouldn't do well to immediately sweep aside that particular concern. Because if there is a monster out here, and she'd willingly chosen to ignore it…

"Still, it would be close to impossible finding it at this point," she thought to herself, rising to her full position and regarding the area around her carefully. "Not even a speck of hair, fur or feather. What is this thing?"

The boys had long finished their calling for the day, which meant that she was the only one here. No one ever journeys out this far. Which works well for her. It lets her conduct her investigations without any interruptions, though having made no progress on the matter, she doubted anything would change if others were here as well.

Strange. Absolutely strange. Whatever this thing is, it's far more intelligent than anything else that she's known. She'd need to be more careful going forwards.

Just as she's about to depart from the Gigas Cedar, a beam of coloured light strikes upon her face, prompting Charlotte to lift her gaze. It's a sight that she felt like she should have gotten used to by now, and yet, in this very moment…

Charlotte understood the concept of seasons. A change in the weather and ecology of a given place throughout the year, of which there are four yearly, consecutively switching between each other. It pushes animals, plants and humans alike into different phases of action throughout the year, interacting with one another in fascinating ways that she herself understands through her own time spent alongside her kind.

But understanding and truly seeing something are two completely different concepts. Which is why, even if her job had seen her exploring many dangerous and untouched lands in the Human Empire, she could never say that she'd ever truly taken in the sights, as Kirito often put it.

Which is why, when her current assignment has her residing with the people of Rulid, settled in one location for what might be a pretty long time, she had all the time to properly see everything around her. And all that she could think to herself at the moment is…

"Beautiful…"

Where spring brings forth a bloom of flowers and rich greens, and spring is bright and lively, and winter is chilly, white and frozen all over, fall is different—it's a drastic shift in colour spectrum across all forests, consisting mostly of crimson reds and pumpkin oranges. The air begins to feel crisp and chilly, and the shedding of leaves across the ground gives that delightful sound of crunching leaves beneath her boots when she walks.

And the Gigas Cedar, easily the most visible thing from just about anywhere in Norlangarth, is the one that is so distinguishable. It is a tree just like anything else, cursed as it may be, so with every change in season it exhibits a clear difference in colour.

Right now, in the fall, the tree Rulid is tasked with felling is exhibiting a beautiful crimson the shade of blood and fire. It's a mesmerizing sight that she is only now finally acknowledging after so many days of having stayed in the village, and seeing it up close, with the light punching through its canopy throwing orange-shaded light down upon the ground and a similar sea of reds and oranges across the ground is seared into her memory.

Charlotte stays to watch her surroundings a little longer before finally opting to return to the village for the time being. Perhaps she could try investigating the western and eastern forests. With luck, there might be actual evidence that could point her in one direction or another.

Everyone are still out and about, working the fields of wheat to the south of the village. It's no less busy inside, and with all the faces, names and jobs memorized, she could make a quick count of who were absent and who were probably in their homes at the moment, likely resting the rest of the day away. That last thought has her thinking of the youngest Zuberg, and a smile came to her without her realizing it.

She had to admit, she was worried how the Zuberg's would treat her, especially their youngest. She was a stranger, after all, and with little explanation in regards to her backstory. People who keep up that anonymity tend to be distanced due to paranoia or distrust, which she understood completely. She'd have been fine with it.

So it came to her surprise that the parents were incredibly welcoming of her, going so far as to allow her to live with them. Even Selka had become such an endearing part of her time here. The age difference make it hard for her to be approached at first, but it seemed that the girl had warmed up to her. And with her chatty and pleasant personality, Charlotte could easily say that she liked the girl.

In fact, just as she's about to reach for the handle of the door, it seems to swing inwards on its own. At least, that's until she notices the smiling redhead at the door. "Charlotte-san! Welcome back!"

"Hello, Selka," she nodded a greeting at the younger girl as she stepped past her and into the house, making sure that her footwear was put away properly. "How was your day today? And are your parents still out?"

"Mmhm. Mother and father are checking the inventory. Wanna' make sure that we'll be prepared for the next few months. Also, I didn't really do much. I was, uh, trying to fix up some of my old scarves. I managed to get at least five done, but I was hoping to do them with you again. I-If you're not busy, I mean!"

"Not at all. I've nothing on my schedule at the moment."

"O-Oh! Okay then!" She visibly perked up in delight at that. "Where did you go just now, by the way?"

"I was checking something. Needed to confirm something, though you could say that I haven't exactly found anything worthwhile."

It was clear that her words flew over her head, judging by her clueless expression. "Ahh… I see. So, umm, would you like anything first of all? A drink or something to eat?"

"I could hold off on that for now. Best we get started now. The earlier we begin, the more we can get done. I'm fine with eating once your parents get back."

"Alright-y!"

This has become routine at this point. Selka's room is as inviting as it is homely as ever, and she's been here every day that she's long memorized every crook and nanny, every colour and furniture, every muted quirks of her little room. The framed drawing of her beloved sister, once turned away, was now facing her bed more clearly now, and the curtains seemed to have been dusted down. There's even a fresh new sunshine yellow carpet laid out on the floor (likely added by her mother).

Minute changes here and there, though she could appreciate how neat and tidy everything was.

As they sat on the carpet, she and Selka began undoing the girl's failed products before knitting once more. She'd become accustomed to the practice once more, and it's become incredibly relaxing. She can understand why most people tend to pick up hobbies for pastimes now.

Selka brings up a topic about the winter, prompting a conversation that spans all kinds of things. Warm meals, ornaments, perhaps the exchange of gifts between each people and even a festival to celebrate the ending of the year. Charlotte, in turn, shares stories of her time travelling the world when the world goes white and cold, describing briefly the sights she's seen all around—she'd never been too focused on those, though she could talk about the frozen lakes, the snow-coated pines and the blanket of snow across the ground.

She doesn't miss the marvel in the girl's eyes whenever she shares her stories. For someone who's only ever been in her own village her entire life, who had never seen beyond the walls of this place, it was probably a fantastical thought to her. Something she couldn't imagine and so wished to see with her own eyes.

She understood that, to an extent. Having only lived alongside her people for many decades prior to meeting her benefactor, she'd always wondered what the world beyond her little home must be like. She'd had the opportunity to quench her curiosity ever since.

So to see that same curiosity in the girl's eyes… well, it's heartening.

"…since it gets so cold around this time of the year, the animals would typically be hibernating around this time. But if you carefully watch your surroundings, you could spot white-furred foxes running through the snow at times. Even hares. They blend so well with the snow around them which makes them hard to see, but it's certainly quite fun to notice them move here and there. They tend to be pretty active even during the winter."

"Wow… That sounds amazing," her delight turned into slight annoyance as her lips rounded into a pout. "Us children aren't allowed out of the village always, and with what's happened, none of us are allowed to go out at all. The only ones that are, as far as I know, are Kirito and Eugeo, since they have their «Sacred Task»…"

"True, though you know as well as I do that they too don't particularly spend too long out of the village. It'll be too cold to stay out by then."

"You're not wrong there… Ah, shoot."

"Hmm? Looks like you've looped it wrong."

"R-Right. Don't worry, I can fix this," it doesn't take too long for her to undo that little mistake before she continues with her rhythm once more.

"Splendidly done. You learnt quick."

"Heh. Well, I've already made this mistake countless of times, so it'd be hard not to learn from them," she giggled. "So hey, while you were travelling, do you go to other cities and towns too? What're they like? I'm curious."

"Ah… No, I actually don't visit those places very often," she shook her head. "My work usually requires me to stay outdoors most of the time. I do tend to stop by settlements, though never for long. Some people request me to find materials or hunt a deer, so I trade my harvests for other things."

"Ooh. Then what do you usually do? As in, what's your general work?"

Trying to discover allies to assist them in a shadow war with the mastermind behind the Human Empire's machinations before the world comes to a disastrous end brought about by ego and greed—although, she obviously couldn't tell her that. That's confidential information at its highest.

"As a hunter, I often take requests to go looking for wild game. I've even been asked to look for plants or mushrooms that grow in areas that are too dangerous for normal people to go to without any protective gear. Why, one such request that I'd gotten was to harvest herbs from the mountains—"

"—At other times, I help to… balance out the population, for a lack of a better term, or to maintain the natural equilibrium. It's confusing, isn't it? Simply put, there have been moments when a wild animal moves into a new habitat and establishes itself as a dictator of sorts, if you will. Killing for sport and disturbing the balance overall. It is then left to me to hunt it down to prevent it from further killing more of the residents of the habitat. There has been a group of wild animals too, and left unchecked, would have destroyed the environment."

"Whoa… Are they dangerous?"

"Verily so, though not always—"

"Not for you, that is."

Charlotte pointedly ignored the little girl's giggling, though she couldn't quite stop herself from smiling a little. "Usually, when the situation becomes far worse than expected, I'd be the one to take care of the issue. Other times, nature takes its course and the animal finds itself eaten in turn. A vicious end, but one that restores the natural order."

"Sheesh… Even animals have their own way to things, huh?"

"Of course. You could argue that they are less organized than humans, but they acknowledge and understand the necessity of balance. Distort it in any way, and it affects everything. For example, consider the animal at the very top of the food chain; a wolf, if you will. Take away all of them, and its prey will populate too much. Issues like overpopulation and overeating would occur, and it could very well destroy the ecosystem."

"…Ahh. Y-You sure know a lot, Charlotte-san."

Blinking at her words, it took her a few seconds to regain herself, coughing into her fist to properly compose herself. "Forgive me. I… consider myself who enjoys learning all kinds of things, though I've always been interested in ecology."

Likely because, well, it sort of relates to her life. Sure, she'd had enough intelligence to rival a human's long before she became an immortal being's assistant, but never had she ever given much thought about all these kinds of things that would have been unnecessary.

But of course, humans do love learning just about everything. They love knowing things, to the point that they'd document such findings to share that knowledge with everyone—something that she finds wonderful. Enriching one another so to be better prepared to deal with situations and avoid making horrible mistakes.

And besides, her benefactor lives in a library filled with books of all kinds. Not much to do in a library but read whatever she could find, and she supposed reading a book or two turned into a hobby of sorts, and she'd learnt things about everything under the sun that she would have never known had she never met her benefactor.

"Then, if you weren't a hunter… do you think you'd want to be that?" Selka asked with a tilt of the head. "Maybe, like, a scholar or something?"

"A scholar?"

"Y-You know. Those people who study something that they're passionate about. They're considered to be reaaaally smart people who know so much about whatever they're pursuing. Considering how much you know about animals and all, do you think you'd want to give it a shot? Or something else, really."

Her words gave her pause, a thoughtful look on her face as she processed the idea. "That's… actually not a bad idea. I'd never given it any consideration before this, however. Being a hunter has been the only thing I'd known for a very long time. I'd never thought about anything else before this."

Likely because, you know, the end of the world was the single biggest thing on her mind that she wanted very bad to prevent from happening. There'd never been enough time to consider anything else, like pastimes or hobbies when she could use that time to hone her skills and fight off her enemies.

And yet, now, Selka's successfully planted that idea in her head. After the battles, what then?

"Oh? I mean, I guess you can't really change your «Sacred Task» once you've been given it… You were given yours, right? Or did you finish your old one and you chose this?"

"No, no. I was given this task."

"Ah, okay then. But yeah, I suppose it would be impossible to pursue something else. Unless you retire from your calling."

She blinked from that. "You can retire from your calling?"

"Mmhm. Garitta—he's the previous tree cutter before Eugeo and Kirito—retired when he was fifty," Selka paused for a moment, eyebrows furrowing. "I'm… pretty sure he was fifty by then. And yeah, he doesn't look like it, but that's because he's really healthy from his work."

"Fifty? Is that the retirement age?"

"That's the mandatory retirement age decreed by the Axiom Church, yes," nodded Selka. "I'm not too knowledgeable of all the details, but that's the basic gist of it."

Fifty… Charlotte wasn't sure if that seemed about right, considering that people above that age could still be rather lively and strong. At least, to her, people start having issues once they turn sixty-five and over. But who was she to judge? She was immortal. Her thoughts would likely be too biased.

And just the thought of that made her sweat-drop. Being an immortal likely means she doesn't get to 'retire'. Maybe she could change her identity and get a different job?

Nevertheless, they talked a little more before they eventually stopped. Seven done. Not bad number, though they certainly took their sweet time, what with all the conversation and whatnot. It was evening by then, and once more the whole family and their guest reconvene at the dining table to eat dinner together. Their talks are small and none too frequent, but there's no missing the energy in the little girl and the amusement in the mother's gaze as she listens to her daughter.

Even Gasupht, though weary his gaze is from his work today, seemed delighted to be listening to his daughter. He never said anything throughout dinner, but with him looking to be in a good mood had her feeling at ease as well. Another day comes to a close.

25th day of the 10th Month – HEC, 373

Rulid Village

Today hardly felt any different than usual, much to her dismay.

Eyes scanned across the horizon in search of a difference. Trained as she is by her father long before he'd pushed up the daisies, she'd gotten used to picking out the minutest detail in the fuzziest of places—kind of a-must if she's meant to be tracking down game for the village, really.

But with everything looking the same as always, it probably meant that today's search might just be a bust as always.

Sighing, the girl pushed back her auburn ponytail behind her shoulder and got up. The quiet pops in her back had her groaning, having stayed crouching for a little longer than she would have liked. Why couldn't this animal just put a sign saying 'I was here' or something? Would make their job ten times easier (if a little concerning that it actually knew how to write at all).

"Found anything, Cherise?"

"Unfortunately, no. Sorry."

"Don't be. We've been searching for weeks now, and we've gotten nothing," the leaves crunching behind her prompted her to turn her head around. A kind smile adorned his face, few scars marring his skin. His rugged black hair and stubbly beard definitely gave him that look of an experienced man. "Thanks for checking here. How far did you go this time?"

"A little further than a hundred Mel this time, but there wasn't any disturbance in the environment, as far as I could tell. Trees, soil, the air— nothing. Whatever this thing is, if it's even real, it's scarily good at making itself seem invisible. Really doesn't want to be found."

"Well, that's not what you want to hear… But thanks either way. 'Bout time we get back already."

" 'Kay. And where's Akos?"

"He's just about finished checking the eastern forests. We'll see him back in the village."

Humming back, she takes a moment to incline her head back to meet his eyes… and silently cringe at just how massive he is compared to her.

Sure, she's a pretty short gal. Not enough for people to mistake her for a child, but she's still pretty young, so she still has time to grow out. No amount of convincing otherwise would change her mind.

But Reyes here is a giant of a man, easily putting her head barely below his shoulder height by a couple centi- Mel. He had a ripped figure, stretching his tunic over his chest and arms in a way that makes him seem more like a knight captain than a hunter. The greatsword hanging off of his back only serves to accentuate his size and strength.

'How someone like him manages to be such a great hunter baffles me a little, but I can't question his skills,' she thought to herself. Without wasting any time, she put away her gear and followed after him and out of the woods. The refreshing sight of buildings beyond the treeline has her sighing in relief. "Think we can find anything before winter kicks in?"

"Likely not, and that's not a good thing," he sighs, rubbing the back of his head. "By then, it might be a lot harder to track it down. Impossible, I'd bet."

"Ahh… That would be a pain."

"It sure would. Either way, thanks for helping out. We haven't made any progress in the slightest, but I appreciate the fact that you and Akos kept at it all this time, even when you didn't have to."

"What do you mean we don't have to?" She scoffed back with a mock pout. "We're the village's hunters, Reyes. We work together. This is our job. And I'd bet good coin that you'd probably just go out in the middle of the night to search on your own, and we won't have that."

To his credit, he didn't seem to flinch or make an embarrassed expression. His eyes betrayed him, however, for they slowly averted themselves from hers. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"Uh-huh, keep lying to yourself…"

Rulid Village. Home sweet home, with its familiar scents and sounds that puts Cherise at immediate ease. Not like she didn't enjoy being out in the woods—if she wasn't a hunter to begin with, she'd have spent almost a majority of her days frolicking in there—but being here in civilization meant that she didn't have to keep her guards up at all times. She could let loose, which was nice.

There was immediate attention placed on them upon their return, however, as all eyes light up at the sight of their hunters. Cherise flushed a little from the sudden greetings, all of which Reyes took in stride and returned with his own calm and pleasant words. Wished she had her leader's confidence.

"Yo, Cherise! Reyes!"

Turning her head towards the familiar voice, a man a little older than her approached them with an easy-going smile. He had a scar over his right eye, chocolate brown hair sloppily tied into a bun and a relatively disarming demeanour. Metal glinted from the wrist-mounted holsters he wore.

Her earlier mood practically switched into chagrin the moment he got into smelling distance, face scrunching up after two seconds. "Akos. You never wear perfume unless you're trying to mask some crap. You drank again, didn't you?"

"Wha—No! I was trying it out because someone offered it to me when I got back, so you know…"

She knew he could see her expression, which was screaming 'load of crap' right at him. "Sure."

"Aagh… I can't do anything nice for myself because you'd always complain," sighed Akos, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, we just got back from work. Might as well, am I right?"

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, Akos. Practically everyone in the village knows you can drink a cow's weight of alcohol if you wanted to," their leader ignored the younger male's gawking. "In any case, how was your search?"

"Well, if these past few days are any indication, you'd be accurate to say that I didn't really succeed," his words got her to sigh along with him. "Not to doubt Sister Azalia, boss, but you sure she was seeing things right? Maybe it was just a trick of the light and there really is nothing here. I wouldn't put it past her to have made it up. She's… ahem. Wise."

"You were totally going to call her old," snorted the girl. When he didn't try to deny that, she merely rolled her eyes. "Rude."

"I mean, you can't argue on that. She's not exactly the same age range as the rest of us are. She's been here for a very long time."

"Well, a lady's age is a sensitive thing to talk or point out! You lack tact."

"Whoa, whoa. If there's anyone in this world that has tact, it's me. My momma' and pops raised a fine gentleman."

"They did their best. It's just that you failed to keep her lessons in mind."

"Hey now…"

Chuckling a little, their leader patted them twice on their shoulders. "Now, now. We don't need to argue about this entire thing. It's a fact that we've done our best, but came up empty-handed. It's a smart thing, but we'll find it either way. For the time being, the two of you should go back and get some rest. I'll go see the chief for a bit. Got to make my reports. And Akos," the brunette in question perked up. "I won't tell you off for your habits, but try to keep some coin on you? For important things like meals and whetstones. Don't be wasting all of that on your drinks."

"A-Aye, sir."

Stifling a giggle, she parted ways from the other two men as she headed for her home in the western side of the village. Akos was pointedly heading in the opposite direction of the local tavern (though he didn't try to hide how he kept eyeing it) and Reyes would likely be seeing the chief in his home.

And with her job well over and done, that meant she had all the time in the world now for herself.

Stretching her aching arms above her head, she let out a tired sigh. 'What should I be doing now, is the question… Not like I have much going for me anyways.'

Looking over the hills to the north, she witnessed the faint glows of reds across the peaks. There wasn't much time left to burn anyways, as night would soon be greeting their little village. She could feel the air growing colder, and Cherise dreaded not having worn a scarf, so she relied simply on walking to generate some heat for herself.

The cold, however, does not seem to deter the kids in the village all that much. Where they get the energy to run around and laugh as they play together is lost on her, but the sight of that alone is enough to get her smiling… only to then nervously chuckle to herself that she would never be able to ever understand that simple joy of theirs.

She'd been granted the calling of a hunter since she'd turned ten, as is how it should be. She'd learnt the trade from her own father, and considering how enthusiastic she'd been at learning under him, she had never taken much time for herself to play with the other children.

Not like it was too much of a lost. She'd made some friends here and there, though never permanent ones. Some of them had even left the village, and she'd made relatively good ones in Reyes and Akos, so that's that.

But even outside of that, Cherise would be the first to admit that she isn't the kind of person who has that much hobbies to occupy herself with. Since she prioritizes her calling, often pouring much time into prepping her equipment and keeping up-to-date with the goings on in the village, she's never had anything to do to spend the time.

So even if she were to go home, she'd usually just be sleeping or doing some inventory check. Cook a little, garden a little, but never much else.

Sighing to herself, Cherise, unaware of the direction of her movement and gaze focused solely on the ground, was wholly unprepared as she bumped into someone's back—"Ah..!" Yelping out in surprise.

"Ah. Forgive me. Are you alright, miss?"

Grey eyes peeked open to regard the person before her, a counter-apology already prepared for her carelessness that lead to this moment, only for her to seize up when she took in the person before her.

Curly black hair and black eyes, adorning a woman of foreign beauty. A black dress clung to her person, yet with her slim build and curves, it only served to exemplify her grace. Even her voice was gentle, akin to a young mother of sorts.

"A-Ah..!" Struck by a fresh new wave of anxiety and shame, the redhead bowed her head. "F-Forgive me..! I-I wasn't looking w-where I was going, so…"

"Hmm. Then I suppose we'll call it even and leave it at that, yes?" She suggested with a tilt of the head. "I admit, even I had lost focus of my surroundings for a moment. That would put both of us in the wrong, wouldn't you say?"

"I-I suppose so…"

The woman before her comes across as being unemotional, with her voice carrying no strong tone or accent to really make her feelings understandable. But the subtle body motions that Cherise can catch indicates an attempt to be disarming, which certainly helps her to feel a little more at ease.

"You carry a quiver," those sudden words has her perking up in surprise. "And a bow. You must be a hunter of this village, then?"

"A-Ah, yes. I'm Cherise. Nice to meet you..?"

"Charlotte. You can call me that if you'd like."

"Charlotte..? Oh! Y-You're the one that came to our village that night, right? After saving those five children? I remember Chief Gasupht mentioning you once."

"That is the sum of it, yes," she nodded. "I've been staying with the Zuberg's for the time being. They are incredibly kind to offer me a roof."

"Yes, well, that's just how they work, I guess," she smiles a little. "The Zuberg's don't make it obviously clear, but if they had a motto to go by, it's probably something along the lines of 'Treat every stranger and friend with kindness'. They're generally nice to everyone."

Charlotte seemed to be in agreement with her, for a soft smile adorns her face immediately after. The sight alone made Cherise flush a little, amazed by how such a minute difference could change her appearance so radically.

So this is the one that's living with the chief. For someone who's supposedly also a huntress like her, she didn't seem at all intimidating as she'd initially expected (a little unfair on her part, considering her own size, as well as her timidity and social awkwardness with strangers and most people in general despite having such a dangerous calling), but a really nice, beautiful and soft-spoken lady.

"S-So…" She fought to keep herself composed once more, though she was a little annoyed by her minor stutter. "What were you doing?"

"Groceries," she held up her hand. The basket she carried was filled with several fruits and vegetables, and neatly packaged meat. "It's for dinner."

"Oh? Are you cooking?"

"I'm… not particularly good at it," she sighed, lowering her arm. "Sadina's the one who does the cooking in the house. I offered to help her pick up groceries in her place, which is why I'm outside. Besides that, the best I can do is offer another set of helping hands, though with how skilled Sadina is, I doubt my help would do much difference. Even so, I do like watching her work in the kitchen."

"That's nice."

"And you, Cherise?" The younger girl perked up at that. "Considering that you have your hunting gear with you, I assume you're moving out to go hunting? If so, I shouldn't be keeping you here any longer."

"O-Oh, no, not at all!" She waved her hands around. "I-I actually just got back! We were just doing some patrolling around the village. We're all done, so we're free now."

"Ah, alright then. Perhaps, it's about the monster that Sister Azalia supposedly noticed that night?"

The ravenette's words leaves her surprised, brows quirking upwards to clarify her feelings. "You know of it?"

"Chief Gasupht made mention of it, and I'd requested him if I could join the hunting efforts, though he'd insisted that I wait for the time being. Says that he'd like to leave it to all of you first. Should the situation not change soon, he'd considered requesting my help."

"Ehh..? It'd be nice to have your help now, more like," Cherise pouted, crossing her arms with an annoyed sound. "We've found absolutely nothing despite searching for days! It sucks a lot, and it'd be nice to have your help… From what I heard, you had to fight off a pack of wolves, right? That means you're pretty strong, and it'd be really reassuring to have you with us!"

"Hmm… I wouldn't say I'm that strong, though I do know my way with tracking things."

"Then that would be really helpful!" She immediately clapped her hands together, putting on the biggest puppy eyes she could manage as she stared at the older woman. "Pleaaase, Charlotte! Can you help us?"

Because for one thing, she really likes her. Charlotte strikes her as a friendly, respectful and calm individual, and she liked to think that they've already hit it off really well (and that meant a lot to her, considering how socially inept she could be).

And two, if Gasupht trusted her enough to tell her about this monster, then there's a very good chance that she's a really skilled huntress. Not like she herself couldn't tell; even if she carried herself with that lovely grace of hers, her eyes seemed to hold a sharp edge to them that certainly belonged to someone who's had to deal with dangerous situations countless of times.

But really, she just likes Charlotte. And it'd be nice to have another girl around! Reyes and Akos, for as chill as they are… well, they're dudes. Makes it a little more awkward.

"I'll be sure to ask Gasupht another time, then."

"That would be splendid!" Smiling, Cherise nodded a little at the older woman. "In any case, I shouldn't hold you back any longer. You have to get back, right? It's been good meeting you, Charlotte. Hopefully, you get to join us soon."

"The pleasure is mine as well. And yes, may we work alongside one another soon," her curtsey had her inwardly gasping at how graceful the single gesture was. "A good night to you, Cherise."

"Y-Yeah. Goodnight!"

She watched as her fellow huntress walked away, heading towards the Zuberg's home. It wasn't until she had fully disappeared around the corner did Cherise finally heave out a pent-up sigh that she'd bottled up in her since their initial encounter, the stress and anxiety all but gone and replaced with quiet thrums of joy as she walked back home, hands clasped behind her back.

Man. And here she'd thought that things would have gotten awkward real fast between the two. Guess that's some progress to her social skills!

"Cherise?"

"Yes. The lovely girl with the maroon hair. She seemed a little shy, but she was no less a nice person. She is one of your village hunters?"

Gasupht nodded back. "That is true. Alongside her, there are two other hunters."

" Only two?" She parroted back, some surprise present in her gaze. "I had assumed that there would be more."

"Well, Rulid's a pretty small place, so it doesn't really need that many people. Right, father?" He nodded back at his daughter's words. Quickly, her gaze shifted towards Charlotte, a bright smile on her face. "Don't worry though, Charlotte-san! Even though there're only three people, they're really good at their job!"

"True that. Their captain, Reyes, is an experienced huntsman who has served our village for a very long time. Right around I had been appointed as the chief of the village. Akos is talented in his own right, and has proven himself an adept fighter. Cherise, on the other hand, is specialized in hunting and tracking prey. Together, the three of them have served our village well, and I'm glad that they're with us."

"That is good to hear."

"And you've already met one of them today, it seems. Cherise."

"Yes. She'd just returned from patrolling, it seems, and we crossed paths by coincidence. We'd chatted a little, and then we went off on our separate paths."

While Gasupht nodded at her words, inwardly, he was a little surprised that she'd managed to hold a conversation with Cherise of all people. He'd always known her to be a little bashful around new people, but the fact that she'd somehow warmed up to Charlotte that quickly is rather impressive.

And here he was thinking that Charlotte isn't the kind of person who communicates good with others. Shame on him, then. She'd befriended his daughter. That should have been a good enough indication.

His wife arrives from the kitchen a moment later, watching in amusement as their daughter and their guest chat together. "It does make you wonder if Charlotte-san's popular in her hometown. Seeing how easily you befriend everyone here, I wouldn't put it past you to be well-liked by everyone!"

"I wouldn't exactly say that," shook her head the ravenette. "Back home, I can't say that I have a strong rapport with everyone else just as you do here. We trust each other to protect one another in dangerous situations, but outside of that, I doubt we're that friendly with each other."

"Is that so? That's a shame…"

"I suppose. Where we live, it's rather dangerous, so we never really have much time to socialize as you do here. We look after each other, perhaps, but never to a point that we could ever consider another person a close friend or whatnot. Because of that, after spending much time here, I can certainly say I prefer the atmosphere here compared to back home."

Despite what she said, there was a sense of forlornness in her eyes that tells him enough to know that she still misses home despite being Mel upon Mel away from home. Gasupht feels his gaze soften, knowing that he'd never be capable of understanding her because he'd never been far from home even once in his life—he'd stayed within these walls every single day—so he could only imagine how it must be for her, who has to travel frequently and be away from home for so long at a time.

A soft hum has him looking over to his youngest daughter. Selka was quick enough to notice her shift in demeanour, her blue eyes softening in slight sympathy. But it doesn't last long enough before she smiles once more and takes Charlotte's hands in her own, surprising the older woman as she looked down at the girl.

And Gasupht, witnessing his daughter in that moment, felt…

"Don't worry, Charlotte-san! Even if you're far from home, doesn't mean that you've completely left it behind, does it?" She sounded so confident and so happy that it was enough to surprise the ravenette, yet she continued. "I'm sure that everyone back home cares about you, so don't be too sad, okay?"

"Selka…" Shock gave way into warm joy, as she nods slowly at the younger girl's words. "Yes, of course. Thank you for your kind words."

"Mmhm! And while you're still here, you have us! Mother, Father, me, Kirito, Eugeo, and everyone else. You'll never be lonely."

"Aww~..! You two are so adorable together."

Her mother's comment shatters the moment. "Ack..!" Sending their daughter into a blushing, stuttering mess. "M-Mother! Don't just s-say that!"

"But it was so sweet of you! I don't think there's any wrong in mentioning that, is there?"

"B-But still..!"

Everyone in the room laughed a little at the youngest. Even Charlotte was immune to that, joining in with her own soft chuckling. It was at her expense, hence her pouting as she tried her best to fuse her blushing cheeks into her arms.

Well, this night hadn't gone as he'd expected it to, but if there was one thing for certain, he didn't hate it.

If anything, with Charlotte here… Goddesses know how happy he is that she's here to take care of his daughter. With everything that's already transpired, having another positive presence in their life does them so much good. Especially since how good it's done for Selka.

He sighed in delight. Tonight is a good night.

26th day of the 10th Month – HEC, 373

Rulid Village

"It's already gone past two hundred thousand…"

"Good progress, Eugeo. That's what it is."

Precisely his own thoughts, and Eugeo couldn't help but feel a little excited. This was really good progress made in a relatively short amount of time (short when compared to the absolute decades of countless people's efforts combined).

He let out a little sigh as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree, feeling the vibration from the impact of the sword against the tree reverberating throughout the tree and into his back. At the rate that Kirito's going, they might be done with it by the end of the next month, or even mid-month. Considering how fast he is, it might just be possible.

"Kirito," he called out, hearing a hum. "I know you said that you'd tell me someday why we're going to Centoria. Can you tell me why now, or later on?"

"Err. Not now," he said with a shrug. "I get that I should tell you, but I sort of can't do it at the moment. Mentally unprepared. I'll be sure to tell you when we leave Rulid, though."

"Alright, alright. Don't force yourself," he nodded back. "I'll admit that I'm curious. Considering how you said that night, it seemed pretty serious. Or were you making it seem that way just for theatrical's sake?"

"No, no. I promise you, it's for a good reason."

"Wasn't doubting you, in case you're worried."

"Appreciate the vote of confidence."

Snorting back, Eugeo let himself relax as he listened to the sounds of sword swings. It had been far more different than the typical striking of their axe, but he'd gotten accustomed to the different sounds. Certainly a lot less noisy and whistly, but not bad.

He looks down at his arm in his cast. Had he not been injured that night, perhaps he'd be trading places with Kirito like they always did, giving time for rest and work between the both of them. And he'd know what it's like to hold the legendary sword told in their fairy tales and that which his friend is wielding now.

He sighed. Well, he'd be taking the cast off soon, so he supposed there'd be no need to fret over that anymore. As he is now, there'd be no use worrying about whether he'd be able to—

"…Huh?" Blinking, green eyes stare forwards in the distance, seeing a relatively small silhouette in the distance moving in… their direction? "What is that?"

"What'cha see, bud? A bird or a merchant?"

"No, no. It's… It's something else."

Because the layer of leaves was thick and relatively high, it was hard to make out what it is, forcing him to stand up to get a better look. Kirito either stopped because of exhaustion or curiosity, as he put the sword down for a moment to stand beside him and stare in the same direction that he was.

"Over there… Do you see that?"

"Hmm?" Squinting his eyes a little and leaning his head forwards, it took Kirito a moment before he spoke up once more. "It's a really large bird?"

"That wouldn't be weird, but that's…"

As it got closer, it became a little clearer. A silver body, with a relatively wide wingspan. It seemed to glimmer too, as if the light of Solus was bouncing off of a body of metal. And there seemed to be something else too, donned in purple and seated atop that winged being. Huh. What is—

A gasp from beside him has him turning his gaze towards his best friend. Where his earlier expression was relaxed, now, he looked pale. Eyes shaky and mouth agape, Eugeo felt his own heart freeze up in his chest in silent horror.

"Kirito?" He called out. When he didn't respond immediately, he tried grabbing his arm. "Kirito, what's wrong? What is—"

"…Dragon."

It must have come off as so hushed that no one should have realistically heard him. But Eugeo did. He'd heard him loud and clear and stared in the same direction that he was, green eyes slowly beginning to widen as they finally registered its appearance.

The glimmer of its armour.

And the radiant armour of purple seated atop its back.

Integrity Knight.

"Fuck… Fuck..!" Breathing loudly, the two of them watched it speed right over their heads, leaving behind a strong gust of wind that beats against them and their environment. The fear doesn't leave his friend's expression or tone, and he's already started running in the same direction as the flying dragon. "Come on, Eugeo!"

"R-Right!"

No, no, no. This wasn't happening.

All of this felt too familiar. The sound of his heart drumming in his ears, his legs pumping hard as he ran, the fear surging in his veins. His arm in its cast ached but he ignored it. Exhaustion did not deter him in the slightest as he chased after his best friend in their hasty run back to the village.

It was happening again.

It was so surreal of an experience. It feels like everything was repeating itself all over again. As if that day was replaying now, just to spite him—the large gathering of people was located right outside of the Zuberg's home, the knight, his dragon, Alice.

But this time, Alice isn't here. Not anymore.

He knows this, but as exhausted as he is and filled with panic, rational thinking wasn't working at the moment. He was too stressed over the thought that an Integrity Knight is here. Again.

And if one comes, it's never for anything good.

Everyone practically stared like statues at the foreigners. The mighty dragon looked elegant, with pristine vambraces and guarding metal upon its body deflecting light to give off a regal look. Its amber eyes scanned the crowd, watching the shellshocked people calmly. Its rider eventually dismounted his ride, standing tall and firm, cape billowing right behind him.

An Integrity Knight.

The being is different from the first one that visited their village the last time. Rather than clad from head to toe in pure white, with a large physical build, this one is slender and coloured in violet. It doesn't change the fact that this is an Integrity Knight, however, and that was enough of a statement.

Confusion, panic and awe was evident in everyone's expressions. Though the knight had spoken no words yet, just his mere presence made him stand out like a sore thumb, silencing the crowd in a deafening manner. For Eugeo however…

'What… Why is there another one?'

Beside him, Kirito was clenching his hands so tightly Eugeo could see the skin whiten. He was even clenching his teeth, judging by how firm his jaw was set, shaking in his place as he tried to restrain himself—bad memories were resurfacing, and this time, even Eugeo felt like his self-control was slipping through his fingers.

Please. Not again.

"Damn… This is some crap luck we've got to be visited by two Integrity Knights…"

And wasn't that putting it lightly?

Author's Notes:

I looked up the basic retirement age in Japan in 2022, and it's around sixty-five. Not too weird, since it's sixty here in Malaysia. Asians' hair begins to go grey in their late thirties, and by the time they turn fifty or so, half of all people should have a lot of grey hair by then.

Garitta, the previous tree cutter, is one healthy man. He stands straight and doesn't hunch over, which could be a sign of his age or good health from his job. Or he could just be that kind of person who has natural grey hair. In all anime, hair colour and type is a literal buffet. All kinds that you can think of.

As for the Bells of Time-Telling, they chime once every half-hour, with a different melody each hour in a twelve hour period (according to the wiki). I'm not too familiar with grandfather clocks. I do remember that there was an old one in my grandfather's house long ago, but I don't remember enough to be confident of making any specific details about that.

Sorry for the late update, peeps. Been prepping for my exam next week, lmao. It'll go fine enough, I hope.