Chapter 85
"But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls"
Kahlil Gibran
I'm so freaking sorry for the very late update. I got tons of works to do and thankfully, 80% of them were finally done last night. Please forgive me for the late update, hopefully u can understand. The author's note is down below and there will be an important announcement (also down below).
"Mother, mother!" A boy, around the age of twelve, ran across a small hallway in what appears to be a quiet temple when the shining sun thrones so near to the sky attempting to reach her mother who was seen leaning on one the temple's pillars while reading several pieces of papers.
"Look what I wrote for you!" The boy, upon reaching her mother, took out a piece of paper from his pocket and mirthfully handed it to his mother, "I only finished the first part of it, but what do you think?! Do you like it so far?"
"The poem is good just like always, dear" The mother warmly smiles to her son, "But, if you let me see the poem before you finish it, then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, right?"
"So, you want me to finish it first, mother?" The boy replies with an innocent look.
"Preferably so, my dear" The mother gently caressed her son's hair, "So that I will never forget it"
"Huh? You will never forget it?" The boy didn't seem to understand, "How does it work that way?"
The mother looked up to the sky before slowly told him. Her eyes are remembering things while her mind is choosing the simplest of words so her son would understand. Casting her gaze back to his face, she tells him, "You see, unlike us humans that would eventually die or materials that would eventually vanish, words can last through the ages; walking alongside the history of mankind without even being forgotten. We can learn a lot from the simplest of words, dear. We can feel being touched by sincere words came from others' heart. But to be that way, words need to be completed. Uncompleted words might bring misunderstanding. That's why you should show your poem again to me after you finish it; so that your feelings will reach me, so that your sincerity will be properly voiced, and so that I will never forget it"
"Um…OK!" The boy agreed, "I will continue writing the poem and I will not let you see it till I finish!"
"Understood, dear" The mother chuckled.
"But…ow, I almost forgot" Unfortunately, the boy remembered something, "Our Lady asked me to run an errand for her in the town, I can't finish it now"
"Worry not, dear. I'll keep the poem for you till you return" The loving mother made things easier for her kid, "Go help our Lady down there. Randgris will accompany me here"
"So, you promise me to keep my poem till I get it back from you, mother?" The boy wanted to assure the promise for one last time.
"It's a promise, dear" The mother showed him a gentle smile, ensuring the boy of the promise.
"OK, then! See you later, mother" And with that, the boy ran down the hallway.
Unknown to his mother; that was the very last time she would ever see him…
Helen opens her eyes as she wakes up from her sleep. It's still early in the morning; the sun is yet to show himself. "What's wrong, Helen? That dream again?" Howard, unknown to Helen, wakes up after her and asks her.
"Oh, sorry! Did I wake you up?" Helen feels a little guilt on interrupting her husband's sleep.
"No worries, love" Howard passionately assures his wife that everything is alright, "It's that dream again, right?"
"Yes…" Helen answers with a sad smile.
"You've been seeing it for almost the whole week" Howard gently rubs her hair, showing his concern for her, "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"
"No, Howard. Maybe, it's just that I miss him more than ever" This kind of answer only proves that it is true, that truth is hard to live with.
"You look tired. Go sleep some more, OK?" Howard sighs and concludes that he's got to at least do something for his wife. So, he tells her.
Helen nods and tries to get some more sleep. But her heart cannot deceive her mind to rest. She cannot stop thinking about her son, "Ever since I saw his familiar figure, I've been seeing that dream more often. I see Elraven's shadow on him. But…come to think of it…he never told me his name…"
As the morning sun wakes, daily lives are, for one more days, going in Amatsu. Most of the civilians recovered pretty quickly from the attack just two nights ago; although the nods definitely go to the heroes for saving the day and managed to avoid Amatsu being totally destroyed. Now, they move on to prepare their biggest event of the year, the play which will be held in the royalty castle. All are invited and they can watch for free. But the burden is definitely on the backs of the players, who are expected to capture Amatsu's hearts with their performance. And of course, they are busy in their own way.
Fio eventually got the female lead character of the play, just like this story. But the role would need her to do some serious romantic scenes with the male lead of the play…Elraven.
Frea went insane last night at her room, in building B of Terrace Inn because Gen Ed booked all the rooms in that place for them to stay. Some source heard her giving Elraven the yelling of his life all night long (poor El) where it wasn't even El's fault. During the draw, he (un)luckily got the part.
Little recap from last night…
El: Frea, honey. Talk to me sweetheart. Don't give me that look, OK?
Fr: (Put a sour face) Look? What look? I see no 'that' look…
El: Honey, are you mad at me?
Fr: Mad? No, I'm not mad at you. Why would I be mad at you?
El: Frea, I'm being serious here…
Fr: Serious? You think I'm not serious? I'm not mad! Why would I be mad?! Maybe because I will see my boyfriend spoiling a certain princess in several days in front of everybody in one of the biggest tourist attractions on earth?! Or maybe because I knew they secretly love each other behind my freaking back?! Oh, maybe because I knew he's been planning to make love with her! Why would I be mad, right?!
El: (Dropped his jaw) Frea…I'm not planning to make love with her…
Fr: Hm, just like you didn't plan on sharing your poems with her? Just like you didn't plan on sharing bed with her? Just like you didn't plan on being the closest man with her on her life so far? (Continued blabbing recklessly) Just like you didn't plan on giving her a passionate good night kiss?
El: What?! How did you know I gave her a good night kiss?!
Fr: (Shocked) you did?! You really kissed her?!
El: Well…that's…uh…
Fr: (Grabs El's shoulders) YOU KISSED HER?!
El: ….yes, but only on her forehead…that is….
Fr: Wuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! My boyfriend is a two timer! He kissed the princess!
El: Wait, don't get me wrong! I kissed her only to comfort her! Nothing else!
Fr: Liar! (Slapped El) you also made out with her, right?! Right?!
El: No, I didn't! Listen to me, I didn't two time you!
Fr: Shut up! I want you to take some damn responsibility!
El: Responsibility?! When I didn't even do anything in the first place?!
Fr: Didn't you just admit that you kissed her?!
El: (Looked disappointed) Fine…what do you want me to do?
Fr: I don't ask for something hard, but I don't want you to go around her anymore.
El: But, I have to deliver the steak for everybody's lunch! How can I deliver hers if I can't get near her?!
Fr: Give hers to Felicia. Felicia will surely hand it over.
El: Ok…what if…she's the one who comes for me?
Fr: Worry not; I'll make sure not to let that happen.
El: (Sighed) Good grief…
End of little recap from last night…
Anyway, Fio doesn't need to learn anything about acting anymore. Her two face as a spoiled brat and a noble kid during her days as the princess of Prontera pretty much helped her doing many kinds of act. But, as we knew it, Fio will die of embarrassment if she needs to do some serious romantic scene with Elraven in front of just about every*damn*body. So, she needs to practice to hide her shame and show it as a…pleasure. And at the moment, in the hall in Hikari's house, Hikari is now mentoring Iris while Fio is preparing herself…or to be more precise, getting some confidence for herself.
"No, no! Iris, that's not it!" Hikari hisses seeing the lack of confidence in Iris part, "Don't say 'I am not going to leave you' like a grandma yawning in the morning while she is taking a piss! Say it with confidence, like this 'I am not going to leave you!'. Repeat after me!"
"OK…" Iris nervously tries to repeat Hikari for the God only knows how many times, "I am not going to leave you!"
"That's it! You finally got the confidence! Yes! Good god almighty, yes!" Hikari victoriously raises her arms to the air, as if an eternity of suffering just passed her, "Now, we're on the expression!"
"Expression?"
"Yes, of course! You're not going to perform with that blushing face of yours, right?"
"Am I…blushing?" Iris asks something that is clearer than a crystal.
"Your face is as red as blood, Kafra Girl. You can't perform like that" But Hikari quickly finds a solution, "But I think I know how to help you"
"…OK"
"Are you a virgin?" Tsukihime boldly asks with a bold face.
And the kafra girl thinks she misheard her, "Beg your pardon?"
"Are you a virgin, Iris?" Hikari repeats just like Iris asked.
"What does that have to do with my expression?" An honest question escapes from the mouth of the immaculate kafra employee.
"Because if you are…" Hikari starts to slowly walk around Iris, watching her every part, "It would increase your appeal and therefore, it will make you easier to work with"
"I'm sorry for asking this, Hikari-san" The innocent looking girl feels the need for this question really much, "You're not going to make me whore myself to get a facial expression, right?"
"What?! No! I'm not a brothel owner!" Hikari is obviously feels offended, "Now, answer me! Are you a virgin?"
"Y…yes…" Iris somewhat shamefully admits.
"OK! Ain't that easy?" Hikari digs some more info, "Now, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Err…no"
"You're a virgin and you don't have a boyfriend?"
"Yes"
"Damn, girl! You're the complete package!" Hikari looks more spirited than before, "Now, perhaps Adler can give you a hand on the facial part"
"Princess Fiorentin? What does this have to do with her?" Iris doesn't look to understand the problem.
"You'll see! Adler, can you give me a hand?" Hikari politely asks for Fio's help. The latter comes out with a rather calm face from inside the house. Fio slowly approaches the nervous Iris before gives her a wanting look.
"Lady" The lord knight calls for the kafra girl, "May I have the honor to see the beauty on thy face a little closer?"
"What?" Iris, not realizing that Fio is doing some acting, can't help but raise her eyebrows significantly. Hikari is trying her hard not to laugh seeing the nervous kafra girl. Fio is so damn good at this, she prepared herself pretty well.
As the act progresses, Fio gently pull Iris closer to her face by reaching her arms to hers, and because Iris is only a bit taller than Fio, their eyes can perfectly met with each other.
"Oh my God…she has such enticing golden eyes…" The second Iris' black eyes captured by Fio's charismatic golden eyes, she feels like being so close with her isn't a bad thing after all. And without even herself realizing it, she starts making a surprised yet passionate expression on her face, "Princess Fiorentin is…so beautiful when you look at her close like this. Her hands are so perfect…and her grip…it's so gentle…"
"Your hair is so silk and soft" Fio plays her finger on Iris' hair to deepen the mood some more; only before she proceeds to look at her eyes with a serious look, "And your eyes, they are innocent yet genuine, lady"
"I can't help but feel flattered by your compliments, Alexandria" Iris can finally play along (or maybe not?) with Fio, "However, how unfortunate for us, I'm but a lowly servant in the eyes of others"
"Not in the eyes of me" Fio says nonchalantly, "And I care not about what others think. I only want you and mine you shall be"
And to finish the whole scene, Iris brings her face a little closer to Fio's, one inch closer than this and we would have seen a kiss between the two girls, "Thus, yours I will be"
"Magnifico! That's what I'm talking about!" Hikari proudly shouts and claps when Iris can finally pull out an expression, "You better remember how to do it again in the play, Iris!"
"Well, I might remember it better…" The kafra girl mirthfully looks at the lord knight as they break up their 'embrace', "If Princess Fiorentin would be so kind to help me with practicing a little more"
"I will" Fio pats her shoulder, "I enjoy doing scene with you"
"She enjoys…doing scene with me…" In particular, other than being a nervous and innocent looking girl, Iris is also easily misunderstood others' intention, especially with things like this, "That means…she likes me, right? Ow, what should I do?! Someone is having a crush on me!"
And with that ridiculous feeling growing inside her, Iris tries her best not to blush or show too much amusement in front of Fio. They do some more scenes together until Hikari calls a break. Iris and Fio sit down lankily in the garden when Hikari goes inside after promising to get them something to drink.
"You were actually able to pull it off" The lord knight gives a small praise for the kafra girl, "Job well done, Iris"
And the kafra girl only looks down so Fio wouldn't see her red face as her response, "Oh, thank you princess"
"There's no need to be so formal, just call me Fio" A usual kind reply from the lord knight to almost anyone she just met.
But…again, Iris misunderstood her, "What? I can call her by her name only a day after I met her? Does she like me that much?! So, we share the same feeling?! Ow, I can't let her see my red face! I'm not ready for this!"
"Iris, is something wrong?"
"No, no! Nothing is wrong! I was just…too happy, I guess"
"Hm? Why?"
"Because no one has ever been so kind to me before, specifically just within a day since I met them" A very blunt respond from the maiden in love.
"Oh, I see. Relax, everyone here is kind" It's a good thing that Fio doesn't realize Iris' feeling for now, otherwise…
"Thank you…Fio" And if Iris didn't hide her red yet happy face when she said this, Fio would have noticed something is wrong with her.
"See? My name isn't that hard to say, right?" Fio escapes a heartwarming pattern of words for the kafra girl, "Let's be friends, then!"
"Friends?" Iris misunderstands Fio again for the third time today, "She wants to get close to me this quick?! But how should I respond?!"
"Iris?"
"Uh, sorry. It's just…do you think we can really be friends, Fio?" Fio could notice sadness on her tone.
"Why not?"
"Well, we are so different you know…" Iris starts telling a sad story on her part, "You lead your friends with confidence, but I'm nervous almost all the time. And you're a quick learner, being able to learn your role in such a short notice. Whereas I'm a very slow learner, if you didn't help then I wouldn't be able to pull the expression even if I practice till the end of days. And I'm also very lazy on doing things; I'm not even that good as a kafra compared to my seniors"
"I could care less about trivial things like that" Fio simply replies, catching Iris' attention even deeper in the process, "Friends do not give a damn about others weakness. Friends cover it up. Do you know The Ropera Squad Captain Emilio and his vice captain Elraven?"
"I've seen them, but I haven't talk to them directly. What's wrong with them?"
"Well, they have been best friends for more than six years. But they are so different. Emilio is so ambitious when Elraven is rather calm on showing his goal. Emilio is quick thinker but Elraven is the most insensitive man in Rune Midgard. But they got along well, and they enjoy their time together" Fio takes the best example around to make clear of her point, "See? Friends don't hate each others' weaknesses. And it's not like I'm perfect either"
"You're not?"
"Well, I can be…quite emotional and stubborn at times. Especially…" The former princess wants to say 'especially regarding a certain insensitive prick' but she chooses to shakes her head, "No, forget about it. But, I can be quite emotional and stubborn sometimes. And I still need to learn more on how to make good choices"
"Good choices? Of what?"
"Various problems, but I guess it's not important for now" Fio's looks at Iris again, "So, after all the long speech and confessions, are we friends or not?'
For a moment, Iris takes again yet another look to the deep golden eyes of the lord knight, and sees her sincerity on her wish. Come to think of it, Fio hasn't had that close of a friend in the last eight months. Felicia is fairly serving as her older sister, George has been gone thanks to Fenrir, and Olivia hasn't return…yet. El is more than just a friend, so she can't call him her friend either. The gunslingers are respectively serving as her comrades rather than friends, and since no one at her age is close to her somewhat makes her lonely.
"Alright, let's be friends then!" Iris welcomes her hand vigorously shakes it, preferably to her own happiness.
"What's with her? She seems to be happier than I am…" Fio notices the happiness on Iris' red face, but she doesn't feel suspicious of it at all, at least for now…
"Alexandria? Am I interrupting?" El suddenly shows up out of nowhere and unintentionally breaks the atmosphere and the hands between the girls.
"No, no! Not at all!" Fio dispatches all the weird atmosphere and quickly rises, "What's up, El?"
The gunslinger quickly goes straight to his point, "Emilio asked me to get Tsukihime-san to the dome where the play will be held to discuss some preparations. And I was told that she was practicing in her house with you. Where is she?"
"She's in…hey, it's her! Hikari-san!" The lord knight calls for the Amatsu's royalty as soon as she returns to the garden with some juices, "Hikari-san, Emilio is looking for you!"
"Me? What does he want sending one of his men in here? Another duel?" Hikari gives the juice to both Iris and Fio, without taking his eyes off of El.
"No, he said he wants to discuss something about the storyline, Tsukihime-san. Can you come down to the stage downtown for a moment?" The black clothed man politely replies to the proud woman.
"Hmph, screwing our fun. But fine, I would like to know what he's up to" Hikari sounds really annoyed at the fact, but she sets off nonetheless. She really needs to give the tsundere thing a rest.
"Well, I'll take my leave now. Bye, Alexandria" El waves his hand and attempts to return to the stage, but Fio stops him.
"El, wait!" Fio motions to Iris, "You and Iris haven't introduced each other properly right. She's a new friend of mine, so you should know her"
"Right" Elraven calmly approaches Iris and offers her his hand, "I'm Elraven, nice to know you"
Only by then Iris noticed Fio is looking at Elraven with very happy eyes. Her eyes are filled with joy and happiness; and they also give the impression 'If no one is watching us and I can swallow my pride, I'll jump to his embrace and stay there as long as I want!'.
Iris' POV:
"What?! Why does Fio look at this guy in a different way? It's as if…she fancies being near him! Could it be that…Fio likes him?! That means…he is an enemy. But to respect her, I'll just do what she wants for now"
"I'm Iris" The kafra girl coldly responds and shakes his hand, "Nice to know you, too"
"Good, then Alexandria, I'm off" This time El goes for sure.
"Take care!" Fio waves her hand, much to the disappointment in Iris part. Nonetheless, she vowed to herself that she will not lose to El. Is it just me or El just insensitively got another enemy for himself?
On his way back to the hall, El meets Helen who is running an errand on the market.
"Oh, Miss Helen! Good day!" The gunslinger friendly greets the woman who is actually his mother.
"Good day, sir. Are you preparing well for the play?" The well mannered lady responds.
"Well, you can say so" The gunslinger remembers the poem Helen gave him, "By the way, do you remember the poem you gave me awhile ago?"
"Yes?"
"Actually, I was planning to finish it earlier. But the schedule I got doesn't seem to allow me to do so, Miss Helen. So…"
"Don't worry, I understand" An understanding person, really fit to be someone's mother, eh? "You can finish it whenever you like. I understand your priority"
"Thank you, I 'm grateful for your understanding!"
"No worries, after all trust and understanding are the two basic things that build a family" Helen wisely responds to the man who is actually her son, "That's why family is the best thing anyone could ever have in their lifetime"
El is charmed by her words; that was a great quote. Well, she is actually a poem artist just like her son, so is it really surprising?
"That…was really meaningful, Miss Helen"
"Thanks for the compliment, Sir"
"I would love to chat longer, but I'm afraid I have to go now" El excuses himself, "Be sure to watch the play tomorrow night, OK? And bring your family, Miss Helen"
"I will" Helen gently smiles, "Take care, sir"
"Take care too!" Elraven goes off, leaving his mother on the market.
"Oh, right!" Helen sounds like she was just remembering something, "I forgot to ask his name again!"
On the other hand, Hikari is confronting Emilio while the other Ropera Squad members, George, and Felicia are quietly watching them 'discuss' to amuse themselves.
Emilio starts by protesting about the dialogues, "Are these what you call dialogues, Saruhime?! Even a blind ugly naked guy can write better dialogues than these!"
"Oh, yeah?! So a blind ugly naked guy can kick you in the ass too, Emily?!" A vehement reply just as expected from the Kurogane leader.
"He can't! So can't you, Saruhime! And that means you're no better than a blind ugly naked guy, even when you're not a guy!"
"What makes you think you're better than a fat disgusting scarred old hag taking a dump?!"
"Well, maybe because I'm not taking a dump at the moment, you fool!"
"I'm a fool?! That makes you as an idiot, just like a fat disgusting scarred old hag taking a dump; even when you're not even an old hag!"
"A fat disgusting scarred old hag taking a dump isn't necessarily idiot, moron! You can think just as good as little girl sneezing her nose under the rain!"
"Emily, would you stop this comparison crap?!"
"No, Saruhime! I won't stop till you apologize like a sissy losing his sissy doll!"
"Why, you?!" Hikari pulls out her Muramasa the same time Emilio pulls out his Hyperion. And needless to say, they aim their respective weapons to each other. If it weren't for what happened during the attack in Amatsu just two days ago, they would have battled each other. But deep inside their funny hatred, there's respect. Without anyone telling them, both leaders lower their weapons down before Hikari continues arguing, "I poured my heart writing the dialogues! Didn't you see any feelings at all inside one of them?!"
"How could you poured your cold heart into your dialogues?!" The Sphere of Death knows no defeat even in stupid things like this, "Are you sure you didn't pour anything else when you wrote these?!"
"What does that suppose to mean?! And rather than keep pointing my mistakes, why not show which dialogue you want to point out?!"
"Fine! Here's one!" Emilio shows her the dialogue on the middle of the story…
"Wow, they got along pretty well" Ty escapes a small comment which Felicia could heard of, "I thought we would see the match of the year just seconds ago"
"That means they have matured, both as a leader and a person" The paladin responds, "By the way, I'm glad I only got a minor role in the play. I can't memorize too much dialogue"
"Same here, I'm glad I only got a major part in the beginning" Ty puts some more paper decoration on the wall while replying, "I was never good at memorizing things"
"Really? But you did pretty well during the training with the stuffs you just learned, right? You're a quick learner"
"Not as quick as you. You handled the Hellfire pretty well back there at Lutie"
"You also handled your new tonfas pretty well back there"
"Thanks, but I still think you learned better."
"The compliment would have to wait till I try it on real battle. For now, let's say we're just the same"
"Glad to hear that from you, although it mostly because you helped me with the melee fight part"
"That's for doing me a favor with my long range fight part" Felicia looks to the gunslinger and sees him looking to her also. They both smile before continuing their work decorating the stage.
"My god…" George, watching Ty and Felicia from afar, evilly smirks, "Felicia's got a boyfriend now, huh? Things sure have changed when I wasn't present"
And as the grueling battle continues, Martina can only give a weary stare to both of them, "If Guinness Book of record was here they would have won the record for the stupidest debate in the history of mankind…"
"Poor Fenrir" Sasha empathizes the god after she saw the whole ordeal, "I would be damned if my spouse is half as stupid as Marcus"
"Careful of what you wish for, Sasha" Clyde warns his sister, "It might happen"
"Don't bother about me, Clyde!" The Silver Sniper huffs, "Why don't you worry about yourself and that cold hearted girl?"
"You mean Vanessa?" Clyde immediately gets the point, "What does this have to do with her?'
"Come on, now. Don't act like a grade student" Sasha clears her point even more, "I'm not blind. You like that girl"
"No, I'm not"
"Yes, you are! Stop pretending!"
"What makes you say that?"
"Other than the fact that you were always nice to her regardless of her coldness to you, Clyde?" Sasha puts a finger on her head, thinking, "You spent thirty nights with her"
"Correction, Martina and Hugo did. I spent thirty nights fully mastering Cutlass to it extend" The older sibling replies unabashed.
"Whatever, you still like her!" Sasha doesn't feel the like of losing to her brother, "You will end up banging her all night long someday inside Pegasus!"
"Just like someone knocked you up a month ago?" Clyde features a smile on his face, on contrast to the shock on his sister's, "It felt good, hm?"
"How did you know that?!" Sasha looks embarrassed.
"Vice-captain contacted me. He told me that my sister is a virgin no longer" The gunslinger explains with a grin, "And I do think that you're pregnant"
"What?! I'm not pregnant!" Sasha takes offence of that one.
"I mean, pregnant with emotion" The older sibling continues, "You're easy to deal with when it comes to debate, right?"
"Jerk!" And with that, the heated discussion between the Williams ends.
"It's pretty calm in here, fellas" Hugo, standing from behind while decorating all the time and the same time witnessing just about everything that happened, cheerfully tells Thomson and Thompson, "No heated debate over a script. No debate with your inner self. No stupid recalling. And no pregnancy talks"
"I super agree with you, /Hugo. Right, Thomson?"
"Super right, Thompson"
On the other part of the stage, Kirigi and Wendy are being forced by Frea to do her job decorating the stage. Well, it's not like she can see what is there to decorate anyway.
"Kirigi" Wendy whispers, calling for her partner in crime, "I bet 100,000 zenny our leader is in a fight with Elraven"
"Nah, I bet 100,000 zenny she hates the princess so much right now that she can't even do anything proper" The ninja tells back.
What is inside of Frea's mind, here it is:
"Lousy stupid gunslinger! How can he not choose a former goddess over a human princess?! What does she have that I don't?! I'm more beautiful than her, more mature, and I have more appeal! And we made love countless times! But he still has his sight on the princess?! What does he see in her? I cannot let him eyeing her all the time or our relationship might end up broken! But she is near perfection! Although not as good as me, she's got good looks, great personality, undeniable charisma, important presence, and above all others, she is extremely strong as a warrior! Ugh, what can I do?! I don't want to lose him!"
Right at that moment, something comes across Frea's mind, making her remember that there is one thing Fio can't do, "She can't cook! She always relies on El or Felicia to provide her foods! If I can prove to El that I can cook, El might turn his eyes back on me! Yes, that's it!"
And without saying anything, Frea quickly exits the room, leaving her two underlings alone looking at her weirdly. The soul linker searches for the nearest restaurant to (forcefully) borrow their kitchen and deliver El his lunch. But, she is not the only maiden who is thinking about getting the attention of the gunslinger by food…. Fio is apparently doing the same thing in Hikari's kitchen.
"Finally here!"Olivia happily exclaims after the ship she and the Assassin Guild uses to sail on the sea lands in Amatsu's harbor.
"She is more childish than all of us" Dee whispers to her four close companions, who nod in agreement with her.
"OK, kids. May I have your attention, please?" Eremes acts as the leader like he should be, "Don't wander around too much from me, Olivia, Kid, and Ann. We've never been to Amatsu before, so we don't know which way is which. Got me?"
"Yes!" The rest answer together.
"Good, now Olivia and I will find which way is the hall for the play while you kids will go with Ann and Kid to the inn we booked" Eremes gives his order, although maybe he just want to spend some more time alone with his new girlfriend, "What was the name of the inn again?"
"Terrace Inn, in building A" Olivia quickly tells the assassin cross who relay the message to the kids and his two members before parting ways. Unknown to them, the kids and the two other assassin crosses don't buy their reasoning.
Jenna: Maybe they are going to find somewhere quiet to make love!
Billy: Nah, Olivia's a high priest. If she's going to do that she would have to throw her job away and start living as a housewife! And I don't think she would do that anytime soon.
Dee: With Olivia? You never know, Billy.
Joe: Well, at least she isn't going to let Lord Eremes bang her ass in daylight!
The other five stare at Joe with a disgusted stare.
Joe: What?! I'm only telling you the truth!
Ann: Either way, shall we follow them quietly or not?
Billy: Hell yeah, we shall! I'm not going to let the chance of seeing them together go!
Kid: Off we go! You guys dig?
Adoring the bento box she used to put the lunch within, the lord knight in love can't help but feature a big smile on her face, "My first lunch box ever! I tried so hard for this! I asked Felicia and Hikari-san to teach me how to cook, although it was harder than learning how to improve my swordplay, but it's worth it! Now, I'm going to give this to Elraven and show him that I too, have a feminine side!"
Cheerfully humming along her way out, Fio doesn't notice Iris watching her. "Fio, where are you going?" The kafra girl notices the lunch box on her hand, "And what is that?"
"Oh, this is my handmade lunch box….and…." The blood on her body starts to rush to Fio's face as she nervously answers, "I'm going to the…play hall"
"Are you intending to give the lunch box to someone?" When it comes to a certain things like this, Iris is just so sharp minded…
"Well, yeah…" Fio avoids and eye contact with the kafra girl so that she wouldn't find out who is the lucky man. Although it is quite clear that Iris already knew.
"Gotta be that gunslinger jerk who stands between my love and Fio!" Is what exactly the first thing comes to Iris' mind, but she gets a hold of herself not to say it out loud. So she puts a nice smile and deliberately fake support, "Oh, how nice of you! I think he will like it. No doubt about it"
"Thanks! Gotta go now, see you later!" The lord knight cheerfully takes her leave, leaving Iris alone with a deepening hatred toward the literally innocent gunslinger.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the traditional market Marcus could be seen finishing his snack…
"Do u notice the thing 'bout the George guy and my terra ultimate grandpa Fenrir, Gregory?" Marcus escapes his silly comment loud enough that not only his treasured falcon, but the people surrounding him could also hears, "Fighting against each other although they share the same body. I've never seen anything sillier than this"
"It's not much sillier than getting lost in your own backyard for almost a whole month" The sarcastic black falcon sarcastically replies, "Let's not add being chased by a gang of bigfoot because you pissed on their cave 'cause you couldn't hold it in!"
"Hey, I didn't piss on their cave! I was about to take off my pants when they stared at me and suddenly chased me all night long!" Marcus replies with an even stupider defense (from a stupid man).
"They chased you all night long because they felt disgusted seeing your 'thing' dangling around like crazy when you were about to take your pants off!" Gregory reveals more shocking facts.
"But I survived them, didn't I?!"
"You only survived after they cornered you and you pleaded them not to eat you because you got wife and kids! Shame on you, Marcus!"
"Regardless of the way, I survived! And that's fact!"
"Ugh, thanks god Julia didn't die because of heart attack seeing your thing on your first night together as a married couple!" Gregory rubs the back of his head using his left wing. He can never understand why Marcus is stupid yet so stubborn at the same time.
"Hey, what makes you say that?! Did you peek on me that night?!"
"What else could I do?! Your father asked me to it! He didn't want you to flop and blow the whole things off!"
"Father asked you for that?!"
"Yes, that's why you should be grateful for Julia! She's been your best friend ever since you two were children, she won Miss Payon contest, many men regarded her as one of the most gorgeous looking women on Rune Midgard, yet of all people, she chose you! The stupidest man to ever grace the land of Payon! The lankiest sniper in the history of the guild! The most unbearable being on earth! She married you, she bore your children, and now she is taking care of your family! And what does she get in return?! Nothing! You're just as stupid as ever! You're as stubborn as ever! If only you were not my master, I would have pecked you to death long ago!" Gregory assaults Marcus…mercilessly.
"Julia…won Miss Payon contest?" Marcus foolishly tries to recall, "When did that happen? I don't remember"
"Of course you don't! When she was chosen as Miss Payon, you were almost dying because of hangover!"
"I was on a hangover? Why?"
"Because you thought the rums where milk and drank all twelve gallons of it!"
"I did?" That was the only reply Marcus gave with a very stupid face, "Cool"
"For god's sake….lord, please have mercy on me…" Gregory sighs and succumbs in defeat. Marcus stares at him dryly, thinking if what he said was wrong. But destiny has another thing to say for them. Without the two realizing, Olivia and Eremes approach the both of them.
"Um, excuse me?" Olivia catches their attention, "Me and my friend are trying to find a hall which staged the annual play. Actually, we're bringing a groupd of kids with us, so we don't want to get lost tomorrow night. We're fairly new here, so do any of you know which way is to the hall?"
Well, sure! I..." Marcus wants to answer, but Gregory quickly cuts him off before Marcus leads the couple to a wrong way.
"Mam and Sir, I'll take you to the hall. Please follow me!" Gregory flutters his wings and flies, guiding Olivia and Eremes behind him and leaving his leader bewildered.
"Ow…I'm left alone!" Marcus protests to nobody…before he sees six figures following the couple quietly from behind. Gregory also doesn't notice the kids and the two assassin crosses, he is busy guiding the new couple.
"Hey, you people!" Marcus gets the six stalkers attention as they loon onto him, "What are you doing stalking them like that?"
"You got a problem with that?" Ann harshly replies.
"No, but the falcon happen to be my partner" Marcus casts a serious tone on his voice as he talks back, "And if any of you is intending to inflict harm on him, you will have to get through me"
Marcus is undeniably stupid, but he can be serious when it comes to the life of his guild's members…although he aims for the wrong target this time.
"I think you misunderstood us" Jenna tries to clear the problem, "That couple over there happen to be our acquaintances'. We just want to see them spending their time together, that's all"
"Ow, that means I was wrong…I'm sorry" Marcus, returning to his idiotic self.
"No worries, it happens"
"So, are you still going to stalk them?"
"Yes"
"Can I join?" Marcus' question raises a curiosity from the six.
"Why do you want to join?" Dee asks innocently.
"Cause it seems like fun!" Marcus explains with an excited voice.
"He's just like us" Billy whispers to Dee, "A born stalker"
"Second that" Joe voices what's inside his mind, "Tell him that he can go with us"
"This is your lucky day, sniper" Jenna informs Marcus with a smirk, "You can go with us, but let me tell you one thing"
"What?"
"Here, we have two prolific assassin crosses with us. If you try something funny to any of us, you'll be pawned right away"
"Funny? You mean…like making a joke about you?" How unfortunate, the group doesn't know that Marcus is also a prolific…prolific idiot, that is.
"No, no! I mean if you trying to assault us or something like that!" Marcus is getting on Jenna's nerves…well, actually he's getting on everybody's.
"Well, I don't really get it. But, it's fine as long as I remain quiet, right?"
"Exactly"
"Great! Now, let's go!" Marcus agrees as the group resumes their activity with him following from behind
Elraven is waiting in front of the play hall after Fio called him earlier via the talkie. Since Frea has threatened him not to snuggle around Fio too much, El has decided to give Fio a simple attention on whatever matter she's going to tell him and then goes off. Too bad he doesn't know what's coming for him…
"El!" Fio calls him happily with her lunch box, "I'm glad you're here"
"Uh, yeah" The gunslinger rubs the back of his head, slowly trying to settle the matter, "So, what's up?"
"Well, don't get me wrong, OK?" Fio starts by embarrassingly shows the lunch box, "This…I made this for you"
"A handmade lunch?" El mutters in disbelieve seeing the lunch box from her, "For me?'
"Yes, but as I told you, don't get me wrong! This is…" Still, Fio can't hide her 'tsundere-ness' when it comes to maintaining her pride in front of El. Although she would do a better job had her face wasn't so red, "I mean…you cooked me dozens of delicious foods ever since we met, so I thought I would show my appreciation by giving you something similar, that's all! It's not like I'm intending to give you a handmade lunch in the first place!"
"OK, I see your point…" El, although he feels something awkward on her rebuttal, accepts the lunch, Thanks for the lunch"
"Well, then have a try" Fio gathers a courage and strikes El with an adoring look, "I want to see you eat the lunch I made, please?"
The insensitive gunslinger shrugs and sits on the stairs with the lord knight following him. Opening the box, he finds tempura inside it. Using the chopstick, the unfortunate gunslinger gives one single try on the food and…
What's inside El's mind…
Ifrit casts his countless fireballs to roast the gunslinger. Elraven tries to dodge the spell when it descends from the sky, but he was unsuccessful. The balls bomb him and blow the hell out of him. Before he has any chance to strike back or let his Dionysus heal his body, Ifrit appears on his behind with a red sphere on his hand, and gives him the taste of the mighty Purgatorio….
End of what El just felt…
Elraven is known to be impervious to pain. You can stab him, shoot him, burn him, explode him, cut him, but regardless of the wound inflicted on him and the unending pain, he would show no sign of being harmed on his face. And that's an advantage for him. Perhaps any normal man who eats Fio's lunch would die because it has the same impact as a Purgatorio blowing from inside you.
"So? Does it taste good?" Fio asks with a very hoping and adoring look. Her eyes are telling him to give an honest answer. But just like I said before, El isn't that insensitive anymore. El doesn't have the heart to tell her that her food got enough power to explode the whole city. If he dares to say that to her then he would end up in the sky again….or maybe even farther….
"It does…" El slowly says, "Taste good…."
"Yes!" Fio cheerfully celebrates inside her heart, "Then, finish your lunch!"
"Good lord, please have mercy on me! This torture isn't finished yet?! What have I done lately to deserve this?! I knew she means well, but still…I don't want to die now!" Elraven is afraid that this endless torture will last all day long. He doesn't want to die now, but he doesn't want to make the light pink haired girl upset either. And he's a man, so he will do it like a man. Taking another bite of the Purgatorio…I mean, the tempura, the gunslinger receives another explosion inside his intestines.
Unfortunately for him, Frea appears right in front of him and Fio….with a lunch box on her hand. "What do you want?" Fio asks with a very annoyed expression and tone.
"I see my boyfriend is enjoying her meal from you. So, I want to give something to my boyfriend" Frea puts a bit pressure on the 'boyfriend' part, to let the lord knight knows who's in whose position, "Elraven, this is your lunch"
"Did you…also make this by yourself?" El senses something bad. Frea's cooking skill is on par with Fio, in terms of its destructive power I mean, if not worse. The least of all, Fio's eyes are still working.
"Yes, and you will eat my lunch just like you eat hers" A commanding tone perfectly put by the soul linker. El slowly takes the box and opens it, revealing a chicken teriyaki. Having another taste of what would be his (not literally) last salvation, El's mind wonders again….
What's inside El's mind…
Ifrit kicks Elraven in the head, harshly crashing him to a boulder beside him. Ifrit is always the superior fighter. Against this guy his healing ability proves little to no use. The fire creature quickly chokes his neck and tramples him down to the ground using his unbelievable brute strength. El pulls out his Tristan and shoots Ifrit's face to another zero result, still being choked. Using his other free hand, Ifrit forms a glowing red energy and unleashes his Hortus Deliciarum right onto the gunslinger….
End of what El just felt…
I repeat, any normal man would have died fighting against Ifrit like that….wait, I mean tasting Fio's lunch before tasting Frea's. Frea's lunch is awful; it's just….god-awful. Its power equals Ifrit's Hortus Deliciarum in terms of destructive measure. El couldn't believe he put that teriyaki on his mouth. He could hear the teriyaki screaming for help inside him, and he really doesn't want to know why they are calling for his help. Does this have anything to do with her being a soul linker?
"So, does that taste good?" Frea demands a quick answer.
"Y….y….yes" El slowly nods; this pain is just too damn much to handle, "It is…delicious…"
"So, which one taste better, mine…" Frea glances at the sour lord knight with an evil glance. Hatred is written all over her, "Or hers?"
"I think…" Now, El must choose between the two maidens. One thing he doesn't want to do the most, because he knows he can never choose between them. It's either he wants the both of them or…he simply cannot choose, "I like them both"
"Pick one!" Fio and Frea shouts at him in the unison. This is like the deal with a devil, if he chooses Frea, Fio will send to the sky. If he chooses Fio, Frea will cut his 'thing' while he's asleep. And frankly speaking, he dislikes both choices (although he likes both ladies).
Unknown to the three of them, the rest of the party have been watching them ever since this torture begin.
Em: El and the girls…never ceased to amaze me ever since the school days.
Hi: What's with those two?
Ty: Why does El always got all the hot girls?
Fel: Ow, the beauty of love…
G: So, Fio really likes El? Wow, lot of things sure has happened while I wasn't around.
Fr: Shut up, George.
M: Weird, I have never had an experience like that with Julia
Gr: Because Julia was the only one kind enough to love you. Other girls were normal.
"Which is it?!" Fio and Frea yell again in unison, putting El deeper and deeper in his trouble. But rest assured, the trouble isn't over yet.
"Please don't force me to choose! I cannot!" El begs for the two ladies' mercy.
"Yes you can!" The two loudly replies, almost imitating Barrack Obama.
"Well…I wasn't joking when I said I like both of your lunch boxes…" After some moment of silence, El is finally trying to regain a confidence on saying what he feels right, "Frea, yours is a bit spicy but it didn't take anything away from it. And Alexandria, yours could use some more spices. That's all, I like them both"
And fortunately for the insensitive man, his response does silence the two ladies for a moment.
"Impressive, he handled it like a man" A small praise escapes Emilio's lips, "I must give him that"
"Second that" Hikari downrightly agrees, "That was a classy finish"
A classy finish….for the spectators, not the players.
"But you still haven't told us which one is better!" Frea still insists.
"Second that!" Fio reluctantly chimes in. Before the chaos could be any bigger than this, the sound of Gregory flapping his wings and lands near the two maidens get everyone's attention.
"Sir and Mam, this is the hall for the stage" Gregory kindly explains to Olivia and Eremes following him. The time that the new couple stare at the hall, most of the party are in disbelieve.
"Olivia?!" Felicia loudly expresses her disbelieve upon seeing her long lost sister (not particularly).
"Is this really you?!" Fio quickly adds.
"She is still alive after all?" Elraven murmurs to himself.
But George has another thing to add, "Isn't that the guy who beat the shit out of me at Glast Heim?! What is Olivia doing so friendly with him?!"
"George, enough with the room temperature IQ!" Fenrir seizes the opportunity to belittle the champion with his usual comment about George.
"Felicia! Fio!" Olivia rushes to meet her long lost sister and her other childhood friend as the three embrace. They are on mixed emotions between surprise, happy, exciting, and….well, many other emotions.
"Oh my, god! You're alright! And you're better than ever!" Felicia hugs the younger Hammond passionately, not feeling like letting her go anytime soon.
"Did they treat you well?! They didn't abuse you, right?!" Fio, despite still hugging the high priest, takes a flashing chance to glare at Eremes.
"No, no! Assassin Guild has nothing to do with Valdomir at all! They are all good people, trust me!" The high priest explains with teary eyes. And she just noticed that Felicia's eyes are teary too. They hug each other again to release their emotion.
"This is a miracle…" Eremes quietly says himself as he notices Elraven is standing in front of him.
"I remember Alexandria mentioning you as part of Valdomir Kingdom's Quarter Kings" El takes the serious matter into his own hands, "Although based on what Olivia just said you don't seem like an enemy, you don't expect us to believe the news just like that, do you?"
"No, I don't. And I agree with everything you said. I myself couldn't have said it better, and I'm not going to ask you to believe that I'm not your enemy" Eremes seriously responds to the gunslinger. At times like this, joke is a no-no, "Just for you to know, I bring no reinforcements here. I'm here to accompany Olivia and some children from my guild to attend the play tomorrow night, that's all"
"Elraven, he is saying the truth!" Olivia quickly refuses to in front of her boyfriend before anyone takes an unnecessary measure. Especially after noticing the gunslinger on the hall are giving a sign that they are going to attack if El signals them, "His guild has been taking care of me for these last nine months! We're here with the orphaned kids he took care! Please, at least listen to what I have to say!"
Elraven adjusts his purple glasses in concern before looking at Fio, waiting for her to make the last call. Felicia seems lost in thoughts, not knowing whether to believe her sister or not. This is all so tense and surprising.
But miracle can happen anytime, including now. Innocently walking from their behind, Marcus and the kids enter the scene quietly.
"Guys, is anything wrong?" The stupid sniper opens his mouth and catches everyone's attention. The kids look scared whereas the two assassins seem to prepare themselves for a battle, "What's with the horrible atmosphere? These guys are here to find the hall for the play so they won't get lost when they take the children there tomorrow night"
Coming from someone so silly, it's definitely questionable although it's true. And El speaks up, "How do you know that, Marcus?"
"That high priest told me earlier when they bumped into me and Gregory on the market" Marcus directly answers, "Is anything wrong with them? I don't know about you guys, but can you refrain from using violence to settle your problem for this moment? I think they are not evil"
No one says anything after Marcus calms the situation down. After a minute of silence, Fio speaks up to give the last call, just like she always does, "Well, if Marcus said so and Olivia said so, then I guess no need for a violent act. Let's settle this in more proper manner like a civilized people"
"If you say so" The purple glassed gunslinger signals his squad to ease up, and the tension finally goes down.
Later, the leaders go to straight things out. Olivia tells Fio, Felicia, El (think of him as the representative from Einbroch) and apparently Hikari also (she is basically the one in charge on the town) her entire story with the assassin guild. She also noted that Eremes joined Valdomir only to ensure the safety of his guild, not to mention he didn't perform any killing toward the people of run Midgard. This fact is also strengthened by turning his guild into some sort of orphanage for the orphaned children.
Although they first finding the story to be rather unbelievable, they learned that the whole thing is fairly isn't a makeup story. Especially with Marcus claiming to also believe them (although we all know what kind of a brain Marcus possesses). In the end, Fio chooses to believe Olivia for the time being.
"I know she is snobbish and a bit of troublemaker, but she hardly ever lies in important matters. And judging by the way they act, I doubt the Assassin Guild is preparing themselves to battle us" The lord knight starts delivering her decision by first mentioning Olivia, "And, bringing children to their battles would surely lower their chance to have any advantage in engaging battles"
"Adler, there is one thing I doubt" Hikari speaks up, always think of the worst possibility first, "Isn't there any guarantee they bring the children here only to conceal their true motive so that we wouldn't get suspicious towards them?"
"I understand your concern, but I beg to differ" Fio replies with the always composed voice of hers. When things get too hot to handle, this young lady steps up her game a little, always, "If what you said is true and they actually want to waste us, then they missed three chances already. And that's a big disadvantage, don't you think?"
"Three chances?"
"Yes, the first is Marcus. As you witnessed for yourself, he was facing the two assassin and the kids backward. If they were to seize their chance, the two assassins could have threatened us by quickly using him as their hostage when Marcus wasn't noticing. But did they do that? No" An excellent analysis from a good debater, "The second was Elraven. When Marcus entering the scene, El wasn't paying attention to Eremes anymore; I think we all realized just how much an assassin cross of The Quarter Kings caliber could move, and attacking Elraven in a blinding speed when he wasn't noticing would be a piece of cake for him. But did Eremes do that? No"
Olivia grows a little smile on her; at times like this she's glad to have a friend like the lord knight. The high priest also notices that her sister is also smiling to her. The dark haired girl just realized, both Fio and Felicia believe her now.
"And the third…Olivia" Fio finalizes, "She is pretty much alive, no? If they are evil, she would have been buried six feet under long ago. And Eremes also didn't use her as hostage when things got too hot to handle, didn't he? Three chances and they blew all of them away. I don't think they are evil at all"
"You're such a good talker aren't you, Adler?" Hikari lets out an exasperated sigh, "Fine, I'll trust your judgment. But I need to remind you of one thing"
"Name it"
"You're responsible for them and their actions, since it was you who stood up for them. If any of them acts hostile toward my people, I promise you they aren't the only who are going to pay the consequences. I'm not trying to sound rude, but I hope you understand my condition" Hikari makes sure Fio knows the risk of the deal. The samurai girl isn't a bad person, she's just too cautious, that's all.
"Fine by me" Fio smiles victoriously, "Thanks for the understanding, Hikari-san"
"Understanding? I simply put them under your responsibility, Adler" The Amatsu Princess chuckles before retiring herself back to the hall, "Now, if I may excuse myself, I got a play too handle tomorrow night. And someone is waiting for me up there to discuss the dialogue"
"She doesn't want to admit her defeat, does she?" El slowly shakes his head seeing Hikari. In a way, she shares a similar trait with Emilio, "Well, I'll let my boys know about your decision, Alexandria. I'll take my leave now"
While El is informing Frea and his squad about Fio's decision, Fio and the Hammond siblings meet up with Marcus, who is growing fond of the children, and the three assassin crosses. Seeing how Marcus (with the supervision of Gregory) is playing tag with the kids beside the hall, things are definitely normal now.
"Marcus is so fond of kids, isn't he?" Fio mentions the sniper so the three assassin crosses notice what he is doing with their companions, "Well, he isn't a father of four for nothing"
However, Eremes prefers to cut the chit-chat and gets straight to the point, "How about your call, Princess Fiorentin? If you would be so kind, please let me know your decision"
"No worries, Eremes. Everything is fine now" Olivia hints an implication on her news which Eremes quickly got.
"You chose to believe us? Just like that?" The assassin cross can't conceal his curiosity any longer, "May I know why?"
"Because Olivia believes you…and Felicia seems to believe Olivia" A simple yet meaningful answer from the charismatic leader, "That's all I need to ensure myself. As long as you don't act troublesome, I'll guarantee your safety here"
Not only Eremes, but his two underlings are also charmed by Fio's answer. It is so genuine, but it makes them sure of one thing, they are no longer an enemy for her, "So, this is why Olivia always talks so high about Sagramore. Sagramore wasn't build of power or charisma, but trust. Just like a family"
"Well, I actually want some proper introduction from all three of you, but I think that will have to wait" Felicia point to Olivia's behind as the rest looks at the pointed direction and spots Talia and Dorn…standing in disbelieve seeing their long lost daughter.
"Mom! Dad!" Olivia rushes to her mother embrace. For the first time in the series, Talia bursts into tears and hugs Olivia with all her might.
T: Ow, my little baby! Are you alright, honey?! They didn't do anything to you, right?!
O: I'm better than ever! Ow, you cannot imagine how I miss you so much!
T: I miss you too, darling! There isn't a single day I didn't pray for your safety!
D: OK, Talia. This is a wonderful meeting, but can I hug her now? You've got enough!
T: (Retorts back) shut up, Donald! Whose fault was it in the first place so I couldn't see my lovely daughter for almost a year?!
D: That wasn't my fault! She is my daughter too!
T: (Ignores him) ow, honey…Daddy's so mean to you isn't he? Here, let mommy give you some more hug!
D: (Bawls) ow, Talia! (Runs off to his other daughter) Uwaaaaaaaah, Felicia! Your mother is soooooo cruel to me! Wuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
F: (Calms her father down) now, now. Don't be so upset, you can spend your time with Olivia later when mom isn't watching.
D: I can?
T: (Shouts before turning her attention back to Olivia) No you can't! I heard that! I'll keep her away in the radius of a mile from you!
D: Wuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Felicia, your mother is so cruel to me!
"Uh…Princess Fiorentin, who are they actually?" Eremes is almost left in silence seeing the awkward family.
"The blond haired tall girl is Felicia, Olivia's sister…although I think you knew that" Fio introduces the Hammonds, "The greasy haired dark skinned woman is Olivia's mother, Talia. And the big blonde yet sensitive man is Donald, Olivia's father"
"They are one hell of a family" Ann mutters seeing The Hammonds in action.
On the contrary to everybody, George is looking at Eremes bitterly from afar.
"Come on, George! I was just joking earlier! Don't take it seriously!"
"No, you were right. I need to pay that guy back" George seriously replies, "And I prefer to do it sooner rather than later"
And with everybody's bearing their respectful mind, the night of the play finally graces Amatsu.
Just like I said above, I'm sorry for the very late update. The works from college were merciless and I almost got no chance on updating at all! Hopefully you can understand this.
And I would like to inform you an important message. I'll be having finals for the next two weeks, so I apologize from now if I cannot update in two weeks. I know this is inconvenient, I myself hate this but what can I do?
To make it up, the next chapter will not only tell about a parodied play, but will also contain a bonus chapter and an omake. This time, it's about Olivia.
The last but not the least, The Knightfall just celebrated its 1st anniversary last month. At first, I didn't know the story would be this long and the reaction would be adorable, but for all of you God, reviewers, readers, and everyone who supported me in the last one year, I thank you. I'll definitely finish this story, whenever it might be.
Until that day comes, please bear with me till the end.
All in all, thank you! C u next chappy (^^)!