As I pack up the things I pulled out, I pick up the bladeless sword and see the beautiful decor of colourful gems embedded to make a beautiful phoenix crest. With white trims and other decors to make the golden guard more prominent...
(I wonder if it's used for fighting? I mean, it doesn't even have any blade in it).
The golden sheathe glisten and flash before my eyes. Wondering what's going on, I look to the side to see light pouring in from the cracks of the window. I open the curtains as the sunlight enters.
The sun soon starts to shine after a heavy storm. From the distance, I could see a rainbow bridge among the white clouds while rain droplets hang from the tip of weeds, shining like diamonds. It seems a perfect morning has dawned.
Riled up to start the day and help the kind people-
*slam*
"Huh?"
"You ready yet!?"
Yoo-Ah slams the door open which startle me a bit as I quickly reply,
"Um, sorry just a bit longer."
"Alright! I'll be waiting outside!"
She replies loudly with a smile as this is her second time asking. The first time being after I just entered. Before she leaves, she tilts her head and approaches me asking:
"Say is that blade yours? It's very pretty."
"Huh? Oh, I can't say it's mine since it belongs to my uncle (or Sis Yuwei's Dad to be precise)."
"I see... I was wondering if you can fight. But with decorations like that, it's probably nothing more than an ornament huh?"
"Yea."
I nod from her opinion, answering her back by pulling the sword out to show her what's inside. She shows a shocked face seeing that the sword has no blade. I sheathe it back and continue saying:
"But don't worry. I can still defend myself pretty well."
(Though I only met one fighter who calls her self a guardian of the Witch's forest I don't know the other fighters here so I gotta be careful).
I walk away from the window and place the blade at the table saying:
"Alright, I think I'm ready. Please teach me."
"Oh! Great! Then as your senior in work, you can start calling me Unnie!"
She points her thumb at herself while puffing her chest and I can't help but wonder,
"Unnie? Isn't that what girls call older girls? I'm a guy though."
She smacks my shoulder shouting:
"Hah! That's the most convincing yet pathetic excuse I've ever heard! Um... Just to be safe, how old are you?"
"Oh, I'm 16."
"Urk!"
Her smile cracks and she stomps shouting:
"Uh, your birthday! Yes, what's your birthday!"
"Oh, I was born in Quintus 3rd..."
(I didn't realize it was so close to my birthday... Just a few weeks left. I wonder if I'll get home in time to celebrate?)
Thinking back, Nicole or all Libera's follower never celebrates their birthdays and he told me that only Owlians and people who follow their customs celebrate the days of their birth. Hearing him makes me kinda sad that I had to throw him a birthday party for him as well. I still can't forget the shocked face he got and how he cries hearing me saying... What did I tell him again on his first birthday? I feel kinda bad forgetting something important.
I look back at Yoo-Ah who's tapping her feet and biting her thumb with cold sweat while staring at the corner. She turns at me hastily shouting:
"Um, I-I'm also s-sixteen BUT! I'm a few months older than you! So you still gotta call me Unnie!"
(Right, a few months different huh? I wonder... But I doubt I could do what Sis Fei do to me. Plus, no one would believe me if I'm a guy now... Sigh).
"Okay, pleased to have you helped me, Unnie."
"Yes! Good, then let's start with cleaning!"
She grabs my hand and pulls me out while she runs. Letting me go when I reach the centre of the empty hall with the scent of something delicious being cooked in the kitchen lingering in the air. With two buckets and a mop in each, she starts saying:
"Alright, listen up! Even though we open up every morning, customers usually arrive at noon since that's when the roads get busy."
"Busy? I'm pretty sure I travelled the roads from morning till night but there isn't a single person at all. Is there something going on?"
"Ah... Well, say, how long have you been here?"
"Just a few days?"
"Aaaaah! No wonder! Oh, then you need to know this! I don't want you to be left behind in the news as you travel around, that's probably how you were kicked out to wander in the roads huh? Poor you but those Owlian and war refugees and the people from Mohyusig probably overcrowded the already full city. Thank the spirits you were lucky enough to arrive here and safe."
"Wait, what happened?"
Yoo-Ah looks left and right before looking back at the kitchen saying:
"You see, ever since the news of a dangerous monster arriving last month. Many people are wary but still use the roads since they started to raise the security but everyone almost stops using them now when the huge monster showed up to attack the caravans and travellers. I heard it's one of the servants of the legendary F.A.B.L.E.D, so no low-rank Hunters or Beginner Adventurers could handle them."
(So there IS a monster! Phew! I'm very lucky I didn't encounter it! And that forest guardian girl must have mistaken me for it? Wait... How did she mistake me for it!? Did it look human?)
She takes a sit on one of the empty chairs and continues saying:
"And worst of all, the proper Adventurers at the city that were sent to deal with the monster was called to do something else."
"Huh, why? Isn't dealing with it the sooner the better?"
(And proper adventure? Is there not a real adventurer like Martial Artist or is that perhaps one of those different ranking system use by adventurers?)
She looks at the ceiling wistfully replying:
"You see, it was pretty recent, like 4 days ago or is it 3? Anyways! The entrance to the Witch's Forest- oh, sorry the city that guards the entrance to the Witch's Forest was attacked by a large monster swarm. Like freaking huge! Like, it's the biggest swarm this kingdom has ever seen and the second biggest swarm in the peninsula after the yearly hunt. Like even Champion class Monsters who are rulers of their territory showed up."
(Oh, schnitzel... Swarm? 4 days? Yearly hunt? I don't know about that but wait, does it have to do with me arriving? Nah, I'm probably what they call at the wrong place and at the wrong time. But since I missed the monster wave, I guess I'm at the right place and at the right time. Phew! I wonder if the luck in my life ran out there?
And wait, don't tell me those piles of corpses on those walls and streets are...)
"So, what happens next?"
Curious about the outcome and wanting to confirm my theory, I continue to ask but Yoo-Ah hesitates for a while before explaining:
"Well, with the shortage of capable hunter and adventurers in our city, those proper Adventurers were sent to deal with that monster wave and evacuate the city alongside the remaining low-rank adventurers, low-rank hunters and city guards this province can send. They were also hoping that the wanted Monster would be there as well."
"That's terrible! What happened?"
She pours two cups of cold tea from the counter and pats the seats beside her saying:
"Sit, it's kind of a long story."
Taking her advice I take a sit and took a sip of the tea saying:
"Thank you..."
She nods and continues saying:
"The city was sieged and only lasted for days while the people are still being evacuated from the other gate."
"That's... What happened to the people being evacuated? Are those people safe?"
"I don't know the details but my sister and I were there to help when I saw the long line of people evacuating to both Meondosi and Meonbich. I was even called back today and asked to return to help with the administration at Meondosi and cancel my yearly vacation because of this disaster. "
"That's horrible... I'm sorry to hear that. To think the city was completely abandoned like that."
(No wonder there is so much stuff lying around. Now that I think about it, some houses even have a table full of food still intact like the one I stayed in. Still, from what I learn swarms tend to happen during monsters migration, when gathering upon rich spots to feast or... The worst scenario, being called upon).
"That's right but luckily most of the people escaped, and even though they left their possessions back there, I'm sure they're glad to still be alive. It was so bad that the Guardians of the Witch's Forest went out of their posts and intervene but thank goodness they arrived. It was thanks to them that they were able to clean them up and help the refugee. Even a single Guardian can kill the Champion class monsters and the remaining monsters- ah..."
Yoo-Ah soon turns silent in the middle of her explanation. Even though I met her recently, seeing her bright energetic smile becoming a frown just felt wrong.
(Oh... Oh no... Don't tell me...)
"I-Is something wrong?"
My mouth trembled from asking as I realize it now. Yoo-Ah finishes her drink and walks away saying:
"But that was wishful thinking. I don't know the details but while I was helping out, the Seer of the Forest who is helping us along the split road immediately fell to a seizure which shocked the other guardians to help her out. In her last breathe she yells out to all guardians to help the last Guardian who was still in the city, saying a catastrophe is there and they need to help her before passing out."
(I knew it... But catastrophe? Me? Maybe it's actually the monster?)
"Few hours after the Guardians set out to the city, I saw the three come back with a barely alive Guardian in his arms. I'll spare you the details of her injury but it is said that she wasn't healing from any potions or elixirs they gave her so her condition still remains critical. The entire kingdom was sent to panic and the King immediately use his Royal Decree to proclaim martial law."
"M-Martial Law? I never heard such a thing."
She grabs a mop and wrings it dry replying:
"You must be living in a peaceful country to never hear of that. I guess that's why they call it Heaven."
Yoo-Ah looks up before saying:
"But yeah... A monster that doesn't use brute strength but smart enough to employ strategies, ploys, and tactics. Powerful enough to call Champions into their waves, along with having enough power to mortally injure the Guardians of the Forest one on one who is said to be as strong as peak Mid-rank Hunters and proper Adventurers, along with the power of making healing magic and items to be useless... Now that they realize what kind of monster they're dealing with. The Guild from the Heavens agrees and quickly deem that as a true monster with an estimated,
{ B - A } Rank Threat.
So either a party of High - Rank Hunters is hired from Heaven or a pioneer will be called back from beyond the dark continents to deal with this.
*gulp*
(What have I done... I don't know about the other traits but two of those are definitely because of me. I almost killed the Guardian thanks to my mercilessness and she probably can't heal because I use my Owlian Steel weapon to damage her. Wait, Owlian weapons can prevent people from healing? I just know that. No wonder it's banned, not only renders them useless, it absorbs the essential power and resources this world needs, along with it can also prevent people from healing an injury? That's dangerous. And the fact that it didn't pop in my head means Mary probably don't know either. Seems there are a lot of things that are still a mystery).
She hands me the mop in her hand saying:
"Here, you said you know how to mop right? Well, you can start now. Just start with the 2nd floor from the stairs behind you. The sooner we finish the better. I can tell you when we're done."
"A-Ah! Right away!"
(The guilt seemingly burns at my heart and soul as I realize I was one of the reasons this happened).
"Wait, then what are you two doing out here!? Isn't this place dangerous!?"
I yell at her feeling worried but Yoo-Ah merely shrugs it off saying:
"The same reason as you, we don't have a home in the city. We have no relatives to ask for a home to stay. If we live there now, we would be sleeping on the streets thanks to the massive overcrowding. Well, I could sleep on the guild but they won't let anyone who isn't working at the guild sleep there... So, I don't want to leave my sister alone out here."
She placer her hand on her chest as if she's holding something and continue saying:
"I'll be the one to protect her, unlike my useless big brother who never shows up and never even send us help when he is supposedly very strong and has an "amazing" job! I'll swear I'll think of something so she can leave her first!"
She answers back full of rage while grinding her teeth. My heart sank from her answer as I fully realize my actions.
(My foolish actions. Sure, I may not know the consequence back then but my actions still resulted in such a good person suffering like this! I put her in trouble, I put many people in danger! But what am I suppose to do? I didn't know how strong she was to run away- No! I won't justify my actions! I'm here to fix it!)
"Hey, don't look so grim. You are a victim too. Come let's clean this place up and welcome our customers with the biggest smile!"
She wipes her tears away and tries to cheer me up. I stare at her for a while before I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I let it out with a nod and force a smile replying:
"Yea!"
(I know I may not have a direct cause for this but I'll fix this mess! I'll repay these kind people by making things right! I'll hunt that monster and end this mess! I'm sorry Sis but it seems I may be late).