I slowly regained my consciousness when I felt a raging urge within me:
"WAAHHH!!! WATER! I NEED WATER! I AM THIRSTY!" I shouted quite loudly.
As I shot up, I noticed that I am now in my bed. I wandered my heavy eyes for a bit, then saw a hand that holds a metallic goblet in front of me.
"Ah, so you are alright. Welcome back, kid. You did quite well back there."
Pops, who was firmly handling the goblet, greeted me with his usual tone.
Instead of answering, I swiftly snatched the cold goblet and gulped down its contents with a single go. I prompted him to give me some more, since I felt that this unquenchable thirst is extraordinary.
"Well? How does it feel in subjugating your first-ever foe? Tell me how you feel right now, kid." probed by my Pops when he sat next to me.
Hearing the term 'monster' gave a jolt into my mind and after that, those thoughts and memories returned to me, filling my mind in an instant.
I cannot help but to be sad upon realizing the effects of the fight with Nada...
"How are things right now? How is Nada? Are they all safe, both the Swordsfolk and the Swordless?" I inquired gloomily.
"Well, thanks to your efforts, you caused a 'curious' event between the two factions." he seriously responded.
Hm? What do you mean by that, Pops?
"About that kid, do not be worried. He is in a fine condition now. Your 'Boss' already took care of him back in Mantleta." he monotonously continued.
!!!
Remembering back to the fight with the Effese, the sight of the destroyed plaza flashed back in my mind. I tried to push my body to move so that I can stand, but my Pops stopped me.
"Hey now, kid. Your body is weak as of now and still recuperating. Resting is the best option for you to regain you strength back." he nagged as he lightly patted my head.
"B-But! The plaza was destroyed! I have to see what happened to my folks who were completely devastated to that mishap!"
I tried to struggle in my bed, but alike to that statement of my Pops, indeed...I am quite weak to even stand up.
"Hmmm... you have changed, kid,"
What are you talking about Pops?
I looked at his direction to confirm his words, only to be shocked of what I saw on his face.
Pops, who was smiling in front of me, shuddered on his own while droplets of tears were flowing freely into his eyes.
"P-Pops?"
"Hehe.... I never thought that I will be seeing the day that you will embrace our culture, much more our people, despite hating them both!" he happily remarked while trying to wipe the tears off his face.
Are you being sad or happy right now? I am just not quite sure...
Because, for the first time in my life, I watched my Pops cry openly in front of me.
Needless to say, seeing him in this behavior left me unsure of what to say, nor to react.
Oh, Pops... is he going to show his patriarchal affection for me right now?
"Did I make you worry, Pops? Please, do not cry. You are making me embarrassed!" I timidly whispered to him.
"Well, I am not quite sure about that. It is impossible for me to worry about something, after all." he swiftly responded,
Never mind. This is my Pops, we are talking about.
Suddenly, the moment I was about to fume about his lame response, he locked me in his soft embrace.
"Really, you are such a handful daughter, kid. You did not only make me worry there. but you also gave me a gigantic feeling of fear. I thought that I will not be able to see you again."
My Pops' voice trembled while gently stroking my hair.
"It is okay to be reckless sometimes. Actually, that is a given to all of us. But make sure that you take care of yourself, alright? I cannot afford to lose you...no, not a chance." he continued.
P-Pops...
So... these are your true feelings, huh?
At that juncture, I recalled my memory from my childhood.
He was the type of person that never even visited my room just to talk to me. For the majority of his days, he usually locked himself in the smithy and only goes at home whenever he wanted to rest or eat.
You... also changed as well, Pops.
"I-I am so sorry to worry you, Pops. I will be careful to my future adventures from now on. I do not want you to cry like this, after all." I said silently, wanting to suppress this incoming emotion at me.
He lightly smacked my head before freeing me from his warm embrace.
"Heh... what a cheeky kid. Now, as a compensation, I order you to make me some honey acre soup every day! Got it, kid?"
"Grrr... You are just using this emotional moment between us for your own benefit, eh? You are a sly one, Pops!" I annoyingly remarked in front of him.
My Pops laughed merrily, so loud that it felt like a new sound in my ears, then looked at me passionately:
"Welcome back, my dear Astoria."
...
Really, I do not even know how to respond to that.
Pops stood up, retrieved a bowl of hot soup, and offered it to me.
"Here, eat up. Make sure that you regain your strength for tomorrow. After eating your dinner, go to sleep again. I am sure that you will be able to see the effects of your actions on the next day..." he happily said.
Huh?
"Hold on, Pops. Tomorrow? Dinner? What are you talking about?" I curiously asked.
"Well, I hate to say this now, but you were out for the entirety of the day. After defeating the Effese, you suddenly collapsed and lost your consciousness. I already asked the Doctor to mend you, but he said that you just needed a lot of rest. So here, eat this soup already!" he answered while pushing the bowl into my lap.
Huh...so right now, it is evening. How odd.
"Hey, Pops?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
I smiled mischievously then continued on my statement:
"Can you assist me in eating this soup? My arms are extremely weak, after all."
"*sigh* Fine. I will help you kid." he slowly uttered.
I spent a heart-warming time with my Pops and afterwards, I fell asleep.
...
...
How long was I out?
"Hey, Tori! Wa... up!"
"*mumble*"
"Tori! Wake up!"
"*mumble* *sneeze*"
"Hey! Stupid smitha! Wake up!"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING STUPID, HA?!"
I sprung up in my bed when I heard the insolent voices of these two boys.
The nerve of these two! How dare they enter my room without my permission just to shout at me like that!
Due to my rage, I grabbed their respective cheeks and pinched it strongly.
"WAAAAGHHHH!!!:
"RAGHHHHHHH!!! STUPIDH SMIDHA!!!"
As a response to my wrathful assault, they also squeezed my soft cheeks so forcefully, I thought that they might fall off.
"Hey now, so I am correct after all. You three seem to get along very well now!"
Amidst our harrowing duel against each other, my Pops greeted us in front of the door. He pleasantly looked towards us with a satisfaction in his face.
"We are not in good terms at all!" I stubbornly shouted.
The two of them decided to visit me in order to know how I was doing after the battle against the Effese. According to Roy, it was absolutely baffling to witness an otherworldly power in that dire situation, especially when he saw me wielding that said power right in my very own sword.
On his side however, Malthur remained silent.
"Now, now... I know that the three of you had a lot of catching up to do. So you can just save that for the breakfast. Come join us, you two!" said by my Pops to the two boys.
Both of them took the hospitable invitation of my Pops.
The four of us took our heavy breakfast in a swift manner while talking about important things regarding the attack of the monster. I was pleased to know that no one was gravely injured into the fight and for those who attempted to fight the Effese head-on were now in the state of healing, thanks to the 'Healing Wing of Estocia.' Furthermore, the stature of the plaza and its related infrastructures were now reconstructed due to the joint forces of the League and the Infantry branch, who immediately responded in the place.
Hmmm...so they can work together after all...
In the end, our discussion was gigantic that we had to resume it on our way out.
"I will accompany you kid, let us go to the League." my Pops promptly remarked as he prepared to go with us.
All of us exited the house while feeling the morning breeze of the atmosphere.
Wah... I missed this blissful feeling!
Hmmm?
"Come here and look at my wares! These authentic objects are artistically and practically crafted to your specific needs in everyday life, whether if you are a Swordsfolk or a Swordless! What are you waiting for? Browse at my wares that are genuinely made from Mantleta!"
"Cow's milk! Cow's milk for you madam? Do not hesitate to ask for my discount for a free bottle! This is the only move that I will employ to the folks of Estocia as an opening for our business here from the village, so do not be shy to approach us!"
"If you want a fresh and affordable meat that are originally catered from the green pastures of Mantleta, you just came in the right place! What will it be today, fair lady? Do you fancy a succulent tenderloin? Or how about chicken meat? We have a lot of those!"
While passing through the huge crowds of people in the streets up to the marketplace, I cannot help but to overhear the joyful and enthusiastic shouts of the sellers around here.
Hmmm? Are they here to expand their business perhaps? I have not seen their fresh faces around here...
I ignored that thought in my mind and just pressed on in walking, when we eventually reached the League.
Hmmm... there seems to be a lot of people around here than usual. Are they waiting for something?
Oh!
"Ah, big lady! You are finally here!" greeted by the familiar girl that I encountered in the village of the Swordless.
"H-Hello there, Amenthia... what a surprise to see you here! Uhm... what are you doing here?" I awkwardly asked.
What happened to the strictness of the newcomers here in the city?
"I came here to play with a cute girl! Have you seen her? She suddenly disappeared." she responded, looking extremely worried.
"Girl? Which one? Do you happen to know her- FWA!"
I was about to ask the name of her friend when a tiny person suddenly hugged my legs.
"WAAAAHHH!!! TORIIII!!! YOU ARE OKAY! I WAS SO WORRIED!!!"
It was Fae.
She bawled heavily in front of me as I tried my might to ease her feelings. I embraced her tightly in return and talked to her until she regained her cheerfulness.
"AH! Sir Samson is here and...wait, she is here as well! Lady Astoria is here!!!"
Suddenly, someone shouted into our vicinity and it made the other people come out off the building as well. The crowd inside of the League were extremely cheerful and loud when they saw us standing well and looking shocked due to the strangeness of the situation.
"Thank goodness, you are safe!"
"Waaaahhh!!! What a legendary feat!"
"For the honor of the Guildia!!!"
Various voices rang out when I just awkwardly watched them since they completely blocked the passage of the League building.
H-Hey... we cannot enter the League if you block the door like that!
Even if I was wearing my worried face in front of this crowd, they just continued their relentless cheering as their number increased exponentially.
"Right, we are here now. We are gathered here in order to celebrate the subjugation of the monster that terrorized our city!"
Pops stood in front of the door and shouted normally in his voice. In just an instant, the noisy crowd simmered and listened to his announcement.
"Furthermore, we shall relish a new beginning with the people who were different from us in terms of culture, way of living, and preferences."
The moment he said those words, various voices mumbled about when a group of people walked towards the entrance of the League.
I do not know their names respectively, but one thing is for sure:
All of them resided in Mantleta, the village of the Swordless.
These are the people outside of the city who are not supposed to set foot into the grounds of the Swordsfolk, but here they are....
"My dear brothers and sisters, in the absence of the Chief, I introduce you to the Head of the Mantleta village!"
The relentless murmuring of the crowd intensified even further when the doors of the League suddenly opened, revealing the image of a man, slowly moving forward in front of us.
"T-The Hermit Myrmidon!!!"
"He has returned!!! Is this reality?!"
"This is...unreal!"
Various voices cried out when they saw the composed face of the Boss. He joined with my Pops and began to speak:
"My name is Boitesy Dû Halcyon and... I am the Head of the Mantleta village!" he remarked with great conviction and emotion.
The villagers in front of him roared in unison, manifesting their uncontainable happiness and excitement. As I surveyed my sight in the majority of the crowd, the other people (who are part of the Swordsfolk), are having their worries in the situation.
I looked at the valiant face of the Boss...
Are you sure about this?
I thought that you loathed these people? They were the reasons of your downfall in your past, correct...?
As I was being conflicted into that thought, he somehow saw my troubled expression and upon locking gazes with him for a moment, he gave me a proud smile...
A smile that conveys a simple message:
"Everything is alright!"
I cannot help but to smile into that expression.
Very well, Boss. If this is what you wish...!
Even if some of the people were unsure regarding this surprising reveal of their renowned Myrmidon in the past, it did not stop those who support the Boss to roar in a mighty cheer and applause.
"Yes! Finally!"
"Boss!!! Is smiling! He is smiling!"
"Welcome back, you hunk of a man!"
As I observed this situation, I felt nothing except the overwhelming surge of happiness and joy in my heart. Seeing this man who made a comeback on his original home made me cheerful on his behalf.
Ahhh... this scenery. I thought that it was impossible to see this vision in my entire life...
A reality where both Swordsfolk and Swordless can cheer together...
Truly, what a sight to behold!
"SILENCE!!!"
Suddenly, a roaring voice shot up amidst the stirring crowd and in an instant, it made them acknowledge its voice. The crowd became completely silent as they let the charismatic person through in order for him to set foot in front of the League building. On his back were a squad of marching men that are heavily coated with white armor. They made metallic sounds while making their way in front of the shocked Boss and mildly surprised Pops.
It was the 'valiant' Commander of the Infantry branch, Sir Silverman!
At least, that was the naming that got stuck in my head from yesterday...
"Ah, Sir Silverman! Are you here to welcome the Head of the Mantleta village? Well, I believe that you already know who he is..." welcomed by my Pops to the irritated Commander when he is finally in front of them.
See? Even Pops calls him in that name!
"Enough with your usual farce, Samson. I came here not to bicker but to behold the face of the renowned Myrmidon that disappeared on his age of fame and popularity!" said by the laughing Silverman.
The Boss became weary of the Commander when he heard his words and took his statements in a negative thought.
"How are we faring with life, Halcyon? You are looking... well on these days." commented by the sneering Commander.
"I...I am fine, Argenleu. How are you as well?" Boss responded awkwardly.
Instead of replying, the Commander raised his left hand and made a signal to his troops at his back. In an instant, the soldiers unsheathed their swords out of their respective scabbards and held it up relatively close to their mouth. The movement was fluid and quick that it made everyone gasp from surprise and awe. On his own, the Commander sighed heavily and did the same alike to his troops.
When he presented his Silver-coated sword in front of us, he bowed majestically and bellowed:
"On behalf of the Infantry branch and the people that you have helped, I, Argenleu van Fidorra, give my warmest and sincerest gratitude!"
When he announced those words, the soldiers behind him roared in unison as they raised their respective swords aloft the sky.
"HURRRAHHH!!!"
It took some time for the rest of the crowd to figure out what the soldiers were doing. When they finally grasped the atmosphere while looking at one and another, they joined with the cheers as well.
"I...I am not quite sure about this. Are you certain for your gratitude, Commander? You are a prideful man, after all." the Boss said with worry in his face.
"Hah! You wound me with those words, Halcyon. It will be a disgrace for my part to not express my thanks when you helped us in the time of our need. Make no mistake, I still think that the Infantry branch is still superior than this League, but today, allow me to give you my gratitude."
Commander Silverman laughed uncharacteristically and with a sudden turn in his movements, he faced the cheering crowd.
"My beloved Swordsfolk, today is the day that we feast!!!" he roared happily.
"HOOOOOORAYYYY!!!"
"Amidst the face of this festivities, do not forget that the child will still face our trials someday...." said by the Commander with a sudden turn of tone on his voice.
As a response to the odd words of Sir Silverman, my Pops nodded on his side, showing an understanding to his statement. It seems like they were directly intended to him.
I was wondering that sudden turn of events for the both of them, when the crowd roared even further on their excitement and started to move in a peculiar manner...
A-Are they dancing?
To be precise, is that the... Sahgana dance?!
SHARPS! I have to get out of here!
Driven by my sudden panic, I slipped out of the crowd and began to hide outside of the League lot. I managed to get away to the increasing crowd without being seen as I wondered on where to lie down to pass the time.
In an empty lot beside the houses, I happened to find a bench and so, I decided to rest myself on it.
I should stay here for the time being. I cannot find it within me to commit myself in that embarrassing dance!
Hm?
"Anise... what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Silvos at this instant?!"
Suddenly, I heard a voice that sounded flustered and annoyed. Even without looking at the person, I immediately concluded that he is the person in my mind that can sound alike to this voice.
After all, I spent the majority of the time with him while listening to his annoying complaints and shenanigans.
I peered in the direction of the sound and upon seeing the two figures talking shadily into the empty lot of the Swordsfolk residences, I have become too curious...
Ah, so I was correct.
Malthur showed his hostility in front of a brown-haired woman that was clothed in a pitch-black dress- a traditional attire for professional handmaidens around this continent. The woman insisted in talking with Malthur while pushing a carefully-folded paper to his face.
"I was sent here by the Marquess to give you a parchment letter that bears his words directly to you, Sir Malthur. Please accept it so that I will be on my way." stated by the woman with a brunette hair named Anise.
Hearing her voice like this, she sounded aloof towards Malthur.
Malthur crossed his arms and shouted:
"I do not need it! Tell to Gilcram that I do not need to talk to him anymore!"
Anise sighed heavily then replied:
"Ah, of course, Sir Malthur. But please, take this letter first before I can do that request for you. I still have a lot of chores to do after talking with you, after all..."
"Heh, it seems that he's been keeping you busy, eh?"
"Well, it is because of this certain someone who is extremely difficult to deal with. Thanks to him, my pile of chores are continuously surging to no end!"
I can feel the annoyance of Anise from her voice, although somehow passive and composed...
"I do not care who is this person! Just be on your way so that you can tend to your other chores!" mouthed by Malthur while making gestures with his fingers, signaling the fair maiden to go away.
Hey! This is a beautiful woman in front of you! Why are you chasing her away?!
"Ah, how unfortunate... and here I was, thinking that Sir Malthur is extremely skillful in detecting sarcasm. I may have overestimated you in my mind..." sighed by Anise.
Malthur tilted his head in confusion.
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
"Oh no, nothing. Let me see... if respectful means do not work... *ahem* The Marquess also told me to rely to you a message concerning about the Chief here in this little city."
Huh?
"Chief? Here in Estocia?" asked by Malthur who was instantly piqued by Anise's words.
"Correct. He says that the Chief of this city is currently hiding in Silvos and so, he requests you to... well, the contents of the request are in this letter so, if you will..."
"Argh! Fine! Fine! I will take it and read it, okay?!"
Malthur snatched the paper and opened its contents.
"Hm... what a good boy. Well then, my job here is done. If you will excuse me."
Anise gave a proper curtsy to the fuming Malthur, then suddenly disappeared.
Wah! She...she j-just...!
I suddenly became anxious upon seeing that visual in front of me. Was he talking to a ghost? A monster, perhaps?
"Get out of there, smitha! I know that you are there, you know?"
"Eeeek!"
H-He knows?!
Having my cover revealed by this Mal-git, I slowly went to his direction with a feeling of shame in my side.
When I faced him, he suddenly clicked his tongue and crumpled the letter that he read with much force and fury.
"Agh! These adults are so troublesome!" he said, obviously annoyed.
"What happened? What did it say" I asked him.
"Hmph! I will just discuss it later. I am not in the mood to tell it to you at this instant!"
…Hey, you are being so rude right now.
We were about to walk back to the entrance of the League, since we somehow heard the silence around of the vicinity, when we were suddenly surrounded by the same crowd from earlier. They looked at us with a mischievous look and shouted a roaring chant in unison:
"SAHGANA! SAHGANA! SAHGANA!"
Oh, sharps...!
"Really, you two! Do not hide like that in the face of our festivities! Especially you, Tori! You will be the center of this celebration for subduing the Effese! Come, we have to do this!"
Out of nowhere, Roy appeared in the crowd and pulled us out together in the center of everyone. All of the Swordsfolk around us danced in a very bizarre manner that resembled on their chants.
"SAHGANA, HO! SAHGANA. HO!"
*SIGH*
I guess it cannot be helped.
Perhaps due to being tranced at the overwhelming happiness that was surging around the crowd, my body moved on its own.
In the end... I was forced to do this embarrassing dance in front of everyone, even if it was against my will.
"Really, I hate the culture, tradition, and people that has something to do with swords!"
I only managed to shout those words with a smile on my face.