"We… killed their patriarch?"
"What kind of nonsense is that!? We did not even know the Azure Fist still had a Patriarch!", General Diao gritted his teeth. What kind of lies are the people of the Azure Fist sect spouting?
Headmaster Fu could only furrow his eyebrows in contemplation. He thought that they will be using this chance to attack Taizhou in the guise of revenge for what happened to Li Zhao. Their city was weak and vulnerable, so this was the best chance to do so.
But to say that Taizhou killed their Patriarch? Truly, General Diao was right. What kind of nonsense is this.
"When did they say this happened?"
"They… they didn't say. They just told us that we need to answer for our crimes"
General Diao could only sigh in frustration. It seems that the calamity of their city isn't over yet.
"Let us go meet them before this whole situation escalates. Old Fu, you should probably come as well.", General Diao looked at the Headmaster, "We don't know what's going to happen and we need all the hands we have"
Headmaster Fu nodded his head. He would have come even if the General did not ask for him, as he was curious as to what games the Azure Fist sect is up to now. Were they really that petty to escalate the situation like this just because their disciple got his ass handed on to him? Or is their patriarch really dead?
And so, the group exited the meeting hall in haste. But before they can even walk halfway to the gate, General Diao noticed something.
"…Boy, what are you doing?"
General Diao noticed that Viel was following them, along with Xing Cai.
"Eehh.. I thought we were meeting the people from the Azure Fist sect?", Viel tilted his head in confusion.
"This…", General Diao scratched his chin. He remembered the scene when this mysterious boy locked down the city. Viel seemed fine and calm now, but if he happens to see the man who allegedly ordered to kill his Grandpa Ling, General Diao could not even imagine what the boy would do.
"Let us adults handle this, okay?", General Diao cleared his throat awkwardly, "Perhaps it would be best for you and Elder Xing Cai to rest? I am sure the both of you are tired"
"Eeehh…", there was a clear disappointment in Viel's face. He looked to the side and started pouting his lips.
"I will go with you", Xing Cai, however, had a firm gaze as he looked at General Diao, "If the situation truly escalates, it would be best if I am there"
In truth, Xing Cai just wanted to test her new weapon. There was also the mysterious message of the floating words that said that she levelled up. She had no idea what that meant, so even though it was bad of her to think so, she hoped that the Azure Fist sect attacks. Them doing so will allow her to test her new found strength.
"Eeehh…what about me?", once again, Viel urged to come.
"Meet your friends?", Xing Cai said.
"Oh…", Viel placed his hand on his chin, as if really trying to deliberate on what the best thing for him to do right now, "That seems like a better idea", Viel said as his pout turned into a smile.
"Okay. Don't hog all the fun!", Viel said as he quickly waved goodbye, "Leave some for me!", Viel shouted as he disappeared into the distance.
"F-fun?", Professor Hamburgdole furrowed his eyebrows, "How is this situation even fun!?"
"Professor, he's just a child. Stop being so uptight, this is why your popularity is low in the annual teacher's popularity contest", Headmaster Fu said as he sighed.
"W-what?", Professor Hamburgdole was confused, "Wait…that's a thing!? W-where can I check that, Headmaster!?"
Headmaster Fu, however, did not answer as he continued to walk towards the southern gate.
---
Viel was currently outside the academy grounds, he was currently looking at the direction of the southern wall. He chuckled from time to time, as if he was watching something.
The people that saw him can't help but release sighs of pity, they thought that the little child had gone crazy and was left alone because of the beast calamity.
Initially, Viel checked on the others, but they seemed to be busy and had no time to play with him. Violet was still assisting her mother with healing the wounded.
Diao Mei was also helping her mother hand out some supplies to the citizens that were still in need.
His last resort was Wei Song, but he too was with his mother and sister.
It seems that all of them… were spending time with their mothers. So Viel decided to just roam around, until he stopped in one place and stared at the direction of the south wall.
[!!!!!!!]
Suddenly, he felt killing intent rise inside of him, causing his eyes to widen in shock.
And then, he felt a hand brush passed his shoulders.
He quickly turned back and grabbed the hand with force.
"O-ouch!"
Viel heard a familiar voice shouting in pain, causing him to recover from his stupor.
"Eh!? It's you", Viel stepped back. He then released a sorrowful gasp when he saw the hand of the woman that was sitting on a wheelchair. Her hand was twisted in a very awkward way.
"N-no, I'm sorry!", Viel frantically approached the woman. He started to panic as he did not know what to do.
"I…I'm fine, see?", the woman then raised her hand. To Viel's surprise, her hand was fine. There wasn't even a hint of bruise on it.
That was weird, Viel thought. He was sure that the woman's hand was twisted. Was he imagining things?
"I didn't think we will meet again so soon, Viel", the woman said.
"Uh…ahmm..", Viel looked to the side in embarrassment, "M-miss… Charon?"
"It's Charlotte!", the woman sighed as she patted Viel's head, "We're the only golden haired people here, at least remember my name", said Charlotte as she teasingly pouted.
"N-no, I remember! I was just joking!"
Charlotte chuckled as she saw Viel once again panicking. "I guess meeting again is inevitable… there's only a few of us left in the city", Charlotte sighed as she looked at the people. Even though she did not go out much, every time she looked out the window, the city was always bustling with people. Now, the only thing that were bustling were flies that stuck to the wounded.
Charlotte then noticed that Viel kept on looking at the direction of the south wall, his eyes squinted.
"Are you alright?", Charlotte said as she also looked at the direction Viel was looking at. In her view, the first thing that she saw was a woman who had her hair tied.
"Oh, did you want me to continue tying your hair?", Charlotte chuckled, "No need to be shy, you could have just told me. Come here then"
Charlotte patted her lap as she smiled at Viel.
"Hm?", Viel, who noticed that Charlotte was calling her could not help but tilt his head.
"Oh, didn't you want me to tie your hair?"
Viel thought for a while as he once again looked at the south wall. He squinted his eyes before hinting a smile.
This made Charlotte curious, was she wrong? Was Viel not looking at the woman with a braided hair? But before she could ask him, Viel slowly climbed up and sat on her lap, his legs excitedly wagging.
Never mind, thought Charlotte. Maybe Viel was just shy.
She then proceeded to braid that back part of Viel's long golden hair. "Hmm, you're so young, and yet your hair has grown this long. It really is much smoother than mine", said Charlotte as she brushed Viel's hair.
"That's because I am a god"
"Ofcourse you are", Charlotte could not help but chuckle. "And how old is your holiness?", Charlotte said in a teasing manner.
"I just turned 5!", Viel said as he turned his head, once again looking at the south wall.
"Don't move your head too much!", scolded Charlotte as she turned Viel's head so that she can braid it easier. "You're only 5? You seem so mature though"
"R-really? O-ofcourse!", Viel wagged his feet as he revealed an excited smile.
"Are… people treating you well?", Charlotte's tone then turned serious.
"Hm? Sure, I have plenty of friends!", Viel raised his fingers, "There's sister Xing Cai, Miss Mei, Miss Violet, Pei Pei wherever he is, brother Wei, Grandpa Diao…the fat man that gave me the smaphone…", Viel listed everyone he ever met.
"I…I see. That's good. That is good", Charlotte said as a relieved sigh escaped her mouth.
"What's wrong, Miss Charlotte?", Viel could not help but notice the sudden change of tone in Charlotte's voice.
"It is nothing", Charlotte shook her head.
"Eehh, what is it?", Viel turned his head to look at Charlotte. Only to see that Charlotte's eyes were starting to turn watery.
"It's nothing. You'll only understand it when you grow up", Charlotte forced a smile, "Although I am hoping that you don't"
"Tell me, tell me! I am mature!", Viel said as he thumped his chest.
Seeing Viel's expectant face, Charlotte could only sigh.
"You see, we look different from most of the people here", Charlotte removed her hood, revealing her golden hair. "And because of this they treat us differently…"
"Eehh… but isn't that normal?", Viel tilted his head in confusion, "I don't treat Miss Violet and brother Wei the same as well!"
Hearing this, Charlotte could only shake her head. "Then do you treat either one of them badly? Hurting them?"
Viel squinted his eyes as he placed his hand on his chin, "N-no, why would I do that?"
Charlotte chuckled, "I know you don't. But you see, there are bad people out there. Who treat other people who don't look like them like objects, as if their lives do not mean anything."
Charlotte suddenly stopped braiding Viel's hair, "Especially people like me, who took refuge here to escape from the war. They treated me as if I didn't matter"
"Just because you look different?"
Charlotte revealed an awkward smile, "I want to believe it is much more complicated than that. There are… certain privileges that are not meant for us", Charlotte said as she continued braiding Viel's hair, "But I could only blame myself… I mingled with the wrong people"
"Is that why you keep covering your head?"
"Well, that is a much longer story. Not for children!", Charlotte lightly hit Viel's shoulder.
"Eehh", Viel pouted, "But you shouldn't hide your face anymore! You have the same hair as me, that means you are beautiful as well!"
"Is that so?", Charlotte could not help but chuckle when she heard Viel's confident words.
"Hm", Viel nodded, his face brimming with pride.
The two continued to chat as Charlotte was still a long way in braiding the back part of Viel's long hair. Charlotte could not help but notice that Viel was still looking at the south wall from time to time. But she just shrugged her shoulders, there were a lot of stories in the west of children having a high affinity of seeing ghosts. She definitely did not want to get herself involve into that.
"There you go! All tied up!"
After a few more minutes, Charlotte has finally finished braiding Viel's hair. Leaving only the front part of his hair hanging freely. Making him look more elegant, like the son of an aristocrat.
"You kind of remind me of my brother"
"Your brother?"
Charlotte nodded, "Yes. Like the both of us, he also had golden hair"
"Really!? Can I meet him!?", Viel jumped from Charlotte's lap.
"I am afraid not…", Charlotte smiled wryly, "He… was in the war against the Demon Go- the Evil Monarch's army, fighting alongside the Hero of Freiden. I haven't heard from him since then"
Charlotte then released a heavy sigh. "Why am I always surrounded by people in the army!?", Charlotte let out a frustrated shout. "Even my husband is a guard leader!"
"Guard Leader Bai?"
"Hm. Speaking of, what is taking that man so long!", Charlotte closed her fist as she lightly hit her wheelchair's arm rest. "He suddenly left with a serious face, saying that he had something to do. We were supposed to help with the wounded!"
"He's outside", Viel said, once again staring at the south wall.
"You know where he is!?", Charlotte said, even though she seemed haughty, the worried expression on her face could not be hidden.
Viel nodded as he pointed at the direction of the south wall. "He is right there. Beside sister Xing Cai"
"What, where?", Charlotte squinted her eyes as much as possible, looking at the direction where Viel was pointing to, but to no avail. All she could see were random people and houses.
"Outside the gate. They are currently meeting with the Azure Fish people"
"A-azure…", hearing the name of the sect, Charlotte's expression quickly turned for the worse.
"Full of bad people. A bad man from there killed my grandpa"
"What!?", Charlotte was perplexed. How can this boy even say such a morbid thing so nonchalantly!?
"Hm. He ordered people to kill my Grandpa. His name was… Li Zhao", Viel once again pointed to the south wall, "See, that one right there. Li Zhao is right outside, along with other Azure Fish people"
"Li…Li Zhao!?", Charlotte started to panic, "N…no, is that why he had such a serious expression!?"
Charlotte quickly turned her wheelchair towards the direction of the southern gate. "P-please don't do anything rash, honey!", she then started to roll her wheelchair with haste, "Viel. S-sorry, I have to see my husband. Let's meet again so-"
Before Charlotte could finish her words, she could not help but take a deep breath as he saw Viel smiling as he continued to stare at the south wall.
"It doesn't matter though, Miss Charlotte. The Azure Fish people won't leave this place alive", Viel said as a smile slowly creeped on his face.
"All of them"