I'm back at the Campbell manor. I can't get that goblin out of my head now. It's getting harder to find Ramisus now that I have more questions. If I go to the library myself I'll get bombarded with those assholes with their noses up their asses.
"Urhg… sigh...." What am I gonna do? I think I just messed up my first ever chance of finding her. If that really is Tessa… yeah. I wouldn't want to acknowledge me either with how different our lives are. Not only am I up here with the fancy lifestyle of boredom, but if she is actually a goblin… that is most definitely my fault.
… all those years we've known each other… or in her case known of each other's existence… I don't think I've ever called her by her name respectfully. Tessa. Tess… I'd either call her tess… or goblin to pick on her a bit. I didn't say it that often and I thought it was cute. She used to be an absolute troll when we were kids. Calling me a spoiled punk sometimes. A total tomboy so much so that the term goblin was accurate at the time. I thought it was something only she and I had then until she suddenly stopped talking to me one day. One of the other kids I played with often told me she stole something from my cubby one day and they were trying to give it back to me and she got into trouble with the teacher often for no reason. When I found out why. That was the first fight I got into and she suddenly disappeared one day while I was in suspension. I asked the teacher what happened to her and they decided on their own that she was a bother to me. I snapped and threw quite the fit about it afterward. I got moved to a boarding school for a few years then saw her again in the academy I wanted to graduate from. But I was suddenly hit with a ton of attention that I didn't need then. Even if I went there as the top student, I only wanted to keep my parents off my back for the fights. I got into martial arts and kendo to stop the questions on my path. Told stories about what I want to be. All that bullshit about an academic career. Who gives a shit if you don't have the money for it. I had plenty of money to do as I please just to get everyone off my case. So I can hang out with her for a while.
She was just as amazing. With almost no effort at all. Maybe it was because she didn't have anything else but studying since no one would go to her. She stayed above me at everything, and I was more than happy with that until she missed one test. Why did the teacher chew her out for one missed test that didn't do anything for us? I found out just before graduation that she was so penniless that she lived at her night job. She was skilled, talented and had nothing but the clothes on her back and pocket change she earned to get that far and they still treat her poorly. I wanted to start over so I approached her and gave her my best smile. I missed messing around with her and it hurt seeing her so down. It was like she was already soulless. She didn't pay me any mind and when I did get a response from her or even had a group with her, all I got was a sharp response like a robot. Not her wits, not her jokes she used to tease me with. She wouldn't even look at me. And the moment we had any free time, she'd bail to be alone somewhere. What was she running from? Why did I not notice these things? Why did she leave? Why am I getting the cold shoulder? I don't know. I do know why she may hate me now, though.
"I wonder if I can make this better."
"Make what better?"
"Hah!?" I look at my door and see Ramisus towering in the frame as pale as the snow at the peak of the mountain. "Jesus Christ. Don't scare me like that. I nearly had a heart attack."
"Apologies, Master Vaticus."
"Urgh. I told you to just call me Xyle. The master thing makes me seem like I am a wise man and I'm just a kid compared to you."
"Yet I am no older than you."
"What are you, like thirty?"
"Twenty-seven as of last week."
Huh? Last week? Oh right. Here in neutelos the high ground has something called days of passing wisdom. They only celebrate their birthdays on select days with one marriage celebration. I think it was five lifetime celebrations and a marriage. Your day of birth, the day of learning which is around like five or ten. Coming of age, for girls it's sixteen and boys it's nineteen. Day of independence, again girls are twenty, boys are twenty-five. And finally the day of wisdom when anyone can make it past sixty or seventy. I was told he gets sick often which is why I hardly see him. And I can see why now that I can get a better look at him without that cloak he always wears. The mans a twig. Not even half the build of his brother, who is actually pretty fit for a spoiled brat.
"Well, what's up? You almost never come looking for me, so it must be pretty important."
"I was told you were looking for me yesterday. Something seems to be really bothering you."
"Ah. yeah. But if you're feeling under the weather you don't have to. I was just curious about something. I'm sure I can find it if I look around a little."
"... would you care to join me for a walk?"
"What?? Uh…" he never invites me anywhere. He never went anywhere outside of these halls. "... yeah, sure. Just a second."
"You sound quite excited."
"Uh… sorry. It's just your invitation was so out of nowhere that I felt like I had to take the opportunity. Can't miss this chance when you're at your best right now, right?"
"I'm honored you feel that way."
"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go."
"Of course."
Okay this is very good. Now to start with our usual question short answer walks. I ask my questions on the details about the lower sector and the outer areas. The places outside of Manchester. About the rumors, the stories of the gods, the lore of this world. Even things he obviously never ventured himself like who the best sword teacher and martial arts teachers would be. He told me that the best place to look for to learn how to fight would be at the adventurers guild. Not the knights faction. When I asked why he said "It would probably be best to get experience from those that continue their daily activities of survival." and with that said I made sure to make that my first priority.
"... What is it that is driving you?"
"Huh??"
"It's not hard to see that you don't like it here, to put it softly. Why are you still here? When you have the freedom to do as you please and leave if you feel like it?"
"Ah…" huh. He's not wrong. I could just go anywhere I want to and not care about anyone since I already got a good head start. "Well… then I wouldn't have a friend to talk to normally. Sure it would be great to go and get these answers myself, but… I don't think there's a better option for me right now since this is where they put me."
"I see. So you are simply following the prophecy. You felt more free spirited than that, but I suppose not."
"Wha…?? Uh-oh. Uh… well…" what the fuck was that about? "To be honest, I don't really care about the job I was given. They just gave me this title to make my job easier."
"You make it sound as if the gods were aloof." They kind of are. "What is your job? If I may ask?"
"Find Palitoh's eyes and awaken them to receive the first gift." The gods gave me this mission, which put Neutelos in a bad mood and now Palitoh is the only one that goes back and forth with Neutelos' messages to me. Only chosen kings with completed blessings from all the gods can hear the voice of Neutelos. Which is complicated as fuck but oh well. Palitoh then told me to simply do what I think is necessary. Which completely contradicts what they told me. He didn't deny that the kings needed to be awakened though, but their statement was false when they said I need to awaken the kings. I just need to get something from them when they awaken.
"So you must find one of the fallen kings. I see." huh?
"Uh. fallen kings?"
"It seems your job is to awaken the seven kings of Neutelos. The one you speak of is a beastman king, the king of gold, Harris of Beastwood. So the kings are meant to give you something?"
Seems so. "I'm not sure what it's meant for, but only four of them want me to do this. Palitoh hasn't agreed to this apparently. So I'm just gonna do what I can for right now."
"Ah. there's the carefree hero." Rather than carefree, it's more accurate to say I'm more confused. "Shall we sit? I'm starting to get wary."
"Oh yeah of course!" It took me a minute to realize that we were out in the garden. I guess he wanted to hang outside for a while. Though the garden looked pretty plain. You'd think places like this would have a bunch of gardeners working on making this place look… I dunno. Alive. This place has green everywhere but that's about it.
"So you must find an item of the gods and do what?" he asked as he sat on the wall under the shade of the tree.
"Not sure. I was only told to go find the gold king first. They didn't tell me what I am getting or where it is. And the one that's supposed to tell me is somewhere else."
"So, Palitoh is not active for this mission then, but he is the only one that can tell you where his king resides. It sounds like it's quite the hassle being the only one that can summon the gods for a conversation."
"Yup."
"Hm…" and he's spacing out. Time to sit in silence for- "According to the tales of the devastation, a bit over two decades ago, a battle had taken place just outside of Hontell, the continent of daemons. During which the gods raised hell to remove a threat to the world of Neutelos and won the battle with a heavy price. Two gods were lost, and so were those that followed them. The white church vanished and the black church was destroyed in record with the sudden banishment of the first kings. Based on the things I've studied about the event, I can probably tell you roughly where you can start your search."
"... uh... wow. Really? Let's go figure it out then! Maybe if I find it they can tell me what I want to know."
"Then, if I think about the tale of the gold king, he was born and raised in Hontell. But the temple he resided in was moved. We should figure out where it could be based on the tell."
"Let me guess, he liked to travel."
"A lot, yes. The gold king was a wanderer that loved to explore the lands of Neutelos. The tales of each place he visited was quite vague. But If I can think of the geography of the land better, maybe I can tell you the general location and you can start there."
"Hell, we've already started! This is great!"
"We?"
"Yeah. you may not be able to go many places but you might as well be part of it. You got all the intel needed for this journey. Is there a way to communicate long distance here? Maybe I could…"
"There isn't here yet. Hontell is the only place with most of the technical advances in this world. The first prince has been trying to get a delegation set up to have a gathering. It's been a long time since the gathering tower was used by the four nations."
"Four? What about the Kashtire dessert?" for some reason I instantly knew which one was being left out."
"... they haven't claimed themselves as a nation but rather a civilization of travelers. They chose not to take part. I can't really tell you why though, but I can say it's the reason the goblins are not viewed highly."
"Hm… alright. Nothing you can do about that then."
"Though to be far the only reason the meetings haven't happened in so long is because the daemons have yet to answer to any of the responses sent out as far as I've heard."
"Ugh… that sounds rough."
"Indeed." Ramisus suddenly lets out a heavy sigh like he was in pain. I didn't like how it sounded.
"We should head back in now. You don't look too good."
"Yes. Thank you." I help him up and we carefully make our way back to the mansion. I was able to get a servant to help him back to his room while I went back to mine thinking about what he told me. I haven't been told the stories and I haven't had the chance to read them myself. But I can basically get this guy to help me get the cheat codes to get there. Let's see if I can talk to the gods about her for a second. See if they can say anything at all.
… Hello?
I have a song going in my head right now since it seems to get their attention better. They seem to like music but it doesn't work all the time. It makes me wonder where they wander off to to not hear it since the people here do play a lot of music. Well, I say people, but it's mostly the nobles that don't deal with the music unless they have a party, which is kind of rare.
Hello~? Anyone there? Raida? Bateyalo? Liluna? Hyula?
… Still nothing.
...Palitoh?
Uh-huh?
Whoa!? Palitoh??
Yes??
Oh my god. Finally, someone is there! Listen your siblings are sending me on a wild goose chase to find your yellow king. Can you help me?
I don't know where the guy got sent off to. I've been busy watching over these idiots' mess.
Mess?? You haven't been looking for your king?
He's alive and that's all I need to know right now. This one is a bit more important since it can affect the area. Oh! You should start training for a fight soon. Since you've already been told about the battle from the disaster, this will make it easy. The forbidden ones are returning soon. I need you to get ready for it and protect the forgotten one here.
Wait. what!? Forgotten one?? Forbidden ones?? And what are you watching over so earnestly to ignore the guy you summoned?
Don't question your presence here. You shouldn't even be in this space without the temple to begin with but I'm answering you because the others are in time out for this mishap. Go to the guilds in Mairs and talk to the masters there to get a trial. See what you can learn and get your license so you can travel more freely outside of the city later. Start tomorrow. Got it.
Sh-should I bring my party too?
No. They have other things to deal with.
Ah… the line was cut. Okay. so Palitoh doesn't care about that other thing and needs me to get stronger. Why do I feel like I'm getting brushed off for something else.
By the way you've met the one you were looking for already. Then good night.
Whoa!! Hey! Wait a damn second!! … What??