๐๐ถ๐บ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ล
We enter a room only dimly lit by the glow of the lunai frugts which were attached to the root presumably a root of the sun and moon tree.
There were also many small dark blue lunai frugts growing from the root which probably just sprouted.
As we head deeper inside the room, I sensed imminent demise behind me so as if by instinct, I turned around and drew my katana and slashed behind me before jumping backward.
My slash was met with sparks with another weapon but the wielder fell back and fell on the door because of the strength of my slash.
With a loud thud, I studied the face of my attacker. Short black hair, a rough face with small cuts sustained from battle, and a somewhat tanned skin tone.
"Owwwww, my back, how the hell did you manage to sense me?!" The attacker speaks in a rough European tone seemingly from a woman.
"Well maybe if you didn't point your killing intent at me so obviously."
I commented as I put my katana back in its scabbard. The woman glares at me but I stay expressionless as I blankly look at her.
I continue to stare at her in this very dim room, trying to get a better look at her. She was wearing very light armor with a dark color which also lets her move easily.
In her hand was a long knife and in her waist was a shortsword.
She staggered standing up so Shin helped her up while still glaring at me.
"Just so you know...I wasn't planning to kill you..." She said in a somewhat tired tone this time which I responded to with doubt. "I doubt that considering you showed your intent to kill me but sure, I'll take your word for it."
I said as if nothing had happened but my heart still beats a beat faster.
She continued to glare at me so Shin had to step in and calm her. "Calm down, you're just very tired." He said, guiding her to a chair deeper into the room.
"Ugh, I'm having a hard time just keeping my eyes open." She said, closing her eyes.
'Hmm, I wonder...' A thought runs into my mind.
"Hey, when's the last time you see or feel the sun?" I asked and she responded by looking at Shin, prompting him to respond.
He put his hand on his chin and began to think. "Let's see...the last time I saw you was when the sun was scorching hot which was summer so it would be best to assume that it's around twenty-eight days ago."
He said, talking as if there was no problem about it.
'Thought so...' I said to myself before speaking. "Assuming that you're in this room all day long without even seeing the sun then I suggest that you get someone to replace you while you at least take a rest above the surface."
"Mind explaining?"
"You see the sun discharges positive mana which our body absorbs to make us healthy which can give you energy and when you don't receive that mana for quite a long time, your body starts to become very tired and very weak. As long are your just at the surface at day, you would still receive that positive mana and honestly, you don't really need that much but considering you've gone for twenty-eight days without sunlight, I think at least spending the entire morning in the shade should help you considerably while someone takes over your role for you." I said with such conviction that both of them became baffled.
Akira wondered if that was true or not, of course, I didn't know either. I merely recall what Freya told me while I was purifying water of bacteria which is referred to as negative mana.
By that logic, I merely substituted vitamin d as positive mana to convince her.
As much as I hated the sun, I could never deny how important it is to us to even back in my home, I always open my balcony slightly to let sunlight in and even more importantly, some fresh air.
Though I am always torn about whether to close it or to leave it open as my room gets very hot so I put my air conditioner to max which increases my electrical bill because the cooled air leaves through the balcony so my room wouldn't even be cold.
"I'll see what Hux says...name's Loren by the way..." Her tired hand extends to me and I gave her a handshake and spoke. "Himura Sato, just refer to me as Himura."
"So what are you guys doing here?" She asked, leaning in a bit.
"Well mostly to introduce him to you and to have him practice his language in common since it doesn't roll off his tongue well."
Shin explained my problem with speaking in common briefly and only Leron nods listening.
"I see, the best to learn is to constantly speak but from what I've heard you seem to be already good at it, you speak very politely like a noble or something."
When I heard that, my eyebrow twitched as Akira chuckled slightly at the back of my mind.
'Shut up.' I said to him before speaking to her. "Common just happened to be very similar to another language that I know of so it just influenced how I spoke."
My mind goes back to my friend again, he spoke like a true Englishman in a very polite tone meant purely for socializing and since I was being thought by him, I picked up a bit of his artificial polite tone though I won't deny that I show a bit of my vulgarity every now and then mostly because of Astoria.
As Leron talked to Shin and as the thought ran through my head, I started to wonder where they were, I have already confirmed that Alice is safe but I haven't seen them anywhere.
"Could it be?!" My mind began to panic.
I imagined countless unimaginable things done to them by the demonic beast of emotions and I started to clench my fist but I hid it behind me as I smiled slightly, a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
'If anything happens to them, I will fucking kill everyone...' I said to myself that my fingernails start to hurt my palm but I can't do anything by now but ask.
"By the way Shin, have you seen Astoria and Freya?"
"Oh them? They were having a drinking game at the cafeteria yesterday, that archer didn't even get drunk, she was laughing until that priest stopped her."
My mind starts to feel calm but I was still afraid. 'That was yesterday but what about today?'
As I once again descend into a spiral of worry, Akira decides to cut in. "Calm yourself, man, you've been way too stressed trying to find this traitor, try to rub one out will ya, oh but do me a favor and throw me into your party's room so I don't see it?"
'I refuse.' I said with conviction.
"W-what why? As a fellow former man, I know our body needs." He was shocked at my answer.
'When brothels exist, doing it by myself no longer does it for me.'
"True, but there's none here so you don't have a choice."
'I ain't doing shit.' I said with more conviction and then Shin began to speak.
"Well, it's been fun talking, We'll be dropping by Hux so I'll try to ask him if someone guard this room while you absorb some positive mana."
He said, urging me to follow him.
"It's nice meeting you, Leron."
I said my goodbyes and left the room.
As we walked, I heaved a slightly quieter sigh. Each conversation was draining me of my energy though it wasn't because of the talking but because of the fact that I had to pretend to be polite and have to fake a smile.
Whenever I had a conversation with my party, I was always expressionless since I never actually talked and merely listened, answering every question they had.
As I began to be in thought, Shin began to speak. "By the way, you said that Common was similar to another language, is that a language from your home?"
"No, it's a language not commonly used in my home but a language needed to converse with others outside of my country, the words in Common are written the same in that language."
That's also the reason why I find Common to be a really stupid language but who am I to judge?
"I see, that explains some things..." Shin mumbles to himself.
"By the way, do lunai frugts get affected by any light source because this tunnel is way too dark."
I asked Shin, now that I answered his question.
"Yeah, they tend to rot really fast when exposed to light and also start to taste really sour to the point that it hurts your throat, making wine out of it just makes the effect slower." He explained.
"No wonder the wine tastes strong, wonder what will happen if I dilute it in water?"
"It either becomes sour or somewhat sweet depending on how long it has been exposed to light."
We continue to meet the many people from different jobs which exhausted me mentally until we headed back to the giant room with the round table where Hux was.
'So far no one is suspicious, but then again, I have become too tired so might have not noticed, guess I'll visit them myself next time.'
I sigh to myself. 'How the hell did you put up with it? Stupid question, we hanged out almost all the time before you had to leave so I guess you really couldn't put up with it.' I asked him in my head as we enter the room.