The boy was Timan, who had a complex expression on his face. If one looked at his expression just a few moments ago, he would see that Timan had a happy face. His body seemed restless as if he was too happy for the things that had been happening around him.
But now, it suddenly vanished into thin air. His face changed into a face that was conflicting, looking like he did not know what he should feel at this moment. The two contracting feelings were against each other, creating a somehow complex expression on his image.
The woman did not notice this changed expression because since the first time she laid her eyes on her, he already had this complex expression. It was also because he always used this kind of face every time he saw her nowadays. It seemed that there was a slight difference, but she could somehow guess it.
The villagers had won the battle. And the boy also participated in this battle too. She also had heard of how this young man had bravely talked out his way when everyone was confused and conflicted, whether to side with Lumberis or Raph.
With this kind of achievement and glory, how could he not be happy? How could he not feel vibrant and jubilant? Especially when he was just a young boy who had a different ego than a person who had reached an age of 20s at least.
But why didn't she feel happy about it? Wasn't she supposed to be her big sister? Shouldn't a family be happy too when one of the members had a happy occasion?
"How are you doing, Big Sister?" Timan suddenly asked, putting the woman out of her own reverie.
"Ahh… I'm good, Timan. What about you? Are you fine?" She suddenly approached him with a concerned look on her face. He had been in a battle just a few moments ago, how could she not be worried about him?
It was just that there was something that bothered her heart up till now. Less she had approached him since the first time she saw him.
"Ohh.. I'm fine, I did not suffer any meaningful injuries." Timan said as he spun his right hand, showing how fit and healthy he was right now. He seemed like he was a young boy that wanted to flex in front of someone close to him.
The woman smiled helplessly as she looked at her younger brother. She then remembered about the last meetings that they had, where Timan left the house in an apparent frustration drawn on his face. It had not even passed 2 days since then, and now it seemed that they would be getting along again.
Just when she wanted to say something to continue their conversation, she saw that Timan had a different expression than before. The hints of some happiness on his face could not be found anymore. Let alone those kinds of expressions, there was not even a complex expression on his facial expression now.
Timan had a face that seemed like he realized something important. Something that should not be forgotten, and he needed to pursue that matter until the end. He could not back down because if he did, then how could he face his parents in the afterlife!?
That realization made his face change in an abrupt manner. He now had the same expression just like when he was running toward the forest. The clenching fists on his two sides, and the furrowed brows attached above his eyes.
His face now was cold like a block of ice. Even though the person in front of him was his sister, this matter could not be let go no matter what. Even though she might have done this for the sake of him and herself, he would not let her do that. But alas, the time could not be rewind. All things that had been done could not be undone, all things that had been experienced could only be learned as a lesson.
That was why he needed to show his dominance here. If not, then he would lose something that he could only regret later on.
"T-Timan…" The woman muttered nervously at how his brother looked at her right now. Those cold eyes which seemed like it hid the pain, guilt, and sullied honor of him.
The woman felt her heart pained as she looked at her little brother. As if the look on her brother's face was like a spear that pierced through her heart. She felt like she could not see him looking at her that way.
"I think I will go to sleep now, Big Sis Manty. I am pretty tired." His eyes closed as he took a direction toward one of the rooms in the house. His steps sounded heavy, with each step that he took was like an earthquake in the heart of the woman.
The woman slumped back yet again on the chair behind her. And her face now had the same expression that she had before the boy came to this house. Restless, desperate, confused, anxious, many negative feelings mixed altogether.
But now, it had a different nuance. Nah, it was actually more or less the same. It was just that it was grimmer than before. For the only family that she had right now had this kind of attitude toward her, how could she not be broken? For the only close person that she had to act cold like this toward her, how could she not be in agony?
"Ha. Ha haha.. Hahaha…" As if to cope with all of these, she laughed. With her head hanging loose as she looked up toward the ceiling of the house. It might probably be the only thing to make her realize that she was still sane. And subconsciously, a line of tears trailed down on her right cheek.
~
At a certain place in Wheatfield Village, there were a group of people being placed there. They were detained in that place as their hands were tied tightly. It might look gruesome to some people who could somehow see this because their bodies were wounded, tattered, and hurt all over their bodies.
But for those who knew the reason, they might think that it would be the best decision. It was because these people had the power to use energies to inflict an attack toward their enemies! They could manifest it into a power, how could these villagers dare to risk it and let these people go unbound after all of the dumbfounding experiences that they faced?
Though the villagers did not know that these people could not endlessly use those energies. They need replenishments and time to accumulate and gather those kinds of energies into their bodies. Even if the villagers knew this fact, they would still bound them no matter what happened. They did not dare to risk it and they could not help but become paranoid because of it.
And naturally, these prisoners did not even correct their way of thinking. Was it because it was useless to tell these so-called uneducated peasants, villagers?
"What do you think, Alvred?" A voice sounded at one of the points in that place. Even though the situation looked grim right now, somehow these people did not look bothered with it. As if these kinds of things were not that rare and surprising to them. A well trained group of thugs that had been trained in the war and experiences, so it made sense that they could still act calm and collected.
"As you can see with your own eyes. Right now, we could not defeat that man. We could win if somehow we had some reinforcements, maybe" Alvred replied with a low voice.
Blaid snorted as he heard Alvred's response. "Are you trying to light up the atmosphere or something? Because that joke was not funny. I told you that this man was somehow quite different. Even his face and laugh were creepy to say the least. We could not defeat this man, period." Balid said as he had a grim face.
Alvred did not even bother to argue with Blaid regarding this matter. He ignored Blaid' response as he continued talking. "Our objective right now is to run away. Just like what you had predicted, all of you. And we will do it soon, or there might be no chance for us to do that."