The funeral went smoothly, despite the fire that burned down three houses in the middle of Ashwell village.
Liel went to a funeral before. Once.
Naomi's funeral.
The only one he ever attended to. Though, her family didn't really want him there. They didn't want him there, in the first place.
Not when she was still alive; nor when she was dead.
This time, he didn't want to go to Naomi's father's funeral. He didn't know the man. Although, seeing her tearful face, his heart was wrenched and he ended up coming anyway.
He saw it from afar. Saying some useless condolences to his girlfriend's counterpart in this universe before it started.
The funeral was held for seven people. Naomi's father, Uvaris and his father – Deja the village leader, Uvaris' mother, his younger brother, and his baby twin sisters.
Naomi's house was too close to Uvaris', hence why it was burned along the way. The arsonist was none other than a widow who lost her husband because of the curse – just like Naomi's father was.
It didn't matter to Liel. Nothing of this matters to him.
And yet, he found himself heading to Torrine, the capital city of Tashlym Region, looking for a stronger mage who might be able to lift Melva's curse. All because he wanted to help Naomi.
[She got you wrapped in her little finger.]
'Shut up.'
[A new quest found.]
[Quest No. 4: Help Ruis Bagfort to hide.]
[Difficulty: Grade – Error.]
[Difficulty: Grade – C]
[Time Left: 24 hours 0 minute.]
[Status: Incomplete.]
[Reward: A chance to get a power-up item – Chaotic Boomerang or Red Codex.]
'Who's Ruis Bagfort?'
[A male of forty -eight years old, living in Torrine alone with his pets.]
'That's very helpful.'
[Saying thank you would be appreciated.]
Liel ignored that. Walking beside him was Naomi, head down to look at the rocky road leading to the capital city. The road itself was not interesting, but she was in deep thought.
He had told her everything he knew about the curse on her village. The four points outside the village, the Russian dolls, the white cloth with dirt in it. He told her that he'd look for a strong mage in Torrine, despite his lack of knowledge about the capital town itself.
"Why do you want to help me, Liel?" She asked, still looking down.
"Didn't I tell you already? I'll help you however I can."
"Because you don't have anything to do? Don't you have any life of your own?"
He was quiet. A moment later, he sighed. "I have one other thing I need to do, but not now. I just want to help you. Is that so wrong?"
"Not wrong, but it makes me suspicious of you."
"Eh? How come?"
She smiled bitterly at him, finally raising her head enough so he could look at the face he missed so much. "Nobody helps strangers just because they can. The one who can't provide reason when being asked must mean they have some excuse to hide."
"I don't hide anything."
"Then why help me?"
Damn, this Naomi too, probed him to tell something he preferred to keep by himself. She always made him voice his reasons.
He wondered if saying that he liked her because she was his girlfriend in another universe would help this situation. Was it better than being suspected of something by her?
"I have nothing to do," he finally said. "I'll help you because I'm bored."
There, he said it.
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "That only makes me more suspicious of you, you know?"
Liel faltered, "You are?"
"Try to look at it from my perspective."
Well, she got a point. Liel grimaced, recognizing his blunder.
"Fine. I have one thing to do but I don't know where to start. So, before that happens, I figure I'll help you with this." Naomi looked unconvinced, so Liel muttered, "Because you look like someone dear to me."
"I do? Who is it?"
Liel avoided her searching gaze. No way he'd tell her about his girlfriend; about her counterpart in his previous life.
[That will be a breach of information.]
[The System will not tolerate a breach of information.]
"Oh, it's fine if you don't want to tell me," Naomi said later. "I was just curious."
Liel gave a crooked smile, "You also act like her. I hope you won't die like her."
She gasped, "I'm really sorry. I didn't know–"
"It's fine," he tried to keep his smile. "I'll never let you die like her."
Naomi nodded, not knowing what else to say, it seemed.
The remaining journey to the capital went smoothly.
The slowly setting sun painted the yellow walls with a faint brush of pink. The shadows from the trees with blue leaves reaching down the hill towards the town.
"Getting late, son. Gate closes at sundown." the guard at the eastern gate said, walking forwards to question him. His eyes flicked to Liel's companion. "Your wife?"
He blanched, "What?!"
"Is she your wife?"
"We're not married," Naomi replied, "Just friends travelling together."
The guard hummed, looking at her with dismissive eyes. "Should be careful then. Business or pleasure?"
"Business," Naomi curtly answered.
Liel added, "We will head out right away once we are finished."
"Gates open just before dawn to let the market people in. Best taverns are up by the square." The guard had seen many travelers, it seemed, because he judged them.
"I suspect you two don't have much to spare. Turn right through the gate and head around the wall. That is the poor quarter and the inns are cheaper."
Liel wasn't impressed. "Thanks."
The guard then stood aside, letting Liel and Naomi enter through the sturdy walls and disappeared into the warren of wooden housing.
Looking around at Torrine, Liel was reminded of the town from where his absent father hailed. He had been poor – he still was, probably, if his father was still alive somewhere – and he made a living being a carpenter. Not the best in town, but it had been enough to keep them from dying out of starvation.
Certainly, the wooden buildings on either side of the narrow lane were smoother and studier than the little house his father built. They were also a stark contrast to the proud stone buildings of the east gate's arch.
Finding a tavern, they decided to look inside in case the barkeeper knew of some mage for hire.
"Just checking the stock and I will be with you," the barkeeper half yelled as he continued to write on the note in hand, pacing in the backroom behind the counter.
Liel and Naomi sat on the wooden stool.
"Beetroot Tonic?" the white haired barkeeper asked, squeezing behind the small counter and wiping the dust away with a rug.
"Sure." Liel had no idea how that drink would taste, but he had some coins to spare, got it from the canis picoon Naomi divided with him.
"We are looking for a mage," Naomi didn't beat around the bush, "One who's powerful enough to lift a curse that affected an entire village."
"Oh, you came to the right place then." The barkeeper smiled, "I know someone."