*Slurps*
"Hm... Quite a notable story for a book, I suppose."
After inviting us for a tea, we agreed to take the offer. During my talk with the Old Man, we gradually changed topics until it reached our adventures.
"Say, how do you found out about my house?"
"Ah, there's a book about you that I read in the past."
If you ever wonder about Vlera's whereabouts, I rescued her first before going into the Old Man's house, because of this, she got to hear our discussions with a popping nerve on her forehead.
"Ahh... Then, if you actually read the book... you probably know what I have in mind."
"Of course. One of us is about to take your challenge."
"Sure. My name's Tagic, Old Man Tagic in respectful way."
ā
After we went outside, there was nothing to be seen but a flat ground.
"Look at this place... boring ain't?"
As Old Man Tagic said, the place was as lifeless as ever... until... he snapped his fingers.
*Snap!*
"According to your stories have said, there's more for you to witness."
With a single snap, lots of structures arised from the ground, from training dummies, resting sheds, to even a live human, everything arised by the Old Man's command.
"Wait... I didn't know who you are..."
"RE?! HEY! COME BACK HERE!"
Turned out... it was Re who actually got to sneak through the Old Man's "Secret Training Ground". Starlight immediately called her back, in which she returned with a bump on her head made by Old Man Tagic.
...
"Ahem. Out with the interruptions. This place is my hidden place, Secret Training Ground. I made it secret so that my full identity would be hidden as well, I'll ask for your understanding."
"It's fine, we understand, but I have one question. If you wanted to make everything hidden, then why did you published that book?"
"Of course, Young Lady, I want to find the Worthy through my books. Just say that you read my book with evidence and you're in permit of this place."
While Vlera and Tagic talks in a bench, Marco and Starlight could be seen as they enjoy themselves with the swords.
"Through your books? Wouldn't it be hard for you since there's only numerous left who read books these days..."
"That's the point, it's those Weird breeds that I consider the Worthy. Look at him."
Upon pointing his finger at Marco, I tilted my head that I couldn't understand what he meant.
"He's so innocent ain't? Although I wonder... what is it that I fear about him...?"
With his line, I thought to myself whether if this Man had somehow found about Marco's Other Identity, thus, I tried to bend the topic.
"What you fear about him? Don't be, I even doubt if he could defeat something more than the Golems below us."
"Hm, hmm...? I don't see him that way though."
"Well, we have our own first impressions..."
Upon the ending of our topic, he opened another one in which he asked me,
"Say, are you his Parent by any way?"
?!
"HOW?!"
By such a question, it made me scream of how random it was.
"Ah, I'll take it as a No. But if you're not, what are your connections with him?"
"Ah, I'm his senior, nothing more."
"I see... Mind if you... let me took him for a week?"
"Eh?"
By a random request, it made me broke into my seriousness... again.
"For a week? Why?"
"Pardon my request, but, I wanted to train him."
"Hm... Your request can be easily agreed to, but we're currently on a task..."
"Your task about the Cure? Don't worry, I'm willing to join your destination after his training."
"Really?"
"Yes, but only to this ingredient, it's a Dragon's Scale ain't?"
"Yes."
"It's a type of ingredient that you wont see even at the most cooking books, it shouldn't be taken as a joke, so I'm going to help you in exchange of his week."
"Hm... Feels good enough, that also means we're going to live here for a week ain't?"
"Yes."
...
After our long discussion, we stood up to approach Marco and Starlight who's on joy doing swordfight.
"You two, pause your activity, I have something to discuss."
...
"What? My 2nd phase of training? Here?"
"Yes, Marco, since Old Man Tagic said so, why not give it a try and include this to your 2nd phase?"
After Vlera explained it all to us, we agreed to spend until the next week here at the top of Mouth Nimri. Because of the said environment, it came into realization of what the Old Man had in his storage wasn't enough to feed 4 people (Re and Blu was an exception because they're part of Starlight.)
ā
An hour later.
Vlera, along with Starlight and Blu, came down from the mountain for some groceries.
"Huh? These are called Eggplants?"
"Yes."
"So, that would make them Egg's relative ain't? How?"
"Hmm... I'll take this question, Starlight. Maybe, if you Plant an Egg, it would come as EggPLANT?"
"Sadly, Blu, you're wrong, they're naturally called like that, but they don't need Eggs as the seed."
"Really? Then life must've been unfair here, Vlera."
Vlera, along with Starlight and Blu's curiosity, they did the groceries that would reach until the next week. If you ever wonder about Re, she was here at the top of the mountain helping me to train.
...
"HAHAHA! TOO WEAK!"
And from her tone, she seems to be enjoying it.
"(This is weird... When I first met him, I barely got to compete with him, but now... why did he turn into such an idiot? During my first hour of training with Marco, something weird changed from him. From being a total maniac to a total faggot, it's like he changed to a different person...)"
Upon training the kid with his care, the Old Man couldn't think more except for the fact that Marco lost huge amount of battle skills just after he was cornered by him... And for him, this is the strangeness that he seeks.
"(Young Boy, it's a mistake for showing me this side of yours...)"
And by the next chapters, we're going to spend it here on Mount Nimri.
ā End of Chapter 15
Somewhere... Where its nothing, but darkness...
"Ten million, five hundred twelve thousand, and eleventh seconds... I really... Hate numbers..."
In the middle of darkness is a guy that looked like Marco... Or should we say, "Marco" itself.
"Alter ego... Have you heard or knew that word?
No? Sure... It is for the short term of "The Other Me", you understand it?
Why? Oh, hoho, I think you're slightly getting the fact...
Marco, yes, it's me, Marco, we have the same name."
Upon standing in the blankness of dark and black, is "Marco" who's talking to no one but himself.
"Do you know me...? I'm...
Gonna take you down any soon..."