Xain, Grace, Zee, and the angel stood at what could be deemed the village entrance, prepared to depart for the Rasanto estate. The villagers, along with Larkin, had gathered to see them off.
"I shall pray for the success of your mission," the demon said, accompanied by what could be interpreted as a smile.
"Be careful, Grace. The village will never be the same without you," Collin remarked, smiling warmly at Grace, echoed by the villagers' expressions of support.
"If you feel any discomfort in your back, remember to take the medicine I provided. It should alleviate the pain," Alcor advised Xain, who gave him a thumbs-up in acknowledgment.
"Just... come back safe, both of you," Larkin said to Xain and Zee with a sigh, expressing his concern.
"Don't worry, old man. We'll return before you keel over from old age," Xain teased, grinning at Larkin.
"I ain't that damn old, ya brat," Larkin retorted with a chuckle.
"Hey, let's get a move on; the demons might conquer half of Aetheria before we even show up at this rate," the angel urged, prompting Xain to nod in agreement. With that, they set off, bidding farewell to the villagers and Larkin, who wished them all one last good luck.
Larkin let out another sigh as he watched Xain, Grace, Zee, and the angel disappear down the road. "You seem very worried about them," the demon remarked, catching Larkin's attention.
"How could I not be worried for them? They're my... friends, I guess," Larkin replied, his gaze fixed on the ground.
The demon placed a comforting hand on Larkin's shoulder. "Do not misunderstand. I am not faulting you for worrying about them. It is good to worry about people; it shows that you care about them," it reassured him.
"It shows that I care, huh? I feel like if I really cared, I would go along with them to help," Larkin admitted, attempting to belittle his own feelings.
The demon shook its head. "That is not true. You didn't go because you knew you would not be of much help and because you trust them," it explained.
Larkin stood there awkwardly, not expecting the conversation to take this turn. "Spare me, please. I can't get into philosophy unless I'm three bottles in," he deflected, trying to lighten the mood.
The demon shook its head once more. "That did not classify as philosophy. However, I can tell that there is something else bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?" it offered.
Larkin considered the offer for a moment before shrugging and saying, "You know what? Screw it. Why the hell not?" The demon nodded and gestured towards the church, suggesting they go and talk.
Meanwhile, Collin let out a sigh, his gaze drifting towards the sky. "Good goddess, what has Aetheria come to? It feels like every other day there's some sort of big event going on in the world, and we're all forced to participate in it," he lamented. In the past three months, so many things had happened—
"Just be glad that we aren't directly involved in most of these events," Alcor replied before heading back to his clinic-house.
Collin nodded in agreement, his thoughts weighing heavily on the current situation. By his estimates, it was around 1-1:30 o'clock. To reach the Rasanto estate, located approximately 13 kilometers away from Wolfdale, it would take the angel and his group around three hours.
"I just hope nothing goes wrong," Collin muttered quietly to himself, his words laden with concern. It was a sentiment shared by many in the village – a sense of helplessness, unable to take action and only able to hope and pray for the safety of others amidst the unfolding events.
"I just hope nothing goes wrong," Collin muttered, expressing a sentiment shared by many in Wolfdale. Unable to take any direct action, all he could do was hope and pray for the safety of others. A feeling of helplessness settled over him, a feeling that was not going to go away any time soon.
**Suddenly somewhere else in Aetheria**
"Master Lennix, why are you covered in blood, and why have you brought back a beggar with you?" Clarissa asked in her usual emotionless tone as she observed the return of the black knight and Lennix, accompanied by an unfamiliar person.
"Did she just call me a beggar?" Elanor questioned out loud, but everyone seemed to ignore him.
"I got into a fight with a tank bear," Lennix replied casually.
"And you lost?" asked Mari. Before Lennix could reply, Clarissa interjected, stating, "Of course he did, Mari. Master Lennix can't defeat something that isn't weaker than himself."
"I can't even defend myself against that last part, but I did win; this guy just stole my ki-knockout," explained Lennix, avoiding inappropriate words in the presence of Mari.
"Your bones were shattered, and you were bleeding profusely when I found you," the black knight pointed out, to which Lennix responded with annoyance, "I pulled out that bear's intes- darn it! I can't say that around Mari," he exclaimed, unable to share the gruesome detail in Mari's presence.
"Anyway, neither of you have explained why this beggar is with you," Clarissa reiterated, focusing her attention on Elanor. "She called me a beggar again," Elanor muttered, but once more, no one paid him any mind. "He's someone we're going to drop off at Treasurehold when we pass there; don't worry about him," the black knight explained, while Clarissa and even Karin scrutinized Elanor, making him feel uncomfortable under their gaze. "Why are they looking at me like that?" Elanor questioned, but once again, everyone igno- "Why are you two ignoring me!?" he finally exclaimed, to which both the black knight and Lennix simply shrugged and replied, "It's funny."