(IMPORTANT NOTE: I've added parts in the previous chapter which was originally supposed to be a part of this chapter, I just felt like the story flows better that way.
So, to not get confused please check out the previous chapter, thank you for your understanding.)
The teenagers were starting to become nervous and worried, specifically those who have big ambitions of exploring the tower or this vast world.
After all it was about to be new year, and that once in a lifetime event was about to happen, it is what will decide the paths that they could take or if whether even traveling to kingdom of humanity is even worth it.
It is the time of the year when the surveyor picks the most talented kids from this generation to give a recommendation to the academies near the capital of the kingdom.
Because, although you can still tag along in their journey to the kingdom of humanity as the surveyor doesn't discriminate on whoever wants to go, but if you did not receive any recommendation, you are basically guaranteed to live a harsh and hard life there, should you be stubborn enough to try and break your destined faith.
And forget about even dreaming of returning to the village if you ever regret your decision, once you are there, you are there, because currently almost all of humanity are gathered at the kingdom, hence there is no necessity for traveling such long distances.
The method of traveling is a luxury that something only the royals, rich folks, and their workers such as the surveyors have the privilege to enjoy.
And you can't even ask the same surveyor that brought you to bring you back, because of the treaty that the village and the royal family agreed upon, that whoever wishes to go to the kingdom may not ask the surveyor who brought them to bring them back for free, no matter how much they beg for it.
So, you're either gonna have to work to be able to afford or find some other means of transportation to be able to return.
This weight that has been placed on the decision of the budding youths is what keeps them from leaving the village, in other words it keeps them afraid of leading a worst life than what they currently have.
In addition to that, this treaty also removes some of the burdensome aspect that the surveyors have when bringing someone, thus they also see this as a positive as it makes their job a lot easier.
So, unless you already have someone you know that is currently staying at the kingdom, don't even think of making the decision of going there, you will become a pawn.
But still, in the eyes of the royals, a pawn is still a pawn.
"Do you think I'll be recommended?"
"Yeah-No"
"I mean what are the chances?"
"What the hell do you mean what are the chances?! We're already unlucky to be born in the same generation as them!"
"Calm down dude, there are only five of them, meaning they still haven't taken all of the spots"
"Yeah, he's right you know, there's still two spots left for us"
"And you think? We'll be the chosen ones?!"
"Then think about it this way, let me quote one of my favorite scholar's lines in the book that I read "The chances are low but never zero"" Suddenly, out of nowhere a fist came falling down on his head"
Bam!
"Awww! Why'd you do that dude?!"
"What do you mean? why did I do that? Are you an idiot? Seriously? This is the effect of you reading too much fairy tales for your own good!"
Then another fist came flying out of nowhere, "Ouch"
"Come on dude! at least be optimistic like our friend here who likes to read"
A lot of kids are feeling more hopeless than the kids from the past year, after all none of them were nowhere near in strength to Philip and Ada, heck even to Tony and his two lackeys.
Because last year there were at least some tensions, it could've been anyone who could've been chosen, so the thought of that gave some minimal hope to everyone.
Their parents noticed it too, their kids were all gloomy. But before of all of that is said and done, the gloomy kids still assisted their parents with the preparation for the upcoming celebration.
It is called the new year's festival here; it is held the night before the kids who were chosen leaves, it is kind of a parting gift, a last celebration with the folks in this village if you may.
...
Chatter! Chatter! Chatter!
In the plaza where the gigantic statue stood, on its right-side vacant space, gathered are all of the citizen of this entire village.
Lights from the lamps shone everywhere, there were varieties of foods, from the rare seafoods, to the meats that were obtained from the domesticated animals of the villagers, and of course how could they forget the devil's most favorite drink, alcohol.
With his eyes shimmering he said, "Hey, let's sneak out of here"
"Are you sure?"
"We prepared for this day, didn't we? I'm sure none of our parents would notice"
"I-I guess so"
"Come on, baby" He whispered endearingly.
"HOY!! YOU BRATS WHERE DO YOU THINK GOING?!!"
"Hiekkkk!"
"HiEkkkkkk!"
"L-Let's run baby!!!"
"O-Okay"
"COME BACK HERE!!!!"
"I dON't cARE wHEtheR wITh YOur pErMiSsioN oR nOT, I'm bEdDing yOur dAUghTer tOniGHT!!!!!" His eyes shimmered for one last time, such a cruel faith indeed.
"YOU BRAT! YOU DARE TALK BACK TO ME!!! I'M CALLING BOTH YOUR PARENTS!!!!"
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
"That boy's got some spunk in him HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
"Really that boy, I'm suddenly reminded of my younger self HAHAHA-"
"HUH?!! What are you talking about?! Don't lie about things that didn't happen!! EVEN THOUGH I'M THE WOMAN I'M THE ONE WHO HAD TO SHOVE YOU DOWN!!!!" As the woman grabbed the beer her husband was chugging and chugged it herself.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
All the villager who noticed the scene laughed their hearts out.
...
Meanwhile, amidst the bright atmosphere of the festival, the main characters were on the outskirts once again, definitely not doing anything suspicious.
They are just little heroes, protecting the village from the dangers that lurks in the shadows, unbeknownst to the people that live here.
("Bwegh!" The narrator puked in disgust to how cliche the line is that he had to read.)
"He's probably out there hanging out with that girl again dear, right?" Estella asked her husband in a worried tone while chugging down the beer in front of her.
"HAHAHA probably, but I'm proud of him as a father, to think he'll be able to bag a girl at that age?! HAHAHA" As Simon wrapped his arm around his wife and drank the shot of beer in front of him to console her.
"Really! that kid! does he think we're stupid? When does he plan on introducing us to her?! Hiek!" Ada said her thoughts aloud as the two whole pints of beer was starting to take effect on her...
"Ada, you can just stay here, I know that we were supposed to switch turns so that we can at least enjoy the festival, but you can just stay here on the outskirts and return if you get bored" Philip spoke in a serious tone as he ran off to get rid of the beasts that were coming from two directions.
"Thank you, Philip..." Ada replied while Philip was already traveling through the forest.
Ada could not bring herself to leave, she did not want to go such a happy festival looking and feeling like this, so she just sat on a nearby stone, and there she brooded.
But before thoughts could even start to enter her mind, the loneliness began to seep in, perhaps it is because Philip just left for a moment or maybe it is because she did not have anyone to guide her anymore, to tell her what to do, she was lost.
But it felt like the delayed reaction of the reality just came crashing down on her, it gripped her heart like there was a snake inside, suffocating it.
It was at this moment where her emotions reached its peak.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
"Hoy Ada! why are you crying?!"
"My cute daughter, don't you miss us?"
However, before she could even finish crying, venting out all of her built up feelings, from the trees came some unwelcomed visitors.
'W-What is this?!' Ada's crying stopped as she was disturbed.
"Why don't you come with us to the kingdom?"
"Yeah, why don't you? it's a lot of fun there"
As they both approached Ada, her mother knelt while smiling at her and gently patted her head, on the other hand his father just proudly stood right next to her mother.
'I-Is this a hallucination? But why them? Why now?' Ada thought.
The once feisty girl and who was willing to take up any challenge was gone, she was defenseless against them, although she could beat the shit out of them just then there, somehow her strength faded, she couldn't muster the courage to fight back, she was at her lowest point.
"Come on, there's no need to be afraid of us, we'll enjoy our lives at the kingdom from now on!"
"We're both sorry, okay?" Both her parents merrily said.
Then as their hands were about to reach her, she knew she should refuse them before they could touch her, but just the thought of a future with them-
'Yes, I should come with them, don't I deserve to be happy after all the pain I just went through? right? - Yeah, this is all just a delusion that I will wake up from someday, so why not make the best of it?' Ada thought.
However, right as they were just inches away from touching Ada, Philip appeared out of nowhere and grabbed both of the parents' wrists, where he then landed and stood between them and Ada.
FWHOOOOOOSH!!
"H-Hey?! What are you doing?" Anna said in a shocked tone of voice.
"Get out of here kid! Why are you interfering with other's familial matters!!" Anna's husband said in an angry tone of voice.
'Huh? Philip can touch them? does that mean that they're not just my own imagination?' Ada thought to herself as she hid behind Philip.
"I said let go of us! You vile creature!!" As they both hit Philip, her husband with a full-on swing of a right hook and Anna just slapped Philip.
BAM!
SLAP!
Philip, with his speed could've easily dodge those, but he didn't, because there was a foreign emotion that was welling up within him, he had never felt this way before, everything about what was happening right now was irritating him.
"Aaaarghhhhh!"
"Aaaarghhhhh!" Both the parents grunted in pain as Philip tightened his grip around their wrists, enough for it to deform for a bit.
He is usually reserved, never really getting his emotions get the best of him, but now he is using every ounce of his strength just to hold back his anger, because he might actually kill them.
Philip first crushed the wife's wrist to be able to let go of her-
CRACK!
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Anna screamed like it was the end of the world.
Philip then used this chance, when his other hand was free to crush the husband's wrist and right after to punch him with a right hook using all of the strength that he could mutter-
CRACK!
BAM!
BANG!!!
WHOOOOOOSH! and the husband was sent flying till his body hit one of trees.
Philip then, did the same thing to Anna, but this time he punched her with a left hook.
CRACK!
BAM!
BANG!!!
WHOOOOOOSH!
Philip then rushed towards their nearly unconscious body, fully resolved to deal the finishing blow.
FWHOOOOOOSH!
However, right as he was about to kill them, the surveyor popped out of nowhere, and grabbed Philip by the head, stopping his entire movement in just one breath.
FWHOOOOOOOSH!
"That's enough! That was my bad for letting them near Ada, can you forgive them for me just this once Philip?" The surveyor said in a perfect apologetic tone.
Philip was caught off guard, even someone as fast as him could not detect the surveyor's movements, heck he couldn't even see where the guy leaped out from.
Philip quickly regained his composure and rationality, he knew that no matter how badly he wanted to kill those two behind the surveyor, he was no match against the guy.
So, Philip immediately changed the facial expression that he was making and then faked a smile, and acted as if everything was okay, "O-Okay but what were you doing with them? Why'd you brought them here?"
"Sigh, seriously what am I to do with those two? When they heard the rumors about their daughter being talented, they immediately went to me to ask me for a favor-
Honestly, I shouldn't have accepted their bribes, I guess it's also my fault too Philip, I'm sorry!" As the surveyor spoke in a condescending tone of voice, and patted Philip on the head.
'Oh, is that horns on his forehead that I'm feeling' The surveyor thought while looking at Philip Sinisterly.
'Liar, I heard everything that you three were planning that's why I immediately rushed here to save Ada, you two-faced bastard!' Philip thought
"Go! your daughter is right there"
"Can't we just forcefully take her?"
"This is hurting my pride"
"No you can't! just act nice at first, if she still doesn't follow you two, then that is when we use force"
"Fine!"
"Now, why don't the three of us go to the festival?" The surveyor declared
"Come on let's go Ada!" As Philip reached out her hands to Ada, where Ada then quickly held his hands.
Then as they were walking, Philip grabbed Ada's hand tightly to point where it hurt her for a bit, Philip was nervous, he was being wary of the man next to them, his gut was throwing red alarms all over his body, it was urging him, telling him to run.
So, that's why he thought, that the moment that he senses even just the slightest weird movement from the surveyor, he was ready to pull Ada and nope out of there.
"What do you think? Should we pluck their entire hair as a punishment" The surveyor jokingly said out of nowhere.
"Yes, I think we should HAHAHAHA"
"You think so too? HAHAHAHAHA"
"HAHAHHAHAHA"
Philip pretended to be in a happy mood and laughed at every joke that the surveyor said.
...
"OH! The surveyor!"
"GUYS!! the surveyor is here!"
"Why don't you come join us?"
"Yeah-Yeah Join us HAHAHAHA"
"So, whose kids are you picking this time?! HAHAHAHA"
"I guess It's time to part ways Philip, I've liked your company HAHAHAHA" As the surveyor winked at Philip
"Me too HAHAHA" Philip smiled back at him before running off to find a table where both Ada and him could sit.
...
"Philip, what do we do now about the beasts, don't we need to go out there?" Ada worriedly asked Philip, as they both were enjoying their meals.
Philip replied in a reassuring tone, "You don't to have worry, I already killed all of them, plus it is already turning dawn, so new beasts will probably come"
"Oh, I see-"
"Philip!" Philip looked at her
"I love you..."
In shock Philip gulped the food that he was supposed to chew and went completely still, 'W-What did she just say? No! I should've seen this coming; the clues were all there right from the start'
Philip then opened his mouth and started to give his answer, "Ada honestly I'm still not sure what I'm feeling about you right now, I don't know if this is guilt or love-So until then, until I'm sure about what I'm feeling right know, can you wait for me?"
"So, I still got a chance huh? Then that is good enough for me" As Ada leaned down on Philip's shoulder.
"HOY What are you doing right now?! HUH?!!"
"Hiek!" As Philip slowly looked behind him, but he already knew who it was.
"Keeping secrets from me now huh?! Your mommy is very sad right now!" As Estella pinched her son's cheeks
"hahaha..." Ada couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Philip, he had never seen him this scared before.
...
Meanwhile, Simon tried to pull her drunken wife away.
"Come on dear, let's go back, stop bothering the kids"
"Oh! huh? Hiek! Who is this handsome man that's trying to kidnap me? Hiek!"
"Seriously??? How drunk are you?" Simon frowned.
...