Maxwell woke up about thirty minutes later, the soreness from his sparring match with Sidgroth felt throughout his entire body. Blinking a few times, he turned his head to find Mari sitting quietly beside him. Her gaze meet his as she noticed he was awake, her expression calm yet relieved. Despite the strain he had endured, the pain was surprisingly mild, just a soreness that reminded him of the intensity of the match.
He noticed on the other side of the room, where Gladiolus sat on his special bed, stretching his limbs. The beast looked as if the battle with Sidgroth had never happened, his vitality fully restored. Maxwell's eyes trailed back to Mari. This was thanks to her healing magic. Her Ornament had done its job with remarkably, not only speeding up their recovery but leaving Gladiolus in prime condition.
"You've been busy," Maxwell muttered, his voice still groggy.
"Thanks, Mari," Maxwell said, his voice still groggy. "So, Sidgroth's already gone, huh?"
Mari nodded, "Yes, he left for Magnolia. He said he'll call from time to time to check on things. Oh, and he reminded me to tell you not to skip your patrols."
Maxwell let out a sigh, leaning back against the bed. "Just what I need when I'm already sore all over from getting hammered by him." He managed a half hearted chuckle. "Feels like he left me with all the work. Convenient timing, huh?"
Mari laughed softly, "Well, when you put it like that, it does sound like something Sidgroth would do on purpose..." She paused, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. "But, I have to admit, Maxwell, you and Gladiolus were really impressive during that sparring match. You actually made him use his Ornament."
She glanced at him, her gaze lingering just a moment longer than usual. "I've never seen him use it before. Not once. That's... well, it's kind of amazing. People around here always say Sidgroth doesn't need to use his Ornament because he's already so strong." Her voice softened at the end, but there was a genuine admiration in her tone.
"Doesn't change the fact I still lost," Maxwell said with a smirk, sitting up straighter despite the soreness in his body. "But that'll change soon. We plan to beat the old man next time. Isn't that right, Gladiolus?"
The beast, standing nearby, gave a nod of agreement.
"I-I'm sure you will," Mari replied, her smile gentle but genuine.
The room went quiet, the only sound being of the wind outside. Maxwell's gaze was fixed on the floor as if searching for the right words. Finally, he broke the stillness.
"Mari, there's something I have to tell you," he said, his tone quieter than usual. "I'm not sure if I should keep this secret... I'm not even sure if it's that important, actually."
Mari tilted her head slightly, "Hmm? What is it, Maxwell?" she asked softly as she leaned in just a bit closer.
Maxwell sighed, his fingers tapping restlessly on the bed as he searched for the right words. "I-I'm not from this universe," he said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "About three years ago, I woke up in an open field outside of Calla Lily. I just... appeared there, out of nowhere. Gladiolus was with me. We stumbled into town, met Sidgroth, and things just kind of happened from there. Sidgroth called the Director Regione Novem and she confirmed it, that I'm not from this universe. I get these... visions too, of my past life every now and then," Maxwell confessed as he tried to find the right way to explain it all.
Mari's eyes widened as she listened, her hand reaching out to rest lightly on Maxwell's. "You're right, Maxwell," she said softly. "That isn't important at all. I know the person I love is you, and your past life has no influence with that one bit—" Mari's words suddenly stopped as she realized what she had just said, her cheeks turning bright red.
"I-I-I'm sorry, but I just remembered... I have to go back soon. The Healers' Guild must be waiting for me!" Mari stuttered, blurting out the excuse as she hurried for the door.
Maxwell grinned, shaking his head slightly. "Well, at least I know that she likes me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should probably give her some time alone before talking with her again."
He stood up, stretching his sore muscles as he glanced over at Gladiolus, who was already up and waiting by the door. "Alright," Maxwell continued, his voice a bit more serious as he readied himself for their first patrol alone together. "Let's get going."
With that, the both of them headed out, ready to face their new roles as protectors of Calla Lily.
Maxwell was already familiar with his usual patrol route when Sidgroth had been around, but now that he was alone, he found himself having to take even more paths through Calla Lily. Thankfully, the day wasn't too rough—aside from helping a few people with small tasks here and there. The town was completely peaceful.
However, there was something in the back of his mind. He had told himself he would visit Malacosteus in the Elemental Forest while Sidgroth was gone, but now he was getting second thoughts—especially now that he still felt somewhat weakened from the earlier sparring match.
Even if he could muster the energy to make the trip, he wasn't sure if it was worth the risk. And what if his encounter with Malacosteus ended up putting Calla Lily in danger?
He knew he had responsibilities here, both to his friends and to the people who relied on him. But his past, his other life was calling to him, demanding answers he wasn't sure he was ready to face.
"Only if Malacosteus could come here and talk to me," Maxwell muttered with a weak laugh. "But I imagine that a NULL being in town will cause quite a lot of panic..."
"Only if I could just seal my memories from my past life away and just live my current one," Maxwell sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Easier said than done, though. Maybe Professor Juno could help, but she just seems like too much trouble to deal with. Every time I think about it, I start to wonder if it's even worth it. If there's really any point in digging up old memories and questions, especially when I have my new life here."
He let out another heavy sigh, looking out over the town of Calla Lily as he walked. "I don't know, maybe I'm just not ready to face all that yet. And not to mention, but I feel pressure to make sure nothing bad happens to the town while Sidgroth is away."
Gladiolus bumped into Maxwell, he smiled despite his weariness. "Well, I'm not truly alone, you know. I have you and Mari," he said, reaching down to pat Gladiolus's head. "Looks like patrol is about to end at least. We can finally relax for a bit and get some sleep. Then it's right back out there tomorrow, how exciting." He forced a half hearted chuckle, the exhaustion making his sarcasm seem almost too real.
Maxwell and Gladiolus made their way back home. They made something simple to eat and sat down to eat quietly at the table in the kitchen. Maxwell pulled out his cellphone, hoping to see a message from Mari. To his surprise, there was a notification, a message from her.
"Hey Maxwell, how was your first patrol?" The text appeared on the screen, and Maxwell smiled despite the incident from earlier in the morning. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should ignore what had happened or address it, but he decided it was probably for the best to focus on something lighter.
"Thankfully peaceful, not much trouble, which is exactly what I needed today," he replied, sending the message with a brief, almost relieved laugh.
Mari's reply came almost instantly. "Good, I'm glad to hear that. Just wanted to make sure you were okay after this morning." Her message was brief, more direct than usual, and it let Maxwell know she was thinking of him.
Maxwell hesitated unsure how to respond to her concern without making things awkward again. "Thanks, Mari. I'll be ready. How was your day? Anything exciting?" he asked.
"Same old as usual," Mari replied, her response short but sincere. "A lot of people needed help today. Healing magic takes a lot out of me, but it's worth it." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Maxwell let out a soft breath, feeling a warmth through his chest at her concern. "I'm good, Mari," he replied. "Just going to relax and get some rest."
"Get some sleep then, Maxwell. I'll check in on you tomorrow after Sidgroth calls. Rest up."
"Will do," Maxwell replied, he looked over at Gladiolus, who was finishing his last bite of food, and smiled. "Well, that's that for today," he said softly, more to himself than to the beast beside him. "Let's get some rest, huh?"
Gladiolus looked up at him and gave a soft, rumbling growl, as if to say, 'Finally.' Maxwell laughed, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "Yeah, me too," he said, reaching over to give the creature's head another pat. "Let's get some sleep, Gladiolus."
In the distance, far from his house, Malacosteus was perched on top of a building, silently watching Maxwell until he flew away in search of a new victim to feed on...