The next day, Julien came out from his room and went downstairs to meet with his parents in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Julien." said Julien's mother.
"Morning, mom." said Julien as he took a seat at the dining table.
"I made stir fry today, dig in as much as you want." said Julien's mother before placing a wooden bowl with lots of stir fry. His dad does not hesitate to scoop it up and eat it first.
"*munch* *munch* Hmm, tasty as ever, Millia!" said Julien's father as he was eating the food Millia cooked.
"Thank you for the compliment." said Millia.
"Dad, mom, do you have a moment? I want to talk about something." Julien suddenly speaks up.
"What is it all of a sudden?" asked Julien's mother.
"I'm happy to know that my dad was used to go on an adventure. Each day I thought about how my dad use to go on an adventure, it really inspires me." said Julien.
"So?" Julien's mother asked only one word.
"I know that what I want to ask out is quite a little bit too selfish..." said Julien before he will say what he want with determination.
"I want to go on an adventure, to the outside world with my own feet!" Julien said what he wants.
"An adventure?!" Julien's mother said with surprise before disagrees with her son's favor.
"What're you saying? That's too fast for you!" said Julien's mother.
"But mom, dad said that you too were used to go on an adventure once." Julien tells his mother.
"And I've my dad's bloodline flow within me." said Julien. But Millia does not seem to agree with her son at all.
"Whatever you said, no is no! Oh dear, don't just keep silent over there, just say something!" said Millia as she turned to tell Joseph.
"..." Joseph still keep quiet despite of what Millia told him.
"I don't think you'd stop me now. Actually, I've already prepared things for the adventure beforehand." said Julien.
"Even mom'd have objections, I'll still going." Julien tells his mother, to her chagrin.
"Julien, you..." Millia does not want to believe of what her son told her.
Joseph, in the other hand, has the thoughts different from Millia's perspective and gives his son an answer he would surprised.
"I won't stop you. You can go on as you wish." said Joseph.
"Wait, Joseph!" Millia immediately objects her husband's decision.
"Dad...!" Julien calls out to his father with hope upon hearing his decision.
"However, there's a condition." said Julien's father.
"During that adventure, I want you to seek out what or who you hold dear the most." Julien's father tells the condition.
"What or who I hold dear the most..." said Julien as he repeats his father's words.
"If you can find that, I'll allow you to go on an adventure on your own." said Julien's father.
"Got it. Thank you, dad." Julien thanks his father.
Julien's mother sighs after listening to the conversation between the two, but nevertheless decided to agree with Joseph.
"...I got it, if Joseph's the one who said that, then I've no right to object then." said Julien's mother.
"Have a safe travel after today's work, Julien." Julien's mother blesses her son.
"Thank you, mom." Julien thanks his mom.
"Let's get our today's job done, son. Just a little patrol is more than enough." said Julien's father.
Julien nods as he agrees to do his tasks today before going onto an adventure and went out from their house with Joseph.
The both then went to the headquarters of the village's defense force, and eventually meet Amelie who was waiting at the headquarters' front door.
"Hi, Julien! Good morning, commander." Amelie greets Julien and the commander.
"Hi, where's Murphy?" Julien greets and asks his friend.
"Murphy went inside the headquarters before me earlier." said Amelie.
"Let's go meet him." said the commander as he went inside the headquarters of the defense force first.
Julien and Amelie decided to have a little chat when each other for a while before entering the headquarters, following Joseph from behind.
In the headquarters, Julien and Amelie were met with Murphy who is currently talking with the commander about something.
"Hey, you guys're finally here. I thought you were going to slack off." said Murphy.
"I'm not slacking off, you know! I'm waiting for Julien and commander." Amelie said with pouty face.
"I know, I'm just joking. By the way commander, and you guys, I've something for you to take a look." Murphy said with a strange expression, to the others' perplexion.
"What's wrong, Murphy? You look quite pale." said the commander.
"I think you'd want to read this, commander." said Murphy as he hands the letter he got earlier to the commander.
He took the letter out from Murphy's hand and open it to read the contents inside.
"Please send help immediately. The mysterious outbreak has occurred in Oakenreach village. The villagers are suffering from high fever. --Mayor of Oakenreach village."
Joseph and the others are very shocked upon knowing the situation occurred at nearby village after reading the letter sent earlier.
"Damn, the outbreak. Who'd ever thought that things like this going to happen at the village close to us?" Joseph said with contempt.
"If things go on like this, the people in Oakenreach will be in a great danger!" Amelie panicked.
"Commander, what should we do? Any orders, sir?" Julien asks the commander.
"Let me think for a plan to go there first." said the commander as he thinks for that plan of handling the situation.
"We're going to help them, that's what! We can't leave in distress, right?" Murphy tells everyone with determined thought.
"I'm afraid that the situation might be too much for you three to handle. If at least someone who capable of medicinal knowledge's able to..."
As Joseph was going to finish his words, the red-haired middle-aged man suddenly went inside the headquarters to volunteer himself as the one who will go to Oakenreach.
"Father!" Amelie calls him with surprise as she found him.
"Leave this matter to me." said the man.
"Jonathan! Will you go on our behalf?" asked Joseph.
"Yes. I don't think we've much to worry about with this mysterious outbreak. With the herbs the defense force had gathered yesterday, I'm sure that it can save the villagers from the outbreak." Jonathan said confidently. His words made the commander felt relieved.
"Well, if the best healer in all of Pearlwood is on the job, it'd be a tremendous relief to all of us." said the commander.
"Amelie, I'll be back for a while, all right? Make sure to stay away from Mt. Hinnora as well. It's too dangerous for you as you might encounter the wild beasts around the mountain trails." Jonathan tells his daughter.
"Father, please be safe, okay?" Amelie blesses her father.
"I will, I'll be back soon. And you can count on me, Joseph." The healer told the members of the defense force before went out from the headquarters and departing from the village to go to Oakenreach.
Amelie felt worried about her father quite much, but nevertheless Murphy walks in and tells her to believe in her father.
"Amelie, I know that your dad can help the villagers there. Just believe in him, alright?" said Murphy.
"Yeah, I believe like that, you know." Amelie said with slightly saddened face.
"C'mon, lighten up a little bit! I know how you feel, but keep worrying doesn't make anything better. Let's ask the commander what we can do for now." Murphy tells Amelie.
"Alright."
Amelie answers Murphy before went to Julien and the commander who was talking to each other a little while ago.
"Commander, what are the tasks for today?" Julien asked up as the first.
"Today's tasks are only patrol the village, that's all." said the commander.
"Huh, really?" Amelie surprised as much as Murphy was.
"That's right, y'all had work a lot on yesterday. So some little work might be better for you." The commander told them before asking.
"Any questions before work?"
Julien raises his hand with haste, as if he had something to ask him beforehand.
"What did you use during the battle yesterday? I saw you used them a few times." asked Julien.
"It's called a Special Art. You learn them the more you fight and develop your combat skills." explained Joseph.
"Even I and Julien can learn them?" Murphy asked up after Julien.
"Of course you two can." replied the commander.
"If there's nothing more to ask, then go patrol the village. I'll stay to do my deskwork here." The commander said before going to do his work.
"We should get going, too." said Amelie.
"Yeah, and we're going to help anyone that needs our help." Julien agrees with Amelie.
"Let's go on a patrol if we're ready." Murphy tells his friends.
Julien and Amelie nod as they agree that they are ready for the village patrolling, the three then went out from the headquarters and starts patrolling around the village to make sure that the villagers are safe from the threats caused by bandits or other invaders.
Several hours later after patrol, Julien and his friends decide to return to the defense force's headquarters. But Julien instead choose to...
"You guys go on first, I've something to get from my house." said Julien.
He then went home to get his adventure equipment at his house after telling his friends, before returning to the headquarters after taking the equipment with him in his bag.
"I'm back." Julien said up upon entering inside the headquarters of the defense force.
"Hey, you got lots of stuff with you over there! Goin' out somewhere?" Murphy asks with surprise when he found his friend carrying items used for traveling.
"I'll go on an adventure after this, that's all." answered Julien.
"How eager of you, Julien." said Amelie.
"It's boring to stay in the village after all." Julien said as his friends nodded, agreeing with him.
"Well done for completing today's patrol. Since you've done your job well, I've something for you, Julien." said the commander before he went to the backroom of the headquarters and come out with some healing items along with handful of money in the form of gold coins from his workdesk, giving them to Julien.
"Here are the items for your adventure." said the commander.
"Thank you." Julien thanks the commander before receive items and money from him.
"Wow, that's lots of Sel right there, commander! Are you sure of giving him much Sel like that?" asked Murphy when he saw a handful of Sel given to Julien by the commander.
"I'm firm that the amount of Sel I gave him must be enough as the pocket money." The commander said firmly.
"Hoho, the commander seems to expect from you a lot, Julien. I'm happy for you that you got such great rewards." Amelie jokingly congratulates her friend.
"Yeah, even I won't able to get that much rewards in one day, right buddy?" Murphy also goes with the flow.
"Man, can you guys just stop teasing me like that? That's not a deal for you guys to tease me in that way." Julien seems to be slightly annoyed.
"Okay, okay, no need to be serious like that! We're just joking after all, no hard feelings!" Murphy tells Julien to not to be serious of their teasing.
"Alright, I'll just let it slide then." said Julien.
"Since you three have done a good work, your work today is over. You three can go home right now if you wish." The commander tells Julien and his friends, much to their surprise.
"Huh? Really?" Amelie asks with utmost surprise.
"I do mean it. Now go, I've a lot of work to do, if you'd excuse me." said the commander before he will went to his workdesk and clear up the deskwork he had today.
"Well, let's not disturb the commander. Should we take a stroll today? What do you guys think?" Amelie asks her friends.
"Agreed. I'm very bored and I'm looking for something to do by the way." answered Julien.
"Should we go grab something to eat as well? And you going to foot the bill for us, right?" Murphy asked Julien.
"No. It's not like I'm stingy, but you should know that you'll need to keep Sel for use when it is REALLY necessary, not to spend it all at once like going wild." Julien reminds his friend.
"Yeah, yeah, I do get that. I'm just askin', man. Now let's take a walk after duty, guys." Murphy told Julien and Amelie before went outside.
"Come on, Julien. Let the commander do his work today, it's the best to not disturb him by any circumstances." said Amelie before she follows Murphy to the outside.
Julien nods, agreeing with his friends as he went out from the headquarters of the defense force and decided to take a stroll with his friends all the time they had after finishing their today's patrol duty.
After the stroll near evening, Julien says goodbye to each other and departs with his friends to return home. However, it is unbeknownst to him and Murphy that Amelie is very worried about her father, who did not come back since his departing from Pearlwood several hours ago after volunteering to save the people in Oakenreach.
The next day, as Julien is cleaning his room, his mother open the door and come inside his room to tell something.
"Julien, your friends came to find you today." said his mother.
"Amelie and Murphy? Why'd they came all the way to our house?" asked Julien.
"They tell me they've something to tell you." replied his mother.
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Julien immediately stops cleaning his room and went off from his house to meet his friends, wishing to know what they have to tell him.
"Oh hey, Julien. Good to see you." Murphy greets his friend.
"What's going on?" asked Julien.
"Julien, my father had went to Oakenreach for a day and he's still didn't come back! I'm worried that if something gonna happen to him!" Amelie explained.
"I see that you're worried about him, Amelie." said Julien. "But as he said, he'll take care that matter. Let's not go to Oakenreach, we'll only get in his way."
"Are you saying that I shouldn't worry about my father?!" yelled Amelie.
"Listen to me carefully. I didn't tell you to not worry about your dad, I'm telling you that you should care about yourself as much as you worry about your friends." said Julien.
"I understand that, but..." Amelie still speaks with worry.
"Hey guys, a carrier pigeon!" said Murphy as he found the pigeon with a letter tied at its leg.
When the pigeon lands on the fence, Murphy unties a short rope around the pigeon's leg and takes a letter as it flew away.
"What'd it say?" asked Amelie.
"Wait up, I'll read it." said Murphy as he opens the letter and read it.
"A powerful disease has struck Oakenreach. My methods are powerless against it, and even worse, I'm afraid I've been already infected myself. Casual skin contact is more than enough to infect other individuals. It incubates for about half an hour, and the infected turn into crystal in about a day after it develops. There is no hope left in Oakenreach. Do not go to the village by any circumstances. --Jonathan Merrill"
"Oh no! If father's was infected..." said Amelie. "I have to go!" As she said, she hurrily ran off from the village to Oakenreach.
"Amelie! Wait!" Murphy tries to stop his friend, but to no avail.
"She's going to Oakenreach all by herself! We've gotta to stop her, Julien!" said Murphy.
"I got it, let's go!" Julien answers his friend as the both went out from the village to chase Amelie and stop her from going to Oakenreach.
As the both running on the roads to follow Amelie, Murphy suddenly collapses down to the ground on his knees.
"What's wrong, Murphy?" asked Julien.
"Nothing. I'm just tired a little. Let's move on." said Murphy before he will continue running on the roads, which Julien does not suspect and follows him.
During the chase, Julien and Murphy encounter the slimes that are exact to the ones they found in Lyacon Forest. But as non-intelligent slimes, they are weak and easy to defeat. Julien jumps in and attack all of the encountered slimes.
"Out of the way! Shockwave Rush!!" Julien uses his first special art unconsciously learned earlier by swinging his sword which creates shockwaves along the ground in the arc. After disposing the enemies, he then ran along the roads of the plains with Murphy to find Amelie.
Upon arriving at Oakenreach, the first sight they have founded are the crystal statues which resembles to the people of the village. As Julien and Murphy witnessed such bizarre sight, they came into an accumulating fear.
"What... are those things?" Murphy asked in fear and confusion.
"They're... the infected people Amelie's dad mentioned." answered Julien. "Where's Amelie?"
Julien asked up as he is looking for his friend, Murphy looked around and found Amelie who was running on the bridge above them. She is heading to somewhere in the village.
"She's there on the bridge!" said Murphy as he found Amelie.
"Alright, let's get going!" Julien tells Murphy before he went ahead as his friend is following him from behind, and they found their friend entered into the house at the rightmost of the village. Julien and Murphy then approach the house where Amelie went in.
"She's going into that house." said Julien.
"Let's get inside." said Murphy as he enters inside first, before Julien follows him.
Inside the house, Julien and Murphy found Amelie who tries to approaches her father.
"Stay away from me!" said Amelie's father. "No matter what you do, don't touch me."
Her father's words made her fallen into the state of utmost shock.
"Father... why?" Amelie calls out her father.
"I'm done for, Amelie. I'm sorry." said her father.
"And you don't let me to stay by your side, father? I can't even hold your hand?" asked Amelie as her tears are start to running down on her face.
"*sob* How can something like this happen?" As she speaks, she started crying as she knew that she will never have a chance to see her father again.
"Julien, Murphy. Could you please take my daughter back to Pearlwood for me?" Amelie's father requested his daughter's friends.
"...Yes." answered Murphy, he does not know what to do in a pinch situation in front of him.
"Let's go, Amelie." Julien holds his friend's hand before taking Amelie out from the house as Murphy follows them from behind. Her father looks back as his daughter and her friends went out from the house, his face shown an expression of sadness.
"I'm sorry, Amelie. Goodbye."
Jonathan speaks his last words before turning into the crystal, hoping that his daughter might hear his words calling out for her as she was safe from the disease he himself unable to cure.