"You have truly become a full-fledged healer; I pity you." The longsword was introduced and unceremoniously shoved inside my mouth, forcing me to widen it. Trying to avoid the blade was useless. "You, who have chosen the path of life as a human being, have made an indelible mark on your heart. Do you not want to forfeit this sickly situation of yours?" My eyes slightly adjusted to the light around the blue haze of light, the horizon across the sea, and the contrasting color of orange from the sun. The sun, somewhere, always points to the east and then sets in the west, but it never touches the east to land. I wonder when the sun will cast its gaze and rest on the other side. "You chose to save that, healer." The blade was shoved closer to the back of my throat as I looked at the end of the face of its owner, whose eyes, sparkling with greed, couldn't hide the color of the vast lands in his gaze. His eyes made me wonder if this man had ever caught any light outside. "Pay attention to me." He kicked my stomach quickly, and I twitched in pain, but I continued to try to avoid the dangerous blade. "You're a healer-an adventurer who kills for money and fun. An adventurer who lives for himself. A person who can't stand mundanity." He moved closer, his face near the blade.
"So, healer, can you even save yourself? I bet you can't." Before I knew it, the aquatic colors enveloped my surroundings; my fingers and nerves pumping blood inside my body began to gain consciousness. My legs felt heavy, and I could barely paddle to raise my body as everything around me added pressure, as if weighed down by the water surrounding me. The force that propelled me underwater persisted, forcing me down, as I tried to slowly adjust to the vibrant amber light-the vivid hue of amber that my heart was familiar with. It was a comforting light; as much as I hated the endings of each day, it was something I looked forward to witnessing. As it is luminous in the water, corporeal forms ascend and gradually float. A body, or bodies of human corpses were being tossed about by the swirling water. My gut sank as I saw them being thrown around, their lifeless energy contrasting with the bodily resistance to death that surged within me. This low push caused my body to flinch and awakened my instinct to fight against the weight pressing down on me, allowing me to rise from the depths and breathe in the lake air. Casting my gaze around, I found myself greeted by hues of orange in the sky while lifeless forms drifted languidly in my vicinity. Yet before I could focus on anything else, a sudden and forceful jolt emanated from the crown of my head, pushing me downward into the water once more with relentless determination. I forced myself toward the surface, meeting a giant wave that crashed against my face.
"Avante! Avante!" A tug on the lower hem of my pants, accompanied by another splash toward my face, was the one that met me. "Avante." My eyes slowly acclimated to seeing the man before me; with a flick of the fabric obstructing my vision, I noticed him hovering above me, tying his long dark hair back. Yes, he was the man I was employed by, Sliver Bliss. A healer like me who has been collecting money through service.
"You fell asleep," he said, splashing more water at me. "Your body is drifting away." Pay attention to your surroundings." I wiped some water from my face and looked around once more. The corpses were gone, and the roof of a cave had replaced the sky above. It was a memory. This lake was, after all, where adventurers, passers-by, merchants, and various people came to cleanse themselves. It was said to be eternal water; although it changed and self-cleaned every millisecond, people claimed it held onto memories. I guess they were right.
"Then you should have woken me," I replied.
"I'm busy cleaning myself." Standing straight, he sat beside the lake, red sand soiling his feet and pants. "Avante, clean yourself, and then we'll get going." I swam toward the shore. My clothes dried swiftly after I rose from the water. It was one of the mysteries of the lake: this eternal water preserves memory but evaporates immediately as soon as people rise onto the land. Memories inside the heads of the people stayed still but the water didn't. If only water could remove that memory from me.
"You can't just fall asleep like that while doing the ritual," he grunted, as if annoyed. Sliver was right, though; I had been too tired throughout the ritual. "It's a lame ritual. 'Drip the person's blood into the water, then drink the water before it becomes clear. Have someone push you down into the water to cleanse them…' I can't help but sigh in disbelief. '...push the person down three times and have a drink of the new water.'" I picked up the sun-drenched, vibrant orange peels spread around the red sand beside the tranquil waters. Aside from the mystery of the waters, the other adventurers also told us that the sand immediately sucks up the water from any fruit and herb. "Only insane people trust that ritual," I muttered under my breath.
"You did it, though." Sliver placed the dried plants inside the jars, murmuring that he was thankful the zephyrs didn't blow them away. Although it was a cave, we could pretty much tell there was wind coming from the hole above. It looked like it served as a giant spotlight for the lake; as for the wind, it sometimes seemed like there was a storm brewing here. "Whether or not you did it to respect my religion, I guess I could never ask."
"Don't be hard on yourself. I did it to respect what humanity clings to and what humanity is. After all, religion gives a person to hold on to when they have secrets they talk to."
Sliver sighed. It was the thought I had for a while. In these years of fighting one main villainous person, the greater god of light. That was the last person who looked at me with such grievance other than Sliver. The god of light is also the one who created the darkness. He is better described as a person who can't live mundanely. He couldn't live a simple life and could not accept the overwhelming goodness he had created and he realized within him that everything must be calculated and addressed according to his plans. A man who despises mundanity. He acts more like a human than a god. That man is awful.
"You're an idiot. You speak with such depth. Bit by bit, you're starting to sound like nonsense. Sometimes I can't even understand you." The loud thunk of the bag being pushed down on the cart couldn't even hide what he said. I shook the thought off and climbed onto the cart, patting the horse. "You're kind of scary now that I think about it."
"It's because your thinking is so level-headed, much like the surface of the water."
"How dare you even call me that?! Ugh." he places his hand on his head as if scratching it defensively. "I killed off men who are in the wrong."
"That makes you smart? I can't even tell where your moral line is. "
"What is even wrong and right anyway? Does it even matter if there's a crowd who teams up to dictate what is wrong and right? In the end, humans dictate that." The wind blew stronger making the the hat of the scarecrow that was placed outside the cave fly away. "Now I sound like you! Oh, man!"
"Ah anyway, are you done placing your items?"
"I'll be the coach; I know where my hometown is."
"For a healer like you, you decide too much. I mean I am the swordsman here. I'm the one who fights all the time. Ugh, you're kinda… ugh, what the heck is that word…"
"Arrogant? Prideful? Acting so smart."
"Ugh, I'll just respect you 'cause you know your way to your house aside from that, you told me you wanted to help the ones back in your orphanage where I brought you out. You're really a doomed saintess huh." he rolled his eyes and lightly murmured, complaining that he didn't know any words to specifically say what he wanted. And then a heavy thud settled on the back of the cart. "Healer, let's go." With the clop of the horses, we left the cave. The winds outside were strong. It's not a surprise that it's always been this way in this part of the country. Besides this is the part where most vegetation of the country grows. And this day, according to the records it'll be a windy day.
"The fields just started recovering."
I looked at the fields where new plants had just begun to grow after the war. There were still patches of dead plants and soil craters, but the grass was growing, and the flowering plants had just started blooming. For a healer like me, plants are necessary to heal. This is necessary for the exchange of life force.
"When someone is born others will nurture the land through its energy. It's a never-ending cycle." I sighed, "It's unavoidable." Today the wind nurtures the plants, distributing the tiny fragments from the flowers. To my knowledge, some flowers have these, create fruit, and repopulate the barren lands. Partly, this was the fault of the man, but when nature takes over it envelops the scenery at their own will as if the god who looks over the destruction is chasing over them like who is much more powerful.
"When you go back to your home, do you have plans to continue being a hired healer?"
"Questioning me right away huh?"
"You don't have a job,"
"Ah-" I roll my eyes, expressing my distaste for that question. It was always that question, "What do you do after finishing a quest.?" And it is without, of course, "I might wander a bit, or find something to fill the empty book of my life. What else do people like us do huh? We fill varieties of things in our lives at the same time, and different b-shit happens. The heck would I even know what to do next?!"
"I didn't even ask what you believe in life. You're deep into that."
"Hard not to talk about life."
"The adventuring guild starts to settle down because we already know the lands. Aside from that we already defeated the big bad guy."
"You'll never know it, though sometimes things may arise from small things." I looked at the nearby town that we passed through, although it was quiet now, in my past adventure, I'd seen it in flames during the war. "Like when someone fights from just-food. It can cause an uprising."
"So Avante I never actually know you. You told me you grew up in an orphanage but I never really got to know it clearly from you. Do you still want to go back to the orphanage? It's been years right?" there's something about the orphanage that I don't want to talk about to a lot of people yes I'm from to your finish I work hard every day and they work hard in that establishment also a healer for that they usually call it a nurse in that area I don't know where they got that name from but the orphanage runs with just old orphans who look over the younger ones there was no assigned person to look after it who is not involved with the orphanage itself. I was just picked up by Sliver when he was out looking for healers. Although many people try to be healers once they grow up because of the salary dead, the adventure guilds give a few healers who are just approved by the ruler in every area. Just like any magic school or combat school, they give tests for it. There were also other healers in the orphanage. Some of them used nature itself to cure; others, hers like me, used the magic we already had within ourselves. Flavor blessed at that moment was looking for that one who could cure just their hand without any support from nature but I fortunately do not also know how to cure using herbs and plants in the environment. I've come to terms with it since I have already experienced some difficulties when I can't cure because I was already weak.
"There's something that I need to do"
"You're always serious about things, I can't even catch you slipping. I have to be honest here you sound so boring. And too serious about everything. Sometimes I wonder when you will be happy."
"Is that a fantasy kind of demand?"
"It's just I don't know... I'm sort of curious about how you'll do facial acrobatics." he pouts and snickers. "Still, I like you though." Although Sliver sounds so dumb level. Sliver sometimes has a heart, maybe of a pig.
"Making someone smile forcefully isn't gonna earn you a heroic medal. Move on, swordsman."
He clicks his tongue in disappointment. "I was trying to make you blush and smile a little, you prick."
"Well, it isn't working. Give up."
With the sound of the slight movement of the cargo on the back, he then said he'd just sleep and asked me to tell me when we'd arrived or if there were any bandits. He's a heavy sleeper though. I doubt he'll wake up if there's any. I was the one who woke up when I heard bizarre noises that didn't belong to the surroundings.
By noon, we had already arrived in the town, of Oro. It was still a mess. Everyone is still recovering from the damage, the meteors that were thrown during the war, and the boulders that were broken. Everyone said to me when I was a kid that the adventurers came in and if they did great, they were greeted through a hero's welcome and then a festival. Before even my body could react a stone was thrown on me. I looked down as the horses continued their way towards the town.
"Hey, you're the Adventurer that killed off my brother right?! You menace to this society." The voice was tiny and kid-like and I assumed that it was coming from a kid. I do not need to look over to know. Another throw hit me. "Let go of me, old lady! F—"
"I'm sorry Miss Healer, for this kid." I stopped the horses to look at the lady holding back the child, "he's a pain".
"It's okay. It is also my fault. I could never forgive myself for hurting the people I lived with in this town." My leg moved on its own as I bent down on the muddy soil and kneeled with my head down in defeat. "I apologize for the things we did. I…I could never forgive myself for killing them. It's a duty that I had no choice but to do it since they betrayed our country and their countrymen." I strike my chest with my fist, my voice shaking yet loud. "I have to serve our people yet… I failed to do so." As I looked up at the child, I couldn't recognize anyone with the same face as the people I had killed before. Maybe it was the fact that my memory erased something they did not want. My eyes felt the heat as my cheeks were the same. "I'm sorry. I can't return them to you." The kid cried as he ran away.
"I'm s—"
"Don't worry about her. She'll be fine." An arm tapped my shoulders grabbing my arms to stand up and guiding me to the cart. As the cart moves and passes out I've only awaited for that kind of hero's welcome. After that kid, no one did the same yet the townspeople kept murmuring about me as a disgraced adventurer. How I turned to suddenly looking like a mercenary.
Have I lost my identity?
"Hey Hey." an arm grabbed me as they brought me down from the stopped cart, then slapped my face just for me to look at them, Sliver. "You're trying to lose yourself again."
"Ow, my face. "
"Oh, so you feel that? Where are you right now huh, Avante?"
"The town of Oro."
"No." I received another slap making my cheeks hurt, and I covered it with my hands.
"Where are you?"
"The town—"
"No, where are you right now?" He holds my hands on my face and squeezes it. "Where was yesterday? When did you kill those people? They aren't here, are they? So where are you?" "The… The present."
"Yes. That's right you are in the present. What happened in the past cannot be undone. And do you even think what is the result if you kept those traitors alive? Those traitors who sided with the god of light over their fellow countrymen, do you think the masses will even survive if you leave them alive? Don't you think they will also take their life as a price after suffering more deaths than intended?" His hand tightens its grip on mine. "It has to be done to lower the possibility of tipping off the scale of death. Avante, you have done so much for this community yet they do not understand you. But you truly know why it is needed to be done." He moves at the back of the cart, his warm hands grouping up my hair as he, Sliver moves towards my back. I can feel his fingers parting my hair and tying it into a braid. Sliver slightly pulls me to his through the lower end of my braid making the top of my head rest on his chest as I look towards his towering figure, his eyes of green, as his blonde hair moves through the wind while being illuminated by the sunlight. His dark hair turns to blonde underneath the sun and the longer he is exposed to sunlight his hair turns into titanium silver. This is why he's called Sliver Bliss.
"Swordsman."
"Yes, healer?"
"You should go home," I said as I moved away yet he tugged me back through the braid he made.
"I told you I'm not going home anymore. You're too careless. Your internal health is still shaken. You'll need a friend by your side." I pulled myself out of his hands.
"Then suit yourself with me being a nurse "
I said I climbed at the back of the cart."Whatever you say, my patient." The cart moved as soon as he got in. Sliver Bliss decided not to go home that day and the next couple of weeks. He was always following me though, which was a little irritating considering I was going around buying food and, at times h, helping some people. He's been following me like a shadow laughing and quite enjoying himself. Bringing and carrying all the things whoever the other people need it.
"Your water." He then pushes a bamboo container towards me with water as I drink and replenish my body, I've come to a thought. To think the swordsman helps people without worrying about the blood on his hands even if he has more. I was the last resort to revive life, I've killed people through healing. There is a state of a body that a person could be killed by their own body: organ failure, cell regeneration, continuous growth. A healer like me can manipulate that. When the swordsman found me he immediately took me in as I know both how it was done, place illness, and invoke illness to kill a person. It wasn't a useful thing in battle when a person was on the battlefield. It is only useful in one battle. That's why I get close and personal with most of my victims and see them face to face. It was horrific.
The galloping horses and the clanging of the armory made me notice the three horsemen coming. They were carrying a gold flag with a woven symbol of two wreaths forming a crown-shaped circle. As the leader of the three got down he bends his knees. "praise be, and may the honor of the omniscient gods bless our heroes." She greeted them with a firm voice.
"What can we do for you?" Sliver said as he bit on one of his harvested oranges placed on the basket he held with his arms.
"Miss Avante Guarde the governor, wanted to thank you personally." So… this is it huh. The governor said when I come back he'll talk about it.
"Wait, what about me though?" Sliver complained.
"Mr. Sliver Bliss, it will be the honor of the governor to invite you both to a dinner party next week in the gardens of the sacred heart." She gives the invitation to him and me. "Please do prepare for it and take your sword too. The governor wanted an exhibition match from the both of you."
"Agh, you see my partner here still has a problem with her body, you know. She's still recovering."
"But the gov—"
"—Ah, just tell it to him then." One of the horsemen on the back intervened.
"Sure thing!"
"Miss Avante?" The leader held out his hand and I placed it on hers. "Do you mind riding on the same horse with me?"
"I'd gladly accept your invitation, Mr. Knight." Even if she was a she, when a woman decides to become a knight they are addressed as Miste, showing their high status as grand. With help from him, I hopped on the horse she owned.
"Can't I go too? I'll give the gov some offering." he then raises his basket. The horsemen gestured for Sliver to ride on his horse. With that, we left the plantation as she sped up and the other horsemen tried to follow us.
"Miss Avante, I have you know that the gov has ill intentions towards you. This is not an ordinary meeting." She held my hand. "He will ask you to sign a contract. I need you to think about it." A contract… Ah yes. "I'm nobody to you. I'm not even Seraphina but I do hope you'll listen to me." Yes, she was a stranger, this woman with me yet.
"Don't worry about it," I said muttering under my breath.
"Miss Avante, I may not be one of those people whom you saved before but I felt a sort of responsibility to tell it to you." She looked back her pink hair slightly flowing on the windows of her armory. I squeezed her hand, "I'll be fine." With a few more turns and runs of the horse, we have arrived at the central government of the town. It has something they called columns and glass panels all over its design, a modern one. They said the creators of this design envisioned progress to houses, even the commoners' ones. They never thought of the cost of its to built. She assisted me towards the door as she knocked, I looked over at Sliver Bliss waving at me, and as if trying to enter the building, he stayed outside, though.
As the room opened the blue atmosphere greeted me.
The curtains were in their perfect royal blue color as the lights coming from the window diluted to the same color. When the door closed the man on the couch grunted.
This governor.
"I assume you already know why I called you in here."
"Yes."
As I got out, I held a wine bottle and a rolled paper.
It was a long talk.
The carpet below me was red, contrasting the cream color of the governor's place. I haven't paid attention to my surroundings much but the colors around me are more relieving than the blue sight inside the room. I rubbed my neck feeling the slight wounds on my neck. I couldn't help but laugh a little out of relief. This is much more relieving than I was there huh? I can't help but rub my face with my hand.
I can't help.
I puffed out my breath as she the good stranger who warned me earlier, looked at me firmly standing right in front of me. Even without her speaking, I can see how the edge of her lips slightly curl into a frown.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I just got a wine." I smiled. I walked towards the corner of the wall towards the hallway but I felt the arm of the female knight assisting me to walk straight. "I'm good. Don't need to worry. You can stop assisting me now." I muttered yet she tightened her hold on me.
"It's my duty to assist a person whom I think needs help."
"That can get you killed, you know," I whispered next to her ear.
"Doesn't matter."
I can't help by my mannerisms kicked in, and a sound like a click came out of my tongue.
"Can you just help me the go to the west guild?"
"Okay, Miss Avante. How about Sir Sliver?"
"Can we move away from Sliver for now?" I asked and she nodded in reply. We went to the back side of the building and she helped me once again, getting me up and placing me in front of her as she let the horse move towards the west guild. Assisting me she picked me up and carried my whole body as she began walking toward the front door, "This place is okay. Thank you, Mister." As I faced her, she knelt, reaching for my hand, and kissed my palm. It was an unusual kiss, usually, people kiss the back of their palms, but she kissed my palm.
"Miss Avante, I bid adeu. I long to see you well, my lady." her breath ran on my palm as her eyes of blue seas looked at my burgundy eyes.
"I hope for you to feel that too, Mister," I replied respectfully, reciprocating her respect. Standing up, she fixes the stray brown hairs on my face that flew away during the transport. I let her do it. As she looked one last time on the rolled paper I had on my hand and a bottle of wine she then turned back to ride the horse back towards where she was scheduled to go.
I faced the door to the guild and walked in.
Some loud adventurers were drinking on the tables as they talked about the places they've gone to and what they did recently. Showing souvenirs, items, and pieces of evidence on pouches of the things they hunted. Some of them redeem the rewards for the commissions and requests. As always requests give higher payment than the commissions. I settled on the stool on the table where the guild master mixes up the drinks for people to order.
"Ah… this is the guild it is still lively as ever," I said, smiling as I was met by the guild master's gaze. "Hey. I'm back Master Torentino." I placed down the wine I had on the table, "I got you some wine you can test it out if you can mix it."
Master Torentino's smile widened, and his smile lines became ever more prominent as he grew older than me. His hair color stayed the same a platinum color of silver, but his forehead and the lines near his eyes stayed as if non-existent. This old man that never grows old just his smile lines.
"Oh! She's here! You're here!" Oh my god!" the guild master rushed towards me and picked me up spinning me as I tapped his shoulder for him to stop.
"What's up Lady Avante?!" his accent pronouncing my name as Ah-vant still the same as ever. "You put on weight huh?" he then laughs with his toned chest vibrating.
"And you didn't look old."
"Still doesn't know how to return a funny insult huh?" he laughs again as he taps my back harder a little. "I guess you're out there being all a saintess."
"Not a saintess. Those were just fictional books. I just happened to be the first one to be seen by Sir Bliss." I held his short haircut and messed it up in return. He then carries me on his arm and with how much at least I've grown and with his almost gigantic height, my hand could almost reach the ceiling. It's been this long since I've gone huh? Whenever he carries me before on his arms I can only reach the top of his head.
"Our lady hero is here!" he shouted with his deep laugh. I covered my face out of embarrassment. "She's the one who defeated the god of light." He said, grabbing the shoulders of the other people who were on the stool. As they looked at me I couldn't help but be shy about what this guild master was doing. He's too proud of me. While he brags the other adventures cheered and nodded as if they were forced to react to the guild master acting as if I am his daughter. "My lady is back!" He always called me that way yet I only called him guild master ever since I stepped in the guild.
"Since she brought a wine glass today, two gallons of beer are for free today!" he exclaimed joyfully as the other cheered. I pulled his hair a little as he looked up towards me, "Old man, you won't have any profits if you continue that!"
"Of course, those who already have paid for their drinks for today won't get their money back." he placed me down on the table where he was preparing drinks, laughing at the people who had already paid and groaned.
"Jeez, man. You listened to her so fast." one of the customers who was on the stool laughed.
"How couldn't I? She knocks the sense out of me sometimes."
When only a few people remained, he gave me a glass of milk and I drank it up without any complaints. Some people would say it is childish but for us adventurers, it helps us to make our bones stronger.
"I had the opportunity to prepare that milk earlier."
"Mhm.. It was satisfying."
"I have three jars of milk at the back. I'll give it to you just a moment." he went to the room at the back. When he came back, he brought it out tied and on the basket. He then places three bottles of wine in the same basket. "I know you love wine as much as you love milk. Just tell me when you ran out my lady." He gave it to me and I held it. "Do you have a place to stay tonight? You know, I prepared your room when I heard you're coming back."
Is that messaging with birds that fast recently?" I confusedly asked. I remember sending a letter to him back when I was staying in an inn after the battlefield event.
"You know your friend got some good tech recently. She does a good job inventing such things!" he exclaimed as he showed me a box square with holes and some kind of long stick, sort of antenna. "She created this so we can converse even from far away if we needed to. You've got some great friends."
"So that's how you prepared this milk early huh."
"Tch. Old man."
"Oh, it's getting late. You really should sleep now," he mutters as he pushes me to walk up the stairs toward the rooms above the guild. It was his idea to put rooms for rent above the guild for late-night adventurers. He's pretty intelligent himself. As he turned on the lights my room lightened up. It is still the same as ever, a spacious room with a bed, a fireplace, some desks and a lot of square paneled windows on the side.
"What's with this?" I picked up a cat-like pillow and showed it to him.
"I tried… creating that as my other gift." he rubbed his cheeks with his finger.
"You know what… you'll be a great father with these uneven ears of the cat pillow you made." I teased him.
"Can you stop!" he places a palm on his face. Yeah, that's my payment for doing the embarrassing thing a little earlier. "I don't plan to be a father. I'm too young to be a dad." he pouted. This old man. "Besides I'm just one hundred eighteen years old yet! I'm not too old!" He's been around for at least a decade, so I guess that makes him old but considering that he's a half angel, I can only guess that's just a little age thing compared to the other angels who lasted more than centuries.
"I was just joking jeez. lighten up a little." I released a deep breath as I looked at the cat and placed it on my lap as I sat on the bed. "I appreciate what you did as my gift. It's cute."
"Take a rest okay? Get to bed." he walked towards me and brought my feet onto the bed like a kid he tucked me in the blank.
"You know, you'll be a good dad."
"Can you stop with it!" his cheeks turned pink as he walked away towards the door.
"Take a rest and sleep!"
"Okay, old man!"
As soon as the door closed, the windows opened and with a sound of a woosh, I saw an arm on the window and a sword. That sword is quite familiar though, as he grunted at the man who popped his head on the window way Sliver Bliss. Inhaling exhaustedly and exhaling terribly. Inside, as I stood up from the bed and walked on the floor, I was debating if I should scold him or help him to get up, but he did get inside anyway rolling on the floor and saving his bones from being broken.
"What are you doing? You could have just entered the door."
"I was trying to have a cool entrance." Stupid swordsman. "Like I was just a mist going in. I didn't know you were still awake!"
"What brings you here?"
"You didn't come out of the governor's hall. And I thought you went back to the inn we took back in the east. I didn't know you're up here in the west." he sits on the chair just right on my desk where I placed the basket with wine and milk.
"You got some good supply of milk here huh? Can I get one?" He brought out one jar and immediately opened it without waiting for my answer.
"You already got one."
"Sorry, that climbing really made me hungry."
"You could have just walked to the stairs, swordsman." I rolled my eyes.
"So what did you talk about?"
"We talked about the guild and how to manage it in the future-"
"No not that." he rubs off the milk off of his lips, "The governor."
"Like what I said, just about the guild and the exhibition party."
"This one." the rolled contract I received from the governor was now in his hands. I placed it on the basket a little earlier… How the hell did I forget that? This is too messed up.
"That's nothing." I smiled as I ran toward him trying to get it from him but he swept it away from my hand smiling, I ran toward him as he opened it. "This contract acknowledges that I, Avente Guarde, have sold my life to Robert G. Wagon-Brine as his lawfully wedded wife. As she will have the orphanage at her own hands to manage it along with my properties of inns at the north and the south of this town…" his steps stopped running as I did the same. He reads it quietly.
"This is a devil's contract." he held my shoulders as the contract slipped away from his hand. "This isn't what you planned. You told me you'll take care of your orphanage when you come back from the war. What is this?!"
"I- I… can't help-"
"You're not a saintess to do this. I know you told me that the orphanage is on the brink of ruination but this is too much!"
"I don't have money all right?!" I managed to spill what I wanted to say. "I don't have enough money to fund it out! I lack manpower. I-"
"Why are you lowering yourself huh?!" Sliver held my collar with force. "I put you out for you to realize you are worth more than a penny." My tears flowed down my cheeks as he walked towards the window. "I… I need time. You must have reasons… W… Whatever lies you need to prepare… you can prepare it for me." He climbs out of the window and moves down the cold air.