The fire lasted until sunrise. In the morning, everyone had black soot on their faces, and their clothes were stained. Outside the house, various items were scattered, and everyone sat looking at each other.
Attu laughed out loud and said:
-"Ha-ha-ha, it looks like we'll have to go to the elf forest after all."
Valorant replied:
-"It seems like we will."
Suna asked:
-"Are you guys leaving?" looking at Valorant.
Valorant responded:
-"Not just us; Anna is coming too."
Anna exclaimed in surprise:
-"Why do I have to go with you?!"
Valorant explained:
-"Because before Alaris died, he told me I need to take you to a safe place. Alaris knew that outside the 'Land of Fire', there's no safer place than the forest of elves. That's why he asked me to take you there."
Anna questioned:
-"Why?"
Valorant continued:
-"Right now, there are many who want to take the place you're occupying. If you ask Gustav, he can explain it to you in detail."
Anna turned to Gustav and said:
-"Gustav, please explain everything to me."
Gustav replied:
-"Of course, I'll explain everything. Your grandfather held a duke title in the 'Land of Fire'. This title was granted to him because he was from the royal family. Moreover, he was one of the contenders for the throne. Currently, there are two people from the Blackwood family who can claim the throne: the crown prince and you."
Anna said:
-"But I don't want to sit on the throne."
Gustav responded:
-"You may not want to, but the crown prince's supporters might think otherwise. They might try to get rid of you."
Suna asked:
-"Then why didn't they act while the master was still alive?" looking at Gustav.
Gustav said:
-"Because until recently, the master supported the queen."
Valorant added:
-"Before the black sorcerer demanded his price."
Gustav continued:
-"Yes, for the last six months, the master hasn't met with the queen even once. This led many to believe that the duke was preparing to place his granddaughter on the throne."
Valorant added:
-"The rumors about Alaris dealing with the black sorcerer led people to think, 'No matter what, the duke intends to place his granddaughter on the throne.' However, the prince and the queen know it's not like that. But their supporters might not think so."
Gustav said:
-"My dear lady, that's why I'm asking you to stay for a while in the elf forest."
Valorant added:
-"At least until Gustav improves the situation here."
Anna fell silent, deep in thought. A brief silence settled between them. Finally, Anna reached a decision.
Anna said:
-"But my grandfather…" and paused.
Gustav reassured her:
-"Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for everything."
Anna said:
-"If that's the case, then I agree," as she stood up.
Gustav said:
-"Sir Valorant and Attu will accompany you."
Attu suggested:
-"If you want, you can take Suna with you as well, right, master?"
Valorant said:
-"Sure, we'll take her with us."
Suna glared at Attu, annoyed:
-"Am I some item you can just take whenever you want? Don't you care about my opinion?"
Attu said:
-"I thought that if you were with her, Anna wouldn't feel alone."
Suna replied:
-"If that's the case, I agree. Someone has to keep an eye on Anna," glancing at her.
Valorant said:
-"Then get ready, everyone. We need to leave here as soon as possible."
Everyone stood up and began to gather their things. Half an hour passed. Attu was the first to finish packing and went over to Valorant. Valorant was ready; he was sitting on the stairs, holding his sword with the blade pointed to the ground. Both hands gripped the hilt firmly.
Attu remarked:
-"It seems you're all set."
Valorant replied:
-"Yes, I don't have much to take. What about you?"
Attu said:
-"I'm done too. Master!" he called out to Valorant.
Valorant asked:
-"Are you still suffering from a sense of guilt?"
Attu replied with surprise:
-"How did you know?!"
Valorant said:
-"You don't have to be wise to figure that out. Just looking at your face is enough. You might be hiding your eyes behind cloth, but your face still reveals everything about you."
Attu said:
-"When I think about what happened back then, it feels like I could have saved Sir Scott."
Valorant reassured him:
-"You couldn't have saved Scott. He had already turned into a living corpse. Your decision at that moment was the right one. If you hadn't made that choice, we might not be having this conversation now, and Suna and Anna might not be here with us."
Attu said:
-"But this decision is weighing on my heart. It feels like there could have been a better choice."
Valorant replied:
-"Life sometimes forces us to do things we don't want to and to make decisions we would rather avoid. Even if you don't like the decision, it might be the best choice for others. Every choice you make, every decision, is the best solution you could find for yourself and others at that moment. Therefore, never regret your actions, no matter how difficult or unpleasant they may be!" he advised Attu.
Attu nodded:
-"I understand," bowing his head in silence.
Seeing this, Valorant asked:
-"Have you learned anything new from our journey so far?"
Attu responded:
-"I've realized some things that aren't all that important."
Valorant inquired:
-"What are they?"
Attu said:
-"Fighting is not only about using a sword or a body; it's also a battle of wits."
Valorant urged:
-"Go on…"
Attu continued:
-"I've also realized that I've overlooked many things. I understand that it was my mistake."
Valorant said:
-"You haven't fully grasped it yet. The things you described as unimportant hold significant importance in life and in battle."
Attu affirmed:
-"I will certainly understand these things better."
Valorant proposed;
-"Then let's test your understanding."
Attu replied;
-"I'm ready."
Valorant said:
-"Describe Gustav, Anna, and Suna."
Attu began:
-"Sir Gustav. He has white hair, is around the age of deer, always dressed in the same large-collared black long coat, with a white shirt and a black vest underneath. His hair, beard, and eyebrows are also white, with his brows drooping. His eyes are a bright blue."
Anna has red hair and pitch-black eyes. She often wears a black dress that flares out. She looks like a very charming and beautiful girl. Suna, on the other hand, has light blue hair and eyes, and she usually wears a maid's uniform. Her eyebrows are often arched," Attu described.
Valorant responded:
-"Yes, understood. You've gained quite a bit of experience from our journey."
Attu added:
-"Experience is neither good nor bad."
Valorant chuckled:
-"Are you becoming wise?"
Attu replied;
-"I'm learning from you."
Valorant said:
-"Your words won't save you from the tough training that's yet to come."
Attu laughed:
-"I didn't have any hopes for that."
Valorant stood up, saying:
-"I just remembered that I need to do something," and entered the burning house.
Attu remarked:
-"If I were you, I would stay put."
From another direction, Gustav approached.
Gustav called out:
-"Attu."
Attu replied:
-"Yes, Sir Gustav."
Gustav said:
-"Here, take your sword. Thank you very much for lending it to me," as he held Attu's sword with both hands.
Attu replied;
-"You should be the one thanking me."
Gustav said:
-"There's just one problem."
Attu asked;
-"What problem?"
Gustav said:
-"I accidentally broke your sword." As he spoke, Attu kept hearing the words "I broke your sword" echoing in his mind.
Attu looked at the sword in Gustav's hand and thought it was whole when he lifted it by the hilt. Half of the sword remained in Gustav's other hand, and seeing this made Attu's heart sink. Lying on the ground, he began to cry, "My sword, my 500-gold coin sword!"
Meanwhile, Suna came up to Attu and, seeing him lying on the ground, asked:
-"What happened? Did something happen to Sir Gustav?"
Gustav replied:
-"I broke the sword Attu just got."
Suna said:
-"Is that all? Don't be so sad; you can always have another one made." She tried to comfort Attu
Attu protested;
-"What do you mean, 'another one'? How can I have another one made? Do you know how much this sword costs?" he asked Suna.
Suna replied:
-"How much is it?" She thought it couldn't be much, wanting to know.
Attu said:
-"500 gold coins."
Suna, upon hearing this price, asked again in disbelief:
-"Repeat that. How much did you say?"
Attu replied:
-"I'm telling you, it's 500 gold coins."
Suna shouted:
-"What?!" in shock, fainting from disbelief.
Attu said;
-"Well, it doesn't matter. Life goes on. If I work hard, I can buy it again," he reassured himself.
Anna emerged, asking:
-"What's happening?"
Gustav answered:
-"Don't pay attention to it," he said to Anna.
Valorant finished his task and came out of the house.
Valorant asked;
-"Is everyone ready? If so, it's time to hit the road."
Attu inquired:
-"How long will we be traveling?"
Valorant replied:
-"It will take us one month to reach the elf forest."
Attu exclaimed:
-"That's quite a long time."
Valorant said:
-"The journey is long, but the destination justifies the hardships of the road."
Attu replied;
-"I hope that's the case."
Valorant came closer to Attu and whispered in his ear:
-"Will meeting the elf girls make the trip worthwhile?"
Attu blushed and said:
-"Can you not...?" feeling embarrassed.
Valorant continued:
-"There's another route we can take, and we could get there in a week."
Attu exclaimed:
-"So we could get there faster!"
Valorant warned:
-"But that route might be dangerous."
Attu asked:
-"Why is that?"
Valorant explained:
-"Because we'll need to go to the teleportation portal in the nearby town, and then we'll have to exit from a portal in one of the towns close to the elf forest."
Attu was surprised:
-"Are there really teleportation portals in this world?"
Suna chuckled:
-"Are you from a village, Attu?"
Attu replied:
-"Yes, I grew up in a village. That's why I don't know much about this world."
Suna continued to laugh:
-"Ah, a village boy!"
Anna stepped in, saying:
-"Suna, it's not right to laugh at someone just because they grew up in a village or city," scolding her.
Suna apologized:
-"Alright, I'm sorry, Attu. I just found your words funny. Don't be upset!" She placed her hand on Attu's shoulder to apologize.
Attu reassured her:
-"It's fine. I'm not upset."
Valorant looked at the children and asked:
-"Are you listening to me?"
Attu replied:
-"Yes, Master, I'm listening to what you're saying."
Valorant explained:
-"The problem is that if we go to the city, there might be pursuers there. If we don't use the portal, we'll have to walk for a month through forests and mountains."
Anna agreed:
-"In that case, I think it's best that we use the portal."
Suna asked:
-"Why?"
Anna replied:
-"If we walk through the forest, we'll waste a lot of time, and since it's winter now, it'll be difficult to move in the forest, especially in the mountains. The cold weather and the animals during winter will hinder our movement."
Valorant nodded:
-"You're thinking right. The forest and mountains are more dangerous for us than the city right now."
Attu confirmed:
-"Then we'll go to the portal."
Valorant said:
-"Yes, we'll go to the city and then take the portal from there, but we need to be cautious when we arrive."
Attu asked:
-"Master, where is the nearest teleportation portal located?"
Valorant answered:
-"It's in Vorkalis, a traders' city nestled among the mountains. That's where we're heading."