Mistakes (part 1)

Ch. XXVIII - Mistakes (Elice)

-----

I didn't really rush, but I did go to the east.

The image of mom that I saw at the park, I'm not sure if it was real or not. Whether it was genuine or not, I am not fully certain.

But, I know that it was certainly in my head. Other people did not see my mom being there, so what happened was definitely inside my head.

I don't fully believe it. But if there is a very small chance that the image is telling the truth…

I don't believe in supernatural shit like that. Dead people coming back to life and warning the living about the future? Those things only happen in fiction. Like, actually, I have never heard a myth like that before.

But in the world where black magic exists, there is a chance of something like that actually existing.

So, let's say I believe only ten percent of it.

But, that ten percent alone has already got me walking.

The east. Where would Rake visit first?

That question came to my head once I arrived at the eastern portion of the town, marked by the plaza's eastern exit. I arrived on the eastern road that is the largest road in town, and I began thinking where that white haired guy went.

If my guess is correct, he could be parkouring on the rooftops--

"Elice."

"Hiiiekk!!!!"

I nearly popped my heart out from my mouth.

The painful part about holding a shout is that even though you held it in, some of the voice still came out. In the end, the people around me will still hear it, despite it not being that loud.

Also, yes, the chest pain from holding a shout. But what's more painful than shame itself?

I lifted my left hand, and with my elbow, I smacked backwards.

BAAKKK!!!!

That elbow smack felt good, and yet it felt hard. I turned around, and found Rake not even staring at me.

Why is he not hurting from the elbow strike?

"Elice, what are you doing here?"

Rake asked coldly, which then made me realize that something is wrong. His gaze is looking elsewhere, and I know he is simply keeping a watch on our surroundings.

Something is wrong.

"I-I thought I needed to find you--"

"You dumb princess. Why didn't you stay in the north?"

"H-Hey, what did you call me--"

Rake did not waste another second and pulled me to an alley, not too far from our position. We arrived in the alley, and he immediately took his mask off.

The first thing I noticed was the sweaty, incredibly worried expression that he is wearing.

"Elice. Why are you here?"

"W-What's going on??"

I tried asking him again, not knowing about anything. 

Rake let out a long sigh and wiped the sweat off his face. He then turned his gaze away from me, and answered.

"A dangerous man has arrived."

"W-What…?"

He then began telling me about what exactly happened. Rake was previously scouting the eastern side of the town, and he immediately noticed something odd at the eastern town entrance.

A super fancy carriage had just arrived. From the east, of all places. Which can only mean that the carriage must've originated from an eastern city.

Rake followed the carriage all the way until the plaza, where a person stepped out from the carriage.

Seeing the blonde hair, Rake immediately turned to shock.

It was a man that he was once closest with. A man who Rake spent most of his younger days with. The man who trained Rake so that he could become this strong.

The one man who previously held the title 'Ardjestyn's greatest swordsman', long before Arthur Bladeforce was even born.

The one man who held the title 'Grand Duke Ignicius' before Reithvord Ignicius.

He is…

"My grandfather."

Rake said with pain written all over his face, and I couldn't understand his implications.

Does this guy have some family issues? What's wrong with his grandfather?

"Are you… not close with him?"

"If anything, he is the closest family member to me."

"… What about your dad?"

"He didn't even live at my house."

"Mom?"

"Died. While giving birth to me."

Man, this guy got some dark past.

From the looks of it, Rake is quite concerned about the arrival of this 'dangerous man'. His grandfather was someone who he was very close with, so certainly it can only mean one thing.

His grandfather is here to try and straighten him, as Rake is someone who has betrayed the kingdom.

"Is he strong?"

"… Very. I'm… still not sure if I can even defeat him…"

Oh. There is indeed a bigger and older fish.

I thought since Rake is the number one hero, then he would naturally be the strongest human alive. But for him to be saying that about his own grandfather, does make me lose that belief.

"What should we do?"

"… We avoid him. At all costs, as much as possible, I don't wish to face him."

"Because he is your grandpa or because you can't defeat him?"

"… Both."

All right. Family issues, got it.

"Then, let's avoid him. What should we do?"

"Our best bet is those actors from the adventurers guild, but I still don't know when they are going to be ready."

"The messenger did say that the actors had been prepared, right?"

"Y-Yes, but… the fact that that person is here means that the actors have not yet done a thing."

Hmm… true. Because if the actors had fully attracted the attention of the knights, then Rake's grandpapa wouldn't be coming here, and instead would follow those actors away from Lionade.

"So, we just wait until the actors leave?"

"… They should've left by now. So we'll wait until the old man takes the bait."

Rake said as he thought about it deeply, and I nodded. Once decided, he put his mask back on and turned towards the alley's exit.

"Now, then. Let's just return to the house and lay low."

Rake suggested, and I followed him. We both exited the alley, and I just realized that the sun is already quite low.

It really only took us two to three hours on the search. It was much longer than I thought, because I was enjoying the fun walk quite a bit, and I must have forgotten the time.

By the time we arrived in the haunted forest, the sun was already quite low. The skies have turned orange, and it is about to be dark very soon.

"Shouldn't we get some food on the go before we go back to the house?"

I asked, because food is all I can think of right now. But Rake shook his head.

"Laying low means that we stay hidden at all times. If we buy food now, we will only expose ourselves to society longer. We can exit the house later at night and buy the food, and then return to the house."

"… Right. Antisocial."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Rake drilled his curious eyes into my head while I turned my gaze away. I felt so bad saying that out loud, and I didn't even realize why or how I even said it.

We began walking on the haunted forest, and arrived at the previous haunted house. It was mostly still intact, the only difference is, there is a crying child sitting right in front of the gate.

That child--

I recognized the child's clothes, and immediately rushed towards him.

The child was sitting down on the ground, curling his body as he cried. His ears then picked up footsteps rushing towards his position, and he looked up to find me rushing towards him.

"Roy? What are you doing here?"

I said after I got closer, and I studied his appearance.

This child was one of the children from the orphanage. His age is only a few years older than Luca, one of the younger boys. Seeing him here does surprise me, after all some of the younger children weren't supposed to leave the orphanage.

As soon as he saw me coming, he immediately stood up and rushed to hug me. Being hugged so suddenly, I panicked. And I noticed something was wrong.

His head… is bleeding.

"Y-Your head--"

"The knights!!!!"

He shouted as he turned his tearful eyes towards me. His expression simply tells me that he does not care about the pain on his head, but worries more about what he is about to tell me.

"The knights are hurting the others!!!"

He shouted, and I immediately understood my mistake.

Earlier, the knights found me exiting from the orphanage. Any normal person should assume that I was indeed doing something with the orphanage people if I exited so casually.

The knights… they must've realized that I was somehow related to the kids and miss Rina.

And since they couldn't chase me, their only option was to go to the orphanage.

And they will do whatever it takes to fulfill their mission.

Judging from the wound on Roy's head, it's clear that they must've done it with violence.

I can't… allow this.

I turned to Rake, hoping that he would understand. But as soon as I turned to face him, he was standing still and turning his gaze away from me.

He… doesn't want to care.

I pulled the kid away from me, and I moved my body towards Rake. He must've noticed that I am not in my calmest moment right now, because he let out a sigh.

"Learn... from your mistakes."

He said coldly, and I waited for him to finish.

"Once a person has betrayed you, there is still a chance of them betraying you again. To trust someone blindly will only cause you to regret it later on."

"Like how you regretted it?"

Rake finally turned his gaze at me, only slightly annoyed.

But, I am also slightly on edge.

We truly do not have time to argue. Who knows how long it has been since the knights came, and the longer we stay here, the more in danger Luca and the others are.

So, I didn't continue with my words. I turned towards the path where we came from, and began walking past Rake. But right after I walked past him, I stopped to finish my words.

"Trusting someone even after they betrayed you, that is indeed a stupid move to do."

I said to him, and he waited for me to finish.

"But no matter what the situation is… saving people will always be the right thing to do."

I finished my words, and I began running.

Roy, the boy with the bleeding on his head, tried following behind me. But then Rake lifted his hand to stop the kid from moving.

Seeing that I will be running alone, I began to pick up the pace.

Please… let me make it in time.