12 Chapter 10: A Tree of the Past

Adam walks home…

But where is this 'home'?

That's right, he's currently searching a place to stay a couple of days. He didn't anticipate the problem that rose before him, and he can't go back to the Fray manor due to how far it was from the smithy. The city of the north was indeed humongous.

Another issue that he didn't expect was that every lodging he went to was already occupied. Adam roamed the streets with an exasperated sigh.

Then, as if he was given a blessing by some god, an angel appeared before him.

"Are you looking for a place to stay?" a feminine voice spoke to him.

She was a tall woman with a rather large bosom and jet black hair that matched his. Her eyes twinkled like the stars afloat in the night sky, and her smile was like a warm cup of cocoa. Her outfit, however, was rather… revealing.

"I am Pristine, and I own that brothel over there. You look a little lost, child. Say, what do you think of spending the night there?"

Brothels. Father said that when he was still in his youth, he went to brothels to 'have fun'.

(Brothels are supposed to be fun places, right Gilgan?)

[Oh, definitely. Yeah.]

She sounded sure, so Adam went along with it.

"Sure."

As he was approaching the building, he felt an odd tingle. It was a similar feeling he had back at the Fray Manor.

{Creak~}

To his surprise, the inside was filled of women with varying races… and sizes. There were Ogres, Harpies, Parisians, Elves, etc. All were wearing revealing clothes.

"Oh look! Pristine brought home a boy!" shouted an elf. She was just about Adam's height.

Soon, multiple women approached him with multiple questions.

"Are ye' really a boy?"

"How old are you?"

"Ara ara, you're cute~"

Overwhelmed and desperate, Adam called upon the nymph for her wisdom. However, no one replied in his mind. He just got GOT.

(You fucking nymph-)

"Hey~" A lasvicious finger traced the outlines of his muscles. It sent a gush of inexplainable energy throughout his body. "Woah, you have a pretty toned back don't you?"

"I… I do train." he answered shyly, where it was followed by the gasps and cheers of awe. "A-anyways, I just want to sleep here for the night!"

He didn't understand and was even confuzzled, but his speech was followed by applauds and compliments for his 'bravery'.

"Hey Pristine! Don't tell me you're gonna have this cutie all for yourself!" the elf earlier spoke. She was followed by a harpy and an ogre.

"We should share him!"

"Yeah!"

~(The next day)~

The birds of Lordrith were chirping happily with the sun's rise, and Adam came out of the brothel with a polished face.

[So, how was the bed?]

(Soft.)

[The pillow?]

(Squishy.)

[The dinner?]

(Delicious.)

[And the night?]

(…{Blush})

[Congratulations Little light, I guess you are no longer a vi-]

(You know, it would've been better if you weren't laughing through the process.)

[It was just a little… Tax. I entertain you and you entertain me. Anyways, you did acquire useful information there.]

~(Last night)~

The exhausted Adam was under the sheets with a lot of the ladies.

"Can I ask the lot of you a question?"

"Oh, about the fee? Don't worry. You're cute so you're free~"

Adam's cheeks flushed red.

"N-no! Not about that. It's about Frederick and the blacksmith."

All of a sudden, everything went silent and the air felt heavy.

"Should I tell you?" Pristine stepped up. The others didn't like the idea of it, but she spoke anyways.

"Yes please. I'll compensate for the info-"

"No, no. It's okay! A cute child like you should be spoiled." Pristine pets the young man.

"You see, the heat between Frederick and Denzel was already in place long before the dwarf even built his smithy. If I remember correctly, the two of them used to see a girl named Ember.

Maybe the two of them fought over her, I don't really know, for I lost ears over them years ago. But, I do know where she lives and it's not far from here. She lives a few walks away from here, over the bridge and the first house you see on the 2nd block."

"… Thank you. That was really useful. I'm actually trying to help that blacksmith."

"Please do. The harassment of Frederick was obvious throughout the years, but as a mere prostitute, there was not much we could do."

"… I see. Again, thank you."

"Thank me? Oh, you can thank me right now-"

~{Back to the present}~

Adam went to the house that Pristine mentioned. It was a normal, tidy house. However, no one answered his calls.

"Is this the right house?"

{Creak!}

The door of the house opened, revealing a young woman at the other side, about his age.

"Oh, good morning. My name is Adam, and I am a… Anyways, what's your name?"

The girl didn't speak. Rather than her voice, she used her hands.

She was mute, and was using sign language. It was fortunate that Gilgan can translate them.

`[Hello, I'm Stella. Nice to meet you. Are you lost?]`

"Oh… You're not Ember?"

Stella's eyes seem to turn bitter at the mention of Ember's name.

`[… I am not. Ember is my older sister.]`

"O-oh. My apologies. Can I ask where she is?"

`[… Dead.]`

"!!!"

Adam stopped for a while to piece out the information. It doesn't fit at all. Did the lady last night lied? Not likely, since Adam's 'eyes' can see even lies. Something was missing that he doesn't know.

Without any prior warning, the hesitant mute tapped his back to attract his attention. It seems that she wants Adam to follow her.

They walked for a while, and not far from there was a big tree. She climbed up but almost broke her neck by falling, so Adam gave her a piggyback.

On top was a spacey wooden shack. It seems to be in a nice shape, but traces of aging can be sighted.

`[Elder sister used to play here with Denzel along with another friend who's a girl. I forgot her name, but she was really close with the two of them. They often go up here, so please, investigate if you would. You seem like a close friend of Denzel.]`

"How did you know?"

`[That silver ring around your finger. Ember loved making rings and she would give one to those close to her, like this silver ring on my finger. Y-you are a friend of him, are you not?]`

"… yes."

After the mute left, Adam searched around the vicinity. It was a place where all sorts of stuff were scattered all over the place such as books, ropes, hammers, make-ups and-

"Photos." the young man murmured. It was a photo of three children about his age, along with many other photos.

One laughing boy and one passionate looking girl that was fixing up another girl who looked rather shy. One particular photo was a solo of the shy girl, and the picture had a name.

[You think Frederick took the other girl? But where?]

Adam took a moment to ponder. Then, after piecing everything out, he moves.

~(Back in Denzel's smithy)~

The dwarf was moving his crates out when so suddenly, the young man appeared before him once again.

"Your money is in that crate-"

"Rita."

"!!!, h-how did you!"

"Stella told me."

"!!!"

Denzel sat on the floor in a lazy demeanor. His eyes were as dead as a fish's. He popped open a bottle of whiskey from a crate that had a lot of other empty bottles.

"You shouldn't be probing into someone's life, child."

"I need to. The bifrost is important."

"Important enough to meddle with other people's business?"

"Important enough to travel the entire world for it."

After hearing the young man's determination, a faint light lit his eyes.

"You… are an unusual child. However, I cannot make something at all. Being a blacksmith requires concentration, all the more when making something so complex such as a bifrost. My mind is… too troubled."

"Is it because of Frederick? I can get rid of him for you-"

"No! Don't touch him! J-just-"

The booze was starting to take its toll.

"Rita was a friend of mine. A very close one, as if we were siblings of blood. It was the same for Ember. When we were young, I built a treehouse on top of the tree near Ember's house. There, we would do what all kids would do-

Have fun.

It was a great time, perhaps my happiest. As we grew up, I noticed how Rita took a liking to Ember, so I supported my friend thoroughly. Then, one day, she just… died. Without warning. Can you believe that? I once thought everything will be the same forever but I was wrong. Even took the lesson at the worst way possible.

As for Rita, she disappeared with the death of Ember. In just one day, I lost two of my closest friends. I don't even know what to think now."

The dwarf bitterly sipped the whiskey, and Adam stared at him with mixed feelings. He was the same.

"… I- I also had a family." Adam spoke after the dwarf. He couldn't care less if the dwarf was listening or not, but he spoke anyways. He's always wanted to share it.

The young man spoke about the previous events, about how a mysterious explosion took his family, and now, how he's currently finding his sister.

After his narrative, the dwarf chuckled. 'Maybe, there is a connection.' He thought.

"When the Great Sol descends upon the horizon, at the same tree where you built your treehouse Frederick will come." Adam stood up.

"What? And what will-"

"He said Rita will be coming with him."

"W-what? Wait-"

Afterwards, Adam left without letting Denzel finish.

~(In the Boings manor)~

In his room, Frederick fidgeted his ring, and opened a box that contained a set of a clothes that were fashioned for a young lady, along with a blonde hair tailored into a wig. He stared at it with a big smile, even sniffing it with a smirk that would've made anyone who saw it scream.

All of a sudden, a shadow passed in his balcony. He checked the balcony, but there was no one there.

{Knock! knock!}

"Baron Frederick! Your breakfast is here!" One of his maids called.

However, as he opened the door, it was not a maid, but Adam.

"W-what are you doing he-"

"Rita." the boy whispered to the fatty's ear.

"!!!, H-how did you-"

He closes the door in a hurry, but Adam blocked it with his foot.

"Forgive me for being rough."

With a swing of his fist, Adam KNOCKED Frederick asleep.

At dusk, Frederick woke up beside a huge tree, thankfully unharmed. Behind him was Adam, and in front if him was Denzel holding the box of a girl's clothes while crying and uttering-

"I'm sorry." Over and over, he did.

"W-why am I with this pathetic dwarf?"

Silent, Denzel slowly walked towards him with tears on his face.

"D-don't come closer!"

He tried to reach for his pistol on his waist, but it wasn't there. Adam was toying with it.

Finally, after bridging the distance over, it was no surprise what happened next.

{PUNCH!}

avataravatar
Next chapter