5 Chapter 4: The Great City of Fray

(4 years later)

At the high walls of Fray, a mere guard could be heard screaming at a young man.

"Listen here rat, I have no time for your family squabbles. Get outta here before I take your nose and feed it to my Chuck." the guard pets his dog.

"Please, I just want in. I have business with the Fray family. Here-" Adam brought out his worn out pendant for him to show.

The guard took a good look before grinning. He was about to snatch it, but the young man was quick.

Annoyed, the guard punched his face and told him to scutter away.

{Trumpet}

Quickly, the soldiers fixed their posture. A noble caravan arrived with a fat man peeking on the window.

"Who is this {sniff} Ugh, peasant." he grimaced.

"Pay it no mind Baron Frederick. Just a stray rat. Please, come in now-" the soldier smiled earnestly at the fatty as the wooden gates opened.

"Good. Let's get a move on! I might catch its… pestilence." the baron spits at the poor boy.

The wooden gates shut tightly after he went in. Silent, Adam went away without a word.

[Why didn't you rough them up! Those retarded expressions are making my blood boil!] Gilgan ranted with extreme anger.

(No need. There are various methods of entering. I don't want to make unnecessary enemies.) Adam clenches his hand.

Gilgan had no choice but to sigh.

[Bottling up your emotions can do you harm, you know! Look at you now, you grew up to be so cold! What happened to my adorable Little Light?] She said with an exasperated sigh.

(And you grew up to be annoying.)

[What! Nymphs don't 'grow' you moron!]

(Shut up.)

[Oh, so that's what we're both gonna do huh. Fine, I'll leave you by myself and sleep! Don't ever wake me up!] and the nymph refrained from speaking a word.

"Finally, some peace." the boy's hand clenched harder.

As he strolls towards the woods, another noble caravan passed by him. Peeking at the window was an old man with a hat. The wind blew whilst the caravan and the boy passed with each other, revealing the pendant that once belonged to his mother.

Suddenly, the caravan stopped and the old man stepped out of the mount.

"Young man." the old man called.

Adam turned around, unable to hide the built-up anger that was still growing.

"Hoh, that is a little something. May I ask you where you got that pendant?" he pointed at the boy's chest. He seems... angry. But Adam was angrier.

"I got it at the town of Noyb."

"Noyb? I've never heard of that town-" the old man stared at Adam with discerning eyes.

"Noyb. Stands for 'none of your business'. Now leave me alone." the boy walked away without speaking another word.

It was quite windy that day, but never did Adam imagine that it would be strong enough to cut his cheeks.

"I'll ask you again, ill-mannered scoundrel. Where did you get that pendant?"

Adam turned around to see the old man posed for battle, his eyes flared while brandishing a long sword. The air felt heavy, and the boy felt a familiar chill.

"{Sigh} I traveled this Kingdom for 4 years and haven't met a single decent soul ever since that night. Whatever. Let's get this over with." Adam equipped his stance.

The two faced each other in a stare off. Not one of them flinched, and even though the old man's servants are yelling at them with both mocks and cheers, they couldn't hear anything but each other's breaths.

[{Gasp} Little light, this gaffer is much stronger than you. Without traps, I think we should-]

(I'm a child, Gilgan. He won't take me seriously, just like the others that came before him.) Adam gripped his dagger tightly.

{Whoop!}

The sound of wind ripping cued the end of battle. Without the boy even knowing, the tip of the old man's blade was already point-blank at center of his forehead.

"For the last time. Where did you get that pendant?" he pressed the blade slightly in his forehead, causing it to bleed a little.

With little to no choice, the frozen Adam answered reluctantly-

"It… it is my mother's. Why do you ask-"

"Oh really? Then state your mother's name." his blade pressed even harder with eyes that pierces.

"… Evelynn. Her name is Evelynn. Again, why do you ask!"

At the mention of the name, the shocked old warrior flinched. He withdrew his sword, and offered a seat in the mount-

"You. Come with me."

It wasn't a command, but a request this time. However, Adam was curious of the old man's change of heart, so he took a bit of a risk and voluntarily bit the hook.

(I thought you said won't speak to me?) Adam called Gilgan out as he wipes the blood off his forehead.

[You ungrateful little… Not even a than-]

(Thank you. And I'm sorry.) Adam smiled. He felt his elder sister smile too.

[Hmph!]

On the way back to the high wall, before entering the wooden gates Adam spat at the shocked guard's face with a smug smirk. He stretched his body afterwards.

(Ah, I have never felt so... satisfied. Still, I say satisfied but I feel that there's still something lacking…)

As they entered the high walls, Fray greeted Adam with its festive streets and buildings with varying sizes. For four years of his venture, this is the first time he has seen so many people clumped in one area. This excited the innocent curiosity within him.

"Why did you do that?" the old warrior grunted abruptly.

"Oh, you mean the guard? He treated me quite roughly earlier, so I merely returned the favor. Don't worry old man, I don't do bad things without good reason." Adam grinned.

"{Sigh} You resemble your father." he spoke as if the world ended.

"You know my father old man?" the lad leaned forward.

"Yes. Nobody in our family wouldn't know that cursed flower addict." the old man scowled.

"… Why do you hate him?" Adam tilted his head innocently.

"Everybody in our family despises him. I loathe him the most though. If he hadn't stolen my dearest sister-"

Adam nonchalantly leaned at the soft cushion as the geezer spoke.

"Wait, so Mother is YOUR sister? Well… Considering how your eyes resembled hers when upset, it fits the picture."

"-that bastard of a trickster Dave stole her. Oh, how I WISH I could thrust this sword of mine up his filthy- {Cough} Yes." the knight fixed his seat. The air inside the carriage felt extremely awkward.

[Whoa, That makes you his nephew right?] Gilgan was astonished by the fact.

[I must say, his... obsession, for his sister is pretty… interesting. The Eastern people actually had a term for people him-]

"Siscon?" Adam accidentally spoke. His uncle flinched before turning beet red.

"W-what! How did you- I am NOT a siscon! T-the idea is preposterous! Looks like that dark bastard Dave taught you unnecessary words! Hmph!" he crossed his arms and averted his gaze. His face was flushed.

"Oh. Uh- alright. What do I call you then?" Adam tilted his head once again. The uncle cleared his throat before speaking-

"Uncle Prith. You know what? Just call me Uncle." Uncle spoke earnestly.

Adam never called someone with that honorific before, so he was happy.

"Okay Uncle!" He smiled brightly.

Upon hearing and seeing his nephew call him with such an honorific, Prith flinched before avoiding his gaze once again. His ears were bright red. Awkwardly, Adam looked for other things to look at.

(You said it was of the east, how come did my uncle knew of it's meaning?)

[Oh, 'siscon'? Hell if I know.]

"We're here." the coachman spoke through the window.

Upon descending into the ground and out of the carriage, A large mansion that was enclosed with a chiseled stone fence greeted him. It was indeed grand, for past the metal gates were multiple luxuries such as-

A red bridge built upon a pond-

A brick pathway-

Multiple green trees that were tended and shaped beautifully by caretakers-

An orange statue of a fair lady-

And many other things that caught his eye because of how bright it was.

Inside the mansion, it was even brighter, to the point that he didn't knew where to look.

[Now THIS is a noble!]

"Stay here." Prith sternly asked.

It took him a long while, so the curious boy went around for a bit. The mansion had many rooms and halls, so he got lost somewhere along the way.

"Who are you?" a maid called out. Her hands were shining, which means she's about to cast magic.

"Calm down ma'am, I am just a guest-" the child threw his hands up, however she still attacked with a spell that cut through wind.

[People here really like to fight with children, huh?] Gilgan spoke with contempt after Adam barely dodged the offensive.

"You dodged that? And who was that lady? You have another rat with you?" the lady glared at him.

"Wait, you can hear her?" Adam's eyes widened in shock. Gilgan was surprised as well.

"Of course! How could I not? Now come out! It's no use hiding when I already know you're here!" She shouted and her veil was lifted for a moment, revealing her face and long, pointy ears.

[Oh. She's an elf! Well this makes things dramatically easier. I got this one Little light-]

In a language foreign to Adam, Gilgan and the elf held a deep and lengthy conversation. Before he knew it, the aggressive elf kowtowed before Adam, who has no idea what just occurred.

"I apologize for my rudeness earlier. My name is Suzuki of the Miyamizu Clan. As a token of my apology, please accept this-" she stood up to hand a necklace with a dangling coin.

The coin had a hole in the center and engravings of an anonymous language.

"Please wear it. It is blessed by the Nix of Fate, Karuma. It wards off bad luck." the elf smiled warmly.

With Suzuki guiding the way, Adam found the way back where he was told to stay. The elf left with a lovely smile on her face.

[That look… you like her don't you?] Gilgan said in a smug tone.

({Blush} I admit that she is lovely. Now, what did you say to her-)

[Adolescence is such a weird phase. Good thing I never went through it.] She spoke in a condescending demeanor.

(Oh really? Elder sister is so smart and so kind, she finally explained to me why she is so immature-)

"I am back." Prith broke the boy's thoughts so suddenly.

"Come with me... W-what is your name again?" Uncle Prith shied.

"Oh, it is Adam." He replied nonchalanty

"Adam… such a beautiful name!" Uncle shouted, as if to boast to the entire mansion.

"You're getting out of topic Uncle." His embarassment leaked out.

"Oh- {Cough} Right. Follow me Adam."

After walking for a good while in the wide mansion filled and decorated with luxuries, they finally arrived at a room on the farthest end of the hall of the 2nd floor.

A sudden nostalgic fragrace and an old woman clad in grey sat at a wooden rocking chair welcomed him, facing the large window that gave a nice view of the Adarna garden.

Adarna is a flower from the East that has thousands of petals with gradient colors akin to that of an artist's palette. It is said to be the most beautiful flower in Azaquell. He remembered that her mother grew them in a separate pot from the garden they once had.

There were many things inside the room such as a large portrait, most likely hers only much younger, a basket of stale bread, a box full of jewelries, a bouquet of dead assorted flowers, etc.

"Quite the observant boy. You really do resemble that idiot. Though, it was most fortunate that you didn't inherit his dark skin, else I would've fainted." she spoke with a shaky voice. Adam could feel the irritation in the way she spoke, but it was somehow warm and welcoming.