Village with Covered Ears

VILLAGE WITH COVERED EARS

Eli stood up from his sit when he saw Von walking towards him.

"How was it?" Eli anxiously asked.

Eli immediately know the answer when he saw Von's face. She shook her head. "It seemed they also don't have it. They told me to try asking the Gin's Shop. It's not that far from here."

Eli felt saddened by the news, but he still followed Von's footsteps. They started walking towards the Gin's shop even if Eli was feeling weak already. Von noticed this but she can't do anything about it unless they find an alternative for his pebble that got destroyed.

Von accidentally hits Eli with her sword when both of them were sparring. She was the reason why Eli's one pebble is slowly weakening. If his pebble don't get fixed or changed immediately, Eli might break or totally disappear.

When Von and Eli arrived at the shop, they saw a white haired guy arguing with the owner of the shop.

"Sir you have the one that I want to buy, but why don't you want to sell it to me?" the man with the white hair asked.

The owner laughed as if what the man said was some kind of a joke. "Why would I sell it to someone like you? I already know that you don't have money to pay for it. The things that I'm selling are only for normal people, not for a kind like you."

Von's eyebrow furrowed with what she have heard.

"Excuse me, do you sell some pebbles?" Eli asked.

The owner immediately entertained Von and Eli when he noticed their presence. "Oh no, I'm sorry my child. We don't sell those here"

Von already expected those words, but even so she still hoped that there would be one. Pebbles are a rare item and it'll also cost a lot when you but it.

Von hold Eli's shoulder to comfort him. "Do you want to return to the palace for a while? I'm sure we'll find one there"

Eli's eyes widened with Von's suggestion. "But you don't want to go back there, right? If we return there, you won't be able to set foot outside ever again and a heavy punishment is certainly waiting for you"

Von already thought about that but she don't want to leave Eli alone like that. He was his companion during her journey.

"What type of pebble do you need?" The white haired man interrupted.

Von and Eli stopped from their whispers and simultaneously looked at the guy.

"We have---"

the man wasn't able to finished his sentence when Von instantly say, "Really?!"

"Yeah, right! Keep bragging as if you really have one. You're just giving a reason to embarrass yourself" The owner of the shop commented, but the white haired man ignored him.

"Yes, but where do you plan to use it?"

"Ah!" Von immediately stood straight to introduce herself properly. "My adventurer name is Von and this is Eli, my magical weapon" she bowed in a way she only know of, the way how a princess or a noble greets other people.

The man was shocked at how she introduced herself. He felt some pressure to do the same so he tried his best to be formal as possible. "I'm Sed from the Viras clan." he said as he bowed. Unfortunately, he failed to copy how Von did. He was only able to greet her with a 'commoner bow'.

"Well, uhm... We need the pebble to change Eli's one pebble that almost got broken" Von explained.

Sed nodded. "Is the damage that big?"

"Hmm, I don't think so. I accidentally hit it with my sword during our sparring"

"If that is the case, we could just fix it" Sed said.

Eli's face lightened up with what he have heard. "Really?!" Eli enthusiastically asked, in which Sed replied with a smile and a nod.

For unknown reason, Von felt her cheeks burned up after seeing Sed's smile.

"My supplies are in my house. Would it be okay if you come with me?" Sed hesitatingly asked.

"It's fine!" Eli answered quickly.

"I suggest that you don't. Their village is the one that many of us avoid to go." The owner butt in again to say his opinion.

Sed didn't paid any attention to what the owner said, but it absolutely caught Von's. Nevertheless, she didn't bother to ask why. Even if it's dangerous, as long as there's the possibility of Eli getting fixed then it's fine.

Just like what they've agreed on, Von and Eli followed Sed towards their village. While they were walking and whenever they pass through some crowds, people would stop for a second to stare at them.

The people's whisper might be not that loud but Von and Eli was still able to hear some of them. They were just not sure if Sed noticed that.

The people were talking bad thing about Sed. They were talking about why Von and Eli following the likes of Sed. They were also talking about how shameless Sed was for trying to go down from the mountain and went to this market place.

It's was absolutely not the things you really want to hear.

"Von..." Eli called out her name to tell her that she need to calm down. Von breathe deeply then just silently followed Sed.

Von and Eli might not know what happened before, but after listening to all those whispers they were sure that the people were discriminating and judging Sed's clan because of their white hair.

•••

After a while, they finally arrived at Sed's village. It was on top of the mountain.

"You could stay here if you don't want to enter the village. I'll just get my thin----"

Von cuts what Sed was about to say, "We'll go with you".

Sed got stunned by Von's decision, but he just nodded and let Von and Eli join with him.

While they were walking, Sed heard another sigh from Von. It was her ninth time. He was not able to hold it in anymore so he asked Von worriedly, "What's the problem? That's already your ninth time sighing"

Eli heard this so he just hold his laughter.

Von looked at Sed seriously. "I'm worried why you didn't seem care about what or how the people treats you"

"Oh" was the only response Said as if it was just nothing for him.

"We just don't really care about how others think of us. We could still live even if we don't bother what other says" Sed explained as he shrugged.

Von left speechless with his answer, while Eli smiled at it.

When they arrive at Sed's house, he immediately started fixing Eli's pebble.

While Sed was busy fixing, she can't help but to ask : "How did you learn on how to do that?"

"It's a hobby. Magical weapon is something you create for someone who lacks in mana. A pebble is an item used to create them. I'm the kind of person who creates and fix items that brings magic but creating or fixing them does not need any mana. You see I don't have any mana, although our clan is famous for having a magic power that rivals the Cole Clan's." Sed explained while smiling, clearly having fun with the things he do.

"But there are some items that sometimes needs mana, that's why I buy items that is able to store mana and that is what I use. Just like earlier, I was supposed to buy one but they don't want to sell it for me." He continued as he laughed it off.

It was not Von's intention but she just see herself smiling. Von watched Sed work, sometimes she even tell stories about their adventures to him.

Hours have passed before Sed finally fixed it.

"You could store your mana in the pebble, if you want" Sed said when he was done. Von nodded and did what Sed told her.

Both Sed and Von was excited when they returned the pebble to Eli. Few minutes have passed before Eli finally opened his eyes again.

"If you guys want, you could stay for the night. It's already late and it'll be dangerous to go down" Sed suggested.

Von and Eli gratefully accepted his offer.

•••

When the sun rises, Sed dropped off Von and Eli outside their village. Von and Eli gave their thanks to him for the last time.

"Oh, you could have this. Take this as my thanks. Sorry, I was only able to do a little since I only have a few mana left after I gave almost all of my mana to Eli's pebble" Von said as she gave the mana stone to Sed.

Sed willingly accepted it. "You don't have to but thank you"

Von smiled. She does not know what got into her when she suddenly walked closer to Sed and whispered something to Sed, "I like your hair"

Sed got stunned and it was obvious how he blushed. "Most people says we look old though"

Von chuckled, "I thought you didn't really listen to what other says. Well, the white hair looks cool on you. I like it." She confessed.

•••

"What was that? Do you like him?" Eli asked while they were walking down the mountain.

Von thought for a while which made Eli gasp.

"Then how about Esperanza?" Eli asked immediately before Von even give her answer.

"What? Why bring up his name all of the sudden?"

"Didn't you say that you like Esperanza?"

Von rolled her eyes, "It's true that I like Esperanza but as I told you, it's---"

"Are you planning to cheat on him?!" Eli cut what Von was saying.

Von can't help but to facepalm. Why is he even making an issue about this?

"I have no time for that, Eli. Esperanza is an adventurer like me and I just met Sed. It's not like we'd meet again" she replied.

Eli nodded in agreement. He smiled before he comment again, "That makes sense. You don't need them, you have me"

"Yes. I have you, Eli." Von agreed.