Finding Lisa

A day has passed since Aran's arrival at Nash's house.

Everything went to normal as soon as he stayed with him. The effects of the events last time affected him very much but he has learned to accept it.

Either way, there are still so many things left to do and for Aran, he knows very well that he doesn't have any time for goofing around.

Or so we thought—

"Woah, what is this?"

Aran was searching through a cabinet near the bedroom. The whole drawer has a lot of books that are very interesting for him. He grabbed at least three of them and threw it on the ground while skimming through. Because of that, the whole room became a mess and the child's curiosity grew even fiercer.

"There are so many books here, I don't know where to start. Master Rin should have been keeping them but not actually reading. I guess I'll have to start reading them one by one."

After scanning the whole cabinet, Aran closed the drawers and started stacking the books vertically on the table. Since there are so many books, he only picked the ones that he hasn't seen yet to get started.

He walked across the room and sat down on the sofa.

"There we go, now let's see here... Mercenaries? The Adventure of the Argonaut? The Legendary Dragon?"

He scanned through the whole stack while trying to find something that suits his reading preference. And since he is more of an educational reader, he needs to find a book that is related to the world he is living in right now and what kind of things exist.

A few seconds later, he found an old book that is thicker than the other books. It has a leather cover but there are scratches everywhere and the rope that ties it was rather stretched and it was dirty.

Aran took the book out of the stack and started blowing it to remove the dirt. The dust dissipated through the air and there he reads the title of the book.

"Half-Blood King..."

He slowly opened the book with ease and he was greeted by an old class font style that is not actually familiar to him. Because of this, he tried to evaluate what it means by turning it sideways, and even upside down but there's no luck. The font style is very hard to read and he cannot even begin.

"Damn it, I don't know how to read this thing." Disappointed, closed the book and placed it back down on the table.

Instead of figuring out the way on how to read it, he just kept on reading the other books instead. After a few moments, the door opened and Nash entered it. He saw the room full of scattered books and because of this, he was surprised to the point that he almost fainted.

"Aran, what are you doing? Why is there a lot of books here?" He asked as he picked the scattered books from the floor.

"Sorry, Master Rin. I have seen your cabinet in the bedroom and there were a lot of books that you were hiding there so I got interested in reading them." Aran answered as he leaned back on the wooden sofa.

Nash gave a heavy sigh but he realized he didn't have any choice. He knows that he should have expected this from the first time he came here.

"By the way, how's work? Did you guys fight another monster?" Aran asked him. Nash walked across the room the fix the cabinet.

"It is our job to kill the Dhekaids after all so yes. Apparently this time, they are not hostile or aggressive. So it is easier for us to deal with it." Nash answered.

"By the way, Aran. Aren't you going to change your clothes?"

"Wait why?"

"You seriously don't remember after reading that much? We're going to find your friend, remember?" Nash told him. Aran widened his eyes as soon as he heard what he was supposed to do.

"Oh! I forgot about it!"

Aran closed down the book instantly and started fixing the stack. He burst through the room, cleaning the rest of the scattered books and returning them to where it belongs. Nash was surprised by his speed that he didn't even continue on speaking.

"There, done! Let's go." He pumped his body.

"That was fast." Nash commended him for doing the right thing.

Both of them left the house after cleaning the house. Aran once again decided to enjoy the view of the mountain while walking down the grassy path.

"You really like the place?" He noticed the beaming smile on his face.

"Yes! Well, it is my first time having to go to other places so I can't help but get excited. The only place that I know in my life was the oak tree from our village and my house." He answered though there was something sad looming around his tone. Considering that his own house was burned and that he lost his father, it would be really hard to remember the happy times he spent in that place.

"It must be important to you. Here in the capital, there are building you don't get to see. I figured that somehow when the time comes, you should have a change of scenery. Do you want to check out the other places?" Nash asked once again.

"Not really, we don't have time for that. Besides, finding Lisa will be my priority as of now." Aran said. Nash gazed at him with a little squint on his eyes.

"Is this Lisa... your girlfriend?" Aran's cheek turned red as soon as he heard the question.

"N-No! Of course not!" He backfired while getting flustered. But there was a hint that he actually likes her but not in a romantic sense.

It is indeed mortifying for Aran to talk about things like this especially if you're having trouble socializing with other people because you're different.

"Well, if you're not her man, then do you like her?" Nash didn't want to let this topic burn down so he directed it on the opposite side.

"A-A little bit..." Aran placed his right hand on his left shoulder while looking away shyly.

"Pfft, Hahahahahaha!" He admitted it but it is not like he actually likes her.

"What? Shut up! I can think of a reason why. And I think most people in our village really like her as well." Aran explained.

"Hou? Then how is she different then? What made you like her?"

"Lisa was very kind to me, she and I grew up together in that village. And you know, I'm different from the other kids who live there. I have my own world, I always read books, I don't socialize, and I don't even have to because they don't want to either. Like, my life has been full of reading and relaxing and not doing anything. But she, Lisa didn't let me go just like what the others did. She kept on visiting me, annoying me, and even wanting to play with me. I-I don't know, I feel like she is the only friend I have." Aran expressed his feelings without any hesitation. The look on his face proves that he is happy and thankful that Lisa was always there for him.

"So you get along with her more than the others?"

"Yes, she is independent and strong and she is really lively. No one likes what I do, but she doesn't care about any of that. That's what I like about her. Though, I am really surprised about something." Aran looked to the sky.

"About what?"

"I found out that later Lisa Alliere was actually the granddaughter of the Alliere Clan's Master Himawari." As he said that, Nash left a small gasp.

"The granddaughter of that old man?! That's really surprising indeed."

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I've actually tried to learn his Sunflower Sword Style Technique and he accepted me as a student. He is really powerful and fast and it took me a few years to learn his style. Even now, I still have a hard time executing his attacks. That old man surpasses almost everyone in this kingdom. And he is also a teacher in the Fosier Academy."

Master Himawari - The one who founded Alliere's Sunflower Sword Technique. It was a style in which each of its techniques is engraved onto the petal of a sunflower. The style mixes a combination of speed and its user's magic. The Alliere family is known for their talent to control the flame.

They were called the 'Inferno Family'. One of the strongest families in the whole kingdom.

It is no doubt that Master Himawari has managed to come up with different techniques that utilize both their flames and their talent for swordsmanship.

But of course, their techniques are not only limited to those who are part of the Alliere clan. When one wishes to learn their style, they must enroll in the clan and learn it directly from the Master himself.

"I was really surprised at first. She was the daughter of someone whose social standing is in an entirely different league from us yet she is in the village to play with me." Aran continued.

"Do you know the reason why she is in the village?"

"Her father owns one of the companies inside the capital that has been famous for a decade and he has been respected for his good nature to come and deliver the goods to various villages. And since he doesn't want to leave his daughter, he always brings her." Aran explained.

"Isn't that really dangerous? Going outside to Ziduec. Her father could've just left his noble daughter in the capital."

"I don't think Lisa possesses a personality that befits a noble. She was pretty outgoing and she wanted to leave her home. That must be the reason why her father cannot leave her. She wants to explore the outside world as well. And since she is friendly to everyone, we have hope that not all of the nobles are pretty bad."

"Did her father arrive at the village yesterday as well when you meet up with her?"

"Yes, I think so."

"If that is the case, then they must've been transported to the capital earlier than the others. Does everyone know that Lisa has been going outside of Weshun?"

"No. It was a secret. Leaving the capital without any permission would be bad for the Alliere family especially with his father." Answered Aran.

"This is bad..." A sudden spark jolted Nash's body.

"Why? Is there any problem?"

"Even if the capital is safe from the outside, there are still criminals and thugs looming around inside. If Lisa and her father were transported to the sanatorium, they would've known that they broke the rules." Nash explained.

"Then we need to go there quickly!"

"That's pretty good. I think we should find her before the sunset." Nash and Aran sprinted.

They started going through the main road without stopping and after a few minutes, they have arrived at the sanatorium.

"We're here, what are you doing?" With their arrival at the building, Nash noticed Aran drawing something on a piece of paper with a bunch of lines and some scribbles. There are also some arrows pointing somewhere and a drawing of a compass.

"Oh nothing, I'm memorizing the path that we are taking in and noting them down so I won't get lost. It is part of my hobbies because I want to explore everything." Aran explained while scribbling down.

"Alright then, let's go in." Nash continued to walk until they reached the front door. He opened it up and they went it.

The sanatorium is pretty vast enough to exhibit a lot of rooms and furniture. There is a reception desk on the left side and beyond those are stairs leading on the 2nd up to the 5th floor. There are also rooms on the first floor and there's a waiting room full of chairs and tables on the right side. It has a lot of people and it looks busier than ever.

"So uh, what do we do?" Aran asked.

"Well, let's start looking for her and their room," Nash answered while looking around.

"There's a lot of people and rooms here. And there are 5 floors, you expect us to find her with that condition?"

"Yeah, well, there's a receptionist here and I'm pretty sure she can help up determine where the refugees are stationed." Nash said as he walked on the left side of the sanitorium.

"Wait, hold on!" Aran followed.

"Excuse me, Miss. Can I ask where can we find the injured people from the Moriville village?" Nash asked the lady on the front desk.

"Oh yes, of course. They are stationed on the 4th floor just on the right side of the room. Some of them have already left this place and checked out but there are plenty more on the 4th floor." She answered while running a checklist.

"Okay, thank you very much for that information. Let's go, Aran." Both of them left the reception desk. Aran didn't say anything and kept on following Nash on the stairs.

"This place is really huge."

"Well, it is a place for treatment. They need to utilize the space so they can provide healthcare for every people who come in here. Then, of course, they need some help from other doctors or healers." Nash explained.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask, they need to pay for their treatment right?" Aran followed.

"Well, the injury, of course, will be taken care of by the knights and all of the treatment procedure will be paid by the capital's income. Your village is part of the kingdom and it is our responsibility for the casualties. However, any additional treatments after the first treatment will now base on your own money. The capital is limited and we cannot rely on them for small treatments afterward." Nash answered.

After running, they reached the stairs leading to the 4th floor.

"Now then, let's start looking at each room. We will split and you go on the backside and I will cover the right." Nash ordered.

"Okay!" Both of them split up and started looking for Lisa in each room. But instead of making any progress, they didn't find any presence of Lisa and they both reached the dead end.

"She's not here... What about on your side?" Nash asked. Aran seems to be exhausted from running continuously and he was panting really hard.

"Not on my side either... couldn't she just be on the other floors?" Aran asked.

"Unlikely, the sanitorium is already full and I doubt that other floors will be available for injured people. Anyway, let's double-check again and after that, let's leave the building and check on outside." Nash walked away while trying to check each room for another round.

Meanwhile, Aran walked slowly while monitoring the whole hallway. Instead of checking each room, he watches everyone who comes in and out of the rooms including those who are going up and down on the stairs.

"No sign of her..." Aran mumbled while leaning his elbows on the metallic fence.

"Did you find her?" He asked Nash as they go downstairs.

"No..." A straight answer.

As they went outside the sanitorium, the sun was about to set. The sky was beginning to reach dusk and the nightlamps have started lighting up to illuminate the road.

"This is a bummer, we didn't get to find her this day. Should we go check again tomorrow?" Aran asked.

"I'm not sure, if your friend is not here then I can't see any reason for going back here. What do you think?" Nash returned back the question to him. He was trying to test if Aran would pursue the search or give up. Either way, the former would've been pretty dangerous since they don't know their condition.

"I don't want to think about it, but I have faith. I can't give up now just because she's not here. She may have been discharged now and I need to keep on looking." Aran gives his answer with full confidence.

"That's true." Nash agreed.

While he is on the verge of going down, he noticed a shadow from the Alleyway. He took a few steps in order to see what's lurking on it and that's where he saw a familiar color.

A golden hair swaying around back and forth, a blue dress with a white collar. The girl was rushing through the alleyway and when the nightlamp turned on...

"Lisa..." Aran opened his mouth. He was flabbergasted.

"Hmm?" Nash turned to him.

"It's Lisa! I think I found her running through that dark alleyway!" Aran shouted.

"Come on let's go! I need to confirm it!" With that in mind, Aran ran across the road in order to chase Lisa.

(Where is she going? Why does she look like that, all beaten up and there's blood everywhere on her clothes? What the hell happened to her?) There was something strange about how she looked. Aran gritted his teeth. He was nervous that something might've happened badly to her.