23 A little sidequest. Why not?

After running away for some time, Peng Hu and Kai went into an alley to recover their breath and energy.

"Are you okay Pen?"

"Huff... huff.. yeah. I am fine. Thanks for asking. What about you Kai?"

"I am doing fine, but I am worried about the chief. What if they got to her?"

[That better not be true. I still got a bone to pick with her for messing with me. I would not let that shameless person be more shameless than me!]

"We really... should not have taken this quest. That chief better give us a good reward for all the troubles."

"Did we... screw up for not finding the spy early enough?"

"What are you saying Kai..."

Peng Hu wanted to say more but the words won't come out of his mouth. What if Kai was saying the truth and they really messed it up? From today's incident, Peng Hu concluded that there were not just one spy, but many of them! And the casualties were not a small amount. The more he thought about it, the more guilty he felt about it.

[This is bad. I should clear my head up and not let these thoughts rule my mind.]

*sob* *sob*

Peng Hu looked at Kai and saw him holding up his tears. Even though Kai was making a strong face during the adversity, it did not mean that he was a heartless person. It was at this moment of rest where there was time to mourn for friends that they may not see again. An old quote from the old world popped up in Peng Hu's mind: a strong person is not the one who doesn't cry... hm?

[Hm? I think there was more to the quote... Oh well, whatever. I guess I forgot. Anyways, how valiant of Kai... I need to get my act together and analyze the situation calmly.]

[The attack from the enemy came at the moment when there was a heated discussion between Wedge and Biggs. Maybe there is a chance that the ruckus was a way to hide the truth of something. There is also a chance that everything that happened was merely by chance. How troublesome. What started as an easy going quest, became a top quest to be solved.]

"Pen... do you mind... if we go back to my house?"

"? Is there something important in your house?"

"I... I... I have a keepsake that my father left for me. Specifically, it is a diary. I am afraid that if I were to put it in a magic storage, it may get lost into eternity. That is why I keep it outside. It is not comfortable carrying it out around the village so I always leave it in the house."

"I see... does the diary have anything that may help the situation?"

"I don't think so. It is just that... I feel more secure with it."

Peng Hu looked at Kai and saw that Kai was keeping up a strong spirit so as to not falter.

[I guess it's something precious to Kai, something worth protecting huh...]

"Hm... A little sidequest. Why not? Let's go!"

"Really? Thank you so much Pen!"

Having come into a decision on their next step, Peng Hu and Kai left in direction towards Kai's house.