Ballad of the Two Voyager

Days had passed since the incident of them falling from the hall. Brissia and Harris were back to their normal routines. While they weren't seeing each other, the girl was wandering around the district completing her missions and looking for her friends.

"Excuse me, did you see two people in unusual clothes around here? One is a girl my height with long brown hair, and the other is a boy about five feet tall."

A fishmonger stopped swinging his knife on the cutting board. He glanced suspiciously at Brissia in front of his merchandise counter, who didn't hesitate to ask him the question.

Brissia's faint smile vanished as soon as she saw the fishmonger move the knife blade away from the fish on the chopping board. With a straight face—trying to hide her true feelings, she turned and walked quickly away from the market.

Tack!

"…And that's what I imagined would happen," Brissia said as she took a step back, lowered her right hand, looked to her right.

Fayrl and Debora stared unblinkingly at the dagger that was stuck right in the center of the circle of target boards. The two of them decided to stop by the open practice area once they found Brissia there, having previously been seen briefly exiting the base.

"But don't the Algor District merchants despise outsiders?" asked Debora as she loaded empty bullets into her handgun. "Once, a merchant almost grabbed me because my cloak accidentally hit their face," she continued while aiming at the target board.

Fayrl squinted at Debora, while Brissia walked behind to retrieve her handgun.

"What makes it 'accidental'?"

"Well…"

Debora fired her shot. "…There was a strong wind when they taunted me. So, I did it anyway."

The blonde girl next to her gave her an indifferent stare as she giggled mischievously.

"It doesn't matter whether it was intentional," Brissia chirped with a straight gaze at the target board. "They would still blame us for our existence."

"Hey, you couldn't just let people call you a helpless lackey just because you're an agent, could you?"

A brief wry grin crossed Brissia's lips just before she fired her shot at the target.

"Could I?" she muttered.

Bang!

Her loud shot flinched Debora and Fayrl. They curiously turned to look at the target board. However, Brissia's bullet mark was shot far from the halfway point, drawing sighs from both of them.

"What's that?"

When the two of them turned around, Harris and Hansen had stopped not far ahead of them.

As if the presence of the shooter behind them was invisible, Debora casually replied, "Brissia's unvented rage, probably."

The girl Debora was talking about lowered her handgun as she turned around, widening her eyes at the sight of Harris staring at her casually. In contrast to her, who appeared stunned by the flashback of the incident that flashed before her eyes, he simply stood there with no expression or movement.

"Pfft!" Harris snorted amusedly.

Brissia's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you laughing at? Don't you hate seeing me wearing the SURVIVE uniform?"

"Ah, so that's where it comes from."

Harris walked toward her step by step until finally, there was only one meter between them.

"Brissie, being an agent doesn't mean you're powerless."

Harris held Brissia's hand holding the gun, turned her body to face the target board, then supported her arm toward the target board.

"Your life and death may be in their hands, but your heart and mind are yours."

After Harris said that, Brissia felt her shoulders relax. She also could breathe freely, although her heart was still pounding for some reason.

Harris glanced at Brissia, who aimed the gun in her hand at the target without realizing she had missed the few seconds she had pulled the trigger. He let go of Brissia, making Brissia turn around with a dazed expression. However, one thing he did notice was Brissia's blushing cheeks.

"Oh," Harris said while holding back his laughter, "was I too close?"

She blinked for a moment then glared at Harris in annoyance and said, "Did you plan to trick me?!"

"Why didn't I? The first thing I have to do after I recover is to make sure you're still the Brissia I remember," Harris replied.

Unlike before, the man openly showed a grin that said how tickled he was by Brissia's reaction. And that put Brissia in awe as Harris narrowed his eyes and let out a laugh.

"I'm glad you've recovered."

Bang!

A faint smile appeared on Harris's lips as the bullet fired by Brissia went through the center of the target board. He widened his smile when the girl turned to him as if showing him off her achievements.

"Shall we eat outside?"

***

The cozy lights that hung from the edges of each roof gave off the same warmth that was underneath. People sat facing each other between round tables covered in white cloth, enjoying the breeze while watching pedestrians on the sidewalk and listening to the faint guitar playing of street musicians.

Brissia's impression of the restaurant had changed after she entered SURVIVE. She didn't smile or respond to the visitors' happy laughter or joyous expressions.

"You don't seem to have an appetite. Is there something bothering you?"

Just like that day, Harris raised a question while she was observing the atmosphere of the restaurant. Harris glanced alternately at Brissia and her food which was still intact, making Brissia come to her senses.

"Yes. I meant… sorry, Harris. You've treated me this much," Brisia said it with some hesitation.

Harris shook his head with a subtle smile. "They're nothing compared to your comfort. How about we go somewhere else?"

Brissia stared for a moment at Harris who had risen from his seat.

"We'll come back when you're in a better mood, Brissie."

Brissia fell silent. But she eventually walked beside Harris to a chocolate shop. She still remembered the soft taste of the hot chocolate that put her mind at ease. The quiet atmosphere and the comfortable chairs of the place suddenly replayed in her head.

"Brissie."

Brissia turned when Harris called out hesitantly, making her take a long look at the man in the elbow length carnation blue t-shirt and brown trousers.

"Come on. Say it already," Brissia snorted, lightly nudging Harris's elbow.

Harris inhaled deeply before approaching Brissia and placing a light brown macrame bracelet on her left wrist. He curved his lips into a slight smile as the girl walked on beside him without saying anything.

"Aren't you… curious about something?"

Brissia glanced at Harris. "Like why did you give me this bracelet?"

"Ah, that's my 'thanks'. Anything else?"

Between surprise and confusion, she turned to Harris. Her eyebrows only lowered when the two of them entered the chocolate tavern, which was so packed with customers that they quickly secured two chairs at the front.

"So…"

The girl sat at ease in front of a table that connected five to six chairs and faced a large shelf displaying collectibles and various chocolate powders.

"...I give up. What do you want to show me?" asked Brissia in a cautious smile.

Harris propped his chin on the long table as he tilted his body in front of Brissia, smiling knowingly. "I got my hair done a bit while I was hospitalized. What do you think?"

Brissia was silent for a moment seeing Harris's haircut that reminded her of someone. Someone she hoped never appeared in her memory or in her life.

Seeing the stern look on Brissia's face, Harris burst out a laugh. When the tavern owner placed two hot chocolates in front of them, Harris handed his glass to Brissia.

"Drink them all. You need to relax your mind a little more, you know?" said Harris, turning his swivel chair to lean against the table and looking at the number of visitors present.

Still deep in thought, Brissia drank the hot chocolate Harris proffered first instead of her own. However, the sound of crumbles made her glance at Harris.

Brissia's eyes widened at the crack in the ceiling directly above Harris's head. Her mind flashed back to the time when the ceiling of her class collapsed. She then pushed Harris to the floor with her.

Thud!

As their heads collided before collapsing on the floor, the two of them appeared to be in pain. The ceramic cup that was in Brissia's hand fell to the floor. However, a purple light engulfed the glass, propelling it ten centimeters off the floor.

People in the tavern started to vanish one by one like holograms as soon as a woman in a black dress and purplish-black hair walked through the door. She smirked when she saw how difficult it was for Brissia to help Harris in standing. Before long, she met Brissia's gaze.

"Madame Ouden," Brissia hissed, glaring at her.

The woman stopped two meters in front of Brissia, who put her arm around Harris.

"Oh, what a sweet appearance of our new sacrifice. Don't you agree, Brissia?" asked Madame Ouden with her serene smile.

Harris turned his head and looked at Brissia in surprise, making Brissia shake her head at Harris. However, Madame Ouden immediately caught the attention of the two by waving her hands.

The lady who owned the tavern behind them floated through the air, making Harris's eyes widen.

"Enough!" shouted Harris, releasing his embrace on Brissia and rushing toward Madame Ouden.

"It won't be until Brissia reveals who kept her by your side, Reister."

Harris stopped, turned around, looked at Brissia. However, the girl simply gave him a complicated look.

"Brissie?" Harris called Brissia in a low voice. "Didn't you willingly choose to be by my side?"

Her silence punched him harder than their fall. Moreover, the girl seemed to be searching for an answer and avoiding his gaze.

"Stop thinking, Brissie! There's someone's life at stake behind your back!"

Brissia flinched. And whether it was because of Harris's snap, she suddenly had the urge to come forward.

"I didn't! It's true that someone else is the reason I stay by your side! I have never once, even for a second, been able to forget his face when I look at you!"

Seeing Madame Ouden just giving her a nonchalant look, Brissia clenched her fists.

"I shouldn't be in Archtier, Harris," she continued softly, "nor by your side."

Harris froze and widened his gaze. Madame Ouden dispelled the purple light that enveloped the tavern owner, causing her to fall down and be immediately caught by Brissia.

The sound of shoes breaking the silence didn't move Harris from his stance. Even after Brissia passed Harris with her head down, Harris didn't try to hold her back. He eventually stepped up to the owner of the tavern, wanting to help her up.

Upon seeing that, Madame Ouden walked calmly in the other direction. It was as if she had stepped onto a stage for a play she had written.