14 What is Love?

Carrying Elizabeth, I ran over to the Bellows and Violet for safety. When I did, I handed her over to Violet and she began to heal her.

A tall, buff man carrying an axe twice my size approached me. He had a very serious face and looked like a "no nonsense" type of individual.

"Is this the 'Sherlock to your Watson' that you were speaking about, Purple?"

"My name is Violet, but yes. This is the guy." Violet pointed me out.

"Glad you could...make it... Galex." Elizabeth tried to talk through the pain she was feeling.

"You blackmailed us into coming." Galex darted his eyes towards the crowd of guards charging at us.

"Damn straight!" Elizabeth pumped her hand in the air as Violet healed her leg.

Once she was healed up, she joined the front line with Galex and I. Violet followed right behind her. I insisted that she stayed back for her own safety, but she wanted to join the action as well. Hey, if she wants to join in, who am I to stop her?

"CHAAAAAAAAAARGE!" Galex led the charge and everyone else followed. We made sure that our heavy hitters were spread out throughout the battlefield to find strong opponents and dispatch of them. As I moved throughout the crowd, cutting and getting cut, I saw Violet in the back trying her best to heal and keep up with me. It didn't bother me as much until she wasn't paying attention to someone that was charging her right side. As I was splitting someone in two with my axe, I did a heavy swing to my right to cleave the head of the guard charging her. As his head fell into the shallow water, I turned to Violet.

"DON'T HEAL ME!"

"AHHH! OKAY!" She jolted out of fright and ran off to help somewhere else.

I didn't want to be that rude about it, but her heals are practically being wasted on me. Any DPS I do is being turned into healing. Couple that with me being in the center of a warzone and I get an infinite health pool. Some Bellow could use that healing of hers way more than I could.

As we were all cutting through the guards, I noticed that one of them was way bigger than the rest. He seemed like a captain because his armor was more decorated than the rest. Galex was the only man big enough to take him, but he was busy. That leaves the beast to me...

As the captain cleaved through groups of Bellows, I dashed into melee range as he was preparing another swing. Before my axe could connect with his armor, he kicked me into the air and sent me flying into the ceiling of the sewer. My back felt a sudden surge of pain as I noticed my HP dropping rapidly. I almost lost grip of my axe as I began to fall. If this wasn't a game, I'm certain I would've passed out then and there. Damn! I didn't even think about people using other forms of attack when their hands are occupied. I couldn't help but show my devilish grin as I used the gravity from falling to help me attack the captain. He braced himself just in time for our blades to make contact. The opposing force he had to help him was enough to keep me suspended in the air.

"NOW WE'RE TALKING! LET'S SEE WHAT YA GOT, CAPPY!"

"YOU DAMN RUFFIAN! I'LL SEND YOU TO THE DEEPEST PITS OF HELL WHERE YOU BELONG!" The captain used his sword to send me flying across the battle once I lost my momentum.

Across the battle, an unspoken rule already formed among the weaker fighters: Don't get in the way of the captain or the Bloodfallen. I could tell because as I recovered, people didn't even bother looking at me. In fact, they did their best to ignore me and continue their individual battles.

As I walked through the crowd, I thought to myself: what could I do to land successful hits on him? I looked at my skills and found a fourth one in my hotbar. The skill was called "Deathly Lunge" and it makes it so that I dash at super sonic speeds to attack my foe and make a critical hit. It's worth a shot. I need to take him down so fast, he won't know what hit him until it's over. I took a battle stance as I yelled out "Deathly Lunge!"

I leaped into the air and noticed that I was going way faster than any regular jump I would perform. The battlefield became a blur as I practically flew past everyone fighting and made a slash through the captain's dominant arm.

"HA! TAKE THAT-" Before I could turn around and finish my sentence, I was met with a sword to my side that sent me flying into a wall. As I began to cough up blood, I entered FYL as my HP dropped below ten percent. The bastard really started using his two-handed weapon with one hand. He didn't even hesitate when changing his fighting style. What a madman!

"DIE SCUUUUUUUUM!" A poor soul charged me and met the end of my blade as he was cleaved in two. I guess he didn't get the memo.

With the idiot charging me taken down, I was at least out of FYL. I grabbed his axe and threw it at the captain. He swung his sword to deflect it, but I noticed that it was slower than his usual swing. I took advantage of his new weakness by charging at him and using vital puncture to stun him. He made a deathly grimace to me as I cut his shins and forced him down to my level.

"You damned blood fiend! God has an excruciating death planned for cretins like you-" Before he could finish his sentence off, I cut him in half.

"I sure hope he does! I deserve it, after all." I wiped the sweat off of my brow and looked around the battlefield.

The fight was reaching its end with guards on Vern's side trying to flee, but getting killed before being able to do so. As the remnants of the fight died out, Violet walked back over to the lab. Curiosity was killing me, so I followed.

We opened the cellar door to find Vern surrounded by the handbound workers. He apparently got them to help cauterize his wound. When he saw us, he waved them away and they backed off.

"I'm assuming that if you guys are here, then all of my guards are dead."

"Every last one of them. And you're next. So don't try to smooth talk your way out of this one-" Elizabeth said before she was interrupted.

"No. I won't try to persuade you any further. This wasn't only a physical battle, but it was one of ideals as well. You have simply proven that your ideology trumps mine. Please just make my death quick."

I'm quite surprised. I expected him to be kicking and screaming on his way out, but he's actually quite composed. I guess this is what happens when you accept your fate.

Elizabeth raised her sword, but I stopped her and dealt the blow myself. She bloodied her hands enough. Once that was over, we brought the lab workers with us out of the sewers and let them go. When I asked Elizabeth why she would do that if they had the potential to tell on us, she said that their word is good enough for her.

"Besides, to explain what happened down there, they would need to make a lot of unreasonable things make sense. Nobody's going to believe them."

That was good enough for me. This girl doesn't cease to amaze me.

Once we got out of the lower reach, Elizabeth, Violet, and I went our separate ways with the Bellow Family. They surprisingly didn't have that many casualties. They must be skilled fighters.

As we were entering the final stage of the quest and returning Elizabeth Gornwell to her home, Violet asked a question that was on my mind as well.

"If you don't mind me asking, what dirt do you have on the Bellow family?"

"Ha! I'll gladly tell! But only because you guys helped out so much: the Bellow family made it out of poverty via gambling. An ancestor of theirs bet everything he had on a game of blackjack and hit 21! It was a lucky find finding that out!"

I can't believe they were willing to go to war and die to keep such a simple secret. I guess it worked in our favor though.

As the manor got into view, I was reminded of what Max Gornwell said. It was something like "I'll save any emotions I feel for when I see my daughter." This is bound to be a fun watch before going to bed tonight.

"You're in for a treat. Doing all of that, but you're probably going to be punished severely." I told Elizabeth.

"I doubt it. I'll just explain everything to father and he'll understand. That's the type of person he is."

"Ha! That's not gonna matter. Before you could even get a word in, you'll probably get smacked. If you want, we'll try to collect the signature for the quest as fast as possible."

"No, you're fine." Elizabeth said.

As the gates to the manor opened, Max was waiting there for his daughter. But instead of a face of disgust and hatred, he had a face of overwhelming relief at the sight of her. Tears were gushing out of his eyes like the Niagara Falls as he rushed and hugged his daughter.

"LIZZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" He swung her around left and right.

"Papa, you're gonna kill me! Relax and I'll explain everything!"

"I'M JUST SO HAPPY YOU'RE BACK! THANK GOODNESS! THIS MUST BE THE WORK OF GOD! IT HAS TO BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" He kept crying out.

Wait...

This doesn't make any sense. This man is obviously spoiling his daughter. She's done a bad thing by running away, so why isn't he teaching her a lesson. He has to show her that he cares. Where's the beating? Where's the yelling and pulling of the hair? He has to love her right or else she'll just do it all again.

My world became nothing but black and white and everything around me became inaudible as I tried to understand what I was seeing.

She-sh-sheisn't being loved! Why isn't he loving her right? Why isn't he beating her so she never runs again? That's love...that's love-THAT'S LOVE!

...right?

"Matthew!" Violet called my name and I was brought back to reality.

Violet apparently got the signature as I spaced out. As we exited the manor and walked down the steps, I stayed quiet all the way through. I was still shaken on how a family could be doing things so wrong. Yeah. They're the wrong ones. I'm sure of it.

Violet and I turned in the quest and got our rewards. I didn't bother looking at any stats or anything. I need to take a break as soon as possible. I disbanded the party and was about to take my leave when Violet worked the courage to ask me a question.

"Um, could we be friends? I haven't made that much yet and would like some more-"

"Sure, whatever." I brushed her off and closed the door to my room behind me.

I laid on the bed and logged out as fast as I could. Once I was back in the real world, I got out of my bed and saw Walter right on time entering my room with a cart of food. I needed to ask him. I need to make sure.

"Walter. My parents loved me, right?"

"..."

Sweat started to collect on Walter's forehead as he served my meal. What the hell?! For as long as I could remember, Walter would never hold anything back from me. His silence is speaking volumes. I grabbed him by the collar of his suit and begged him.

"WALTER! PLEASE!"

"You were your parents' most prized possession."

Upon hearing those words, I let go of Walter.

Ah, of course. I was foolish to think otherwise. My parents loved me. Without a shadow of a doubt. Those NPCs were just part of the game. A fantasy that doesn't represent real life at all. They're just a fluke. I can't believe I let the game throw me for a loop like that.

"Sorry about that, Walter."

"No worries, young master."