Destiny or fate? (4)

"Mister? Mister! Wake up!"

The muffled voice behind the door did not manage to wake the sleeping elder, so the younger increased his effort.

Levinte knocked louder, "Hey, stop sleeping! Open up!"

The boy found this beyond unacceptable. What sleeping schedule does this man maintain to be asleep this late?

Levinte started to feel irritated and scratched his hair roughly. To start with, he was already in a bad mood after feeling horrible when he woke up. His eyes still felt heavy and his mouth felt weird, probably because he did not perform his night routine before going to bed.

After waiting for a while, Levinte ultimately gave up waiting in front of the door. Turning back, he was about to stomp away when he heard the door unlocking. He let out a heavy sigh and turned around, ready to greet the elder man with a glare, ignoring seniority out of mard.

The man let out a big yawn. "I'm sensing that you're angry."

Gritting his teeth, Levinte's annoyance escalated. What's that supposed to mean?! He held his breath to contain himself from lashing out, then slowly exhaled to compose himself.

"What's the matter? Do you need anything?" Acre asked, watching him

Truth be told, Levinte woke up very early since he slept early the previous night. Who doesn't feel weird going to sleep without brushing your teeth and washing your face? Certainly not Levinte. To make his morning more complicated, he was ravenous. He knew he could order some food but he wasn't confident enough that he had ample money to pay for it.

So the best solution was to find and ask the elder one.

Unfortunately, the older man was in a deep sleep so he could not hear the younger one's plead. As a result of all of that happening, Levinte was so angry that he felt like stabbing someone.

Before he could shout his feelings out, his stomach grumbled many times. It seems that Acre knew his concern without the boy saying it out loud. "Let's go downstairs. I'll order some food."

Half-embarrassed, Levinte walked along with a grumpy face. Damn it!

Acre chuckled and gained a weird look from Levinte, who then asked, "Why are you laughing?"

Still grinning, Acre shook his head. "It's nothing."

Nonsense! Look at our surroundings, what could be your laughingstock except for me? Don't tell me you're laughing at the walls!

Acre spoke out "Calm down little Levi, I'm not laughing at you because you did something embarrassing. I just find your grumpiness adorable."

Despite being stunned at how he could somehow read his mood, Levinte complained, "What's there to laugh? And don't call me little!"

Acre could only tolerate the grumpy child. "Alright alright. Come, let's grab something to eat."

Following that, Levinte said nothing and walked past Acre, with a small pout remaining on his lips. Catching a glimpse of it, Acre smiled and let out a small chuckle under his breath. The little one reminded him of someone he knew a very, very long time ago.

As they reached the eating area, the owner of the inn promptly noticed them and approached them. "Good morning, what would you like to have? We offer our special breakfast menu, from eggs with toast to porridge with a cup of tea."

The owner's excellent service and friendliness can make anyone feel comfortable, especially for Levinte who was in a bad mood. Reciprocating the politeness, Levinte smiled.

Seeing this wonderful scene, Acre ordered his food as well. Before the owner could walk away, Acre asked his name.

"My name is Gael Shaw, it's a pleasure."

Levinte looked at Acre, confused as to why Acre wanted to ask for his name. Nevertheless, he would remember the name because of his good personality.

Acre only nodded and proceeded to saunter toward the table, followed by Levinte. "Why'd you ask for his name?" Levinte asked. Acre replied, "He was a good man. I wanted to remember him." Nodding, Levinte agreed with him.

"This place was a great place from the beginning. I could never forget old Bou's cooking."

Levinte was utterly confused about his statement. "Who's that?" Acre smiled, "Just a relative of Gael that I know. I've been here before."

As if Acre knew this place like the back of his hand, he told the Levinte stories about the dishes he relished. That was when Levinte got a hint, what if Acre's not the way he looks? He found it too weird that this mister was certain about everything they had encountered from yesterday.

How Acre gained his knowledge was an issue that Levinte could not stop to ponder. Though he was a boy who liked to make many theories, this was one thing that he did not have any leads.

When the boy could not contain his doubts any longer, he blurted out when Acre was still babbling about food.

Levinte: "When did you come here?"

Acre paused for a second, "When I was a kid."

A look of puzzlement crossed the boy's face. It was just that he could not process any information. Just then, the food was served by the owner. Levinte took his chance to shamelessly ask, "Who is old Bou?"

The inquiry took Gael by surprise. "You mean Bou Shaw? He's great-great-grandfather."

Levinte felt a dull ache in his chest.

"May I ask why the both of you asked about him?" Gael asked.

"It's just that we knew about your grandfather." Acre said.

"I see." Gael nodded. He was mentally confused, his jaw clenched behind his smile. "Then excuse me."

"Just who in the world are you?"

Acre could sense the mixed feelings from the boy. He smiled. "Just someone very, very old."

Now the boy did not know what to do with the information. Should I run away? Should I just laugh pretending that it was all a joke? Levinte fell silent for a long time, staring at his food, contemplating everything. In the end, he could not think of anything.

"Don't think about it. Eat first. I'll explain everything, one day you'll understand." Acre tried to calm him down, however he still could feel the overwhelming emotion coming from the boy.

Acre sighed and thought of a plan, "I'll take you to a place after this. Regardless of the outcome, I know that you'll gain something. I promise." He originally wanted to stay at the inn for a longer time, but considering the boy's situation at the moment, he felt pity. Not knowing can lead one to latch on to a worrying outcome. That was something Acre could relate to.

Levinte: "How can I trust you?"

Acre: "I asked you the same question yesterday. How could you trust me? Remember what you answered?"

Levinte blinked many times as he tried to remember. "You said that you'll take me all over the place... and I'll show you around this new world?"

"Correct. You remembered it very clearly. You're a clever boy. I'll get straight to the point. We're actually on our way to Machaera City."