A Letter to Clifton

Groups of texts indicating various information lay before me. Everything was laid out on a blue transparent screen as if it was a game. Name, age, level, experience points, proficiencies. Things that demand attention. But my eyes skimmed through all of it, focusing on the indiscernible symbols.

'Epithet? What does that mean?'

Right next to the word epithet is what 'Tristen' is known as, so it must be a fancy word for a name or title. Then, what are those overly distorted texts?

I stared at the indistinguishable words, trying to peer through the distortion and make any semblance of what it meant. My attempt at deciphering the texts succeeded but when I did, my head started throbbing in pain, making me grimace.

"Oops. Sorry about that… You looked like you were enjoying yourself. I should've known doing it for too long would be bad." Spencer sputtered out as he pulled his hand away.

Right, Spencer was doing something with my hand. My mind got too occupied that I forgot about what we were doing. Were we awkwardly holding hands this whole time without doing anything about it? He must have misunderstood my grimace for something else he did. I can see him smiling apologetically through the transparent panel, which he doesn't seem to notice. Am I the only one who can see this?

Spencer patted me on the shoulder, then stood up. He then approached the small table where a plate of apples are on. He grabbed a slice and ate. An audible crunch was heard for the first chews he did.

"After sleeping for two days, you must be hungry. I'll have the maids bring in something light to eat. Do porridge and bread sound fine to you?"

He looked back at me waiting for a response, to which I just stared back.

"Well, remember to consume them slowly. I don't want you dying from eating like a starved horse."

With that said, he made his way toward the door. As if forgetting something, he stopped in his tracks and once again looked back. Smiling at me as he said.

"And don't worry. You'll be fine."

...!

Then he went out.

...

The ends of my hair stood to no end. Getting smiled at by a man with a face as good-looking as he feels weird... it's disturbing.

I can't help but notice that every one of them had considerably good looks. Even I find the maid beautiful in her black dress...

...

This situation is making me think weird. The situation I'm in is weird.

Finding myself surrounded by drop-dead gorgeous people in another world is just weird.

'It's just weird.'

Pulling out a sigh, I looked back at the panel in front of me. I tried touching it, but my hand only went through it. I read all the texts and only dared to glance at the distorted symbols. I didn't want to feel the same piercing headache I had when I unveiled one symbol.

"O."

***

Silence.

'Well, it would be unfitting if a humphus band was vigorously bashing their drums when someone is sleeping. Actually, a humphus band playing in a room would be auditory torture.'

Tipping the cup at his fingers, Spencer mused.

'Speaking of torture. Drinking this unbelievably unimpressive tea every day is torturous. I know they don't have anything better to give, They should make it different at the very least.' Oblivious to the fact that he hasn't asked for anything else.

Walden sat at the right bedside of Elmina's bed, holding her hand. Concern painted his expression as he dejectedly sat there. Despite the bright sunlight shining through the window, there was an ever-present chill permeating the air. Bristling in everyone's skin.

'Everything has really come to shit.'

Spencer still had his internal monologue as he tipped the cup he was holding, stirring its contents.

'A group of bandits ambushed the carriage sis and her children rode home. There was protection, but those who needed protection were a mess. Resulting in the abduction of sis' son. I can't blame them and their security for that. It isn't every that a pack of bastards attacks you, and in fact, that was their first experience of an organized attack. Though I say bandits they clearly aren't. Regular bandit attacks would result in theft. Those guys on the other hand kidnapped a child. Also, the way sis described the attack was an anomaly. The attack was too coordinated that my inexperienced sister even noticed it. Well, I still told her that they were just regular bandits. She doesn't have to know that they were part of a bigger, organized syndicate.'

They were in the master's bedroom. After being escorted out of Tristen's room, reality immediately hit her. Her aggrieved heart was finally relieved after the return of her lost son. Only for her to see that her son who she knew all his life lost all their memories together. She started hyperventilating from extreme stress leading her to faint. Now unconscious, she lay in peace. Spencer directly made his way here after hearing what happened. Giving his sister a surface-level check-up.

Now, sitting behind the study desk littered with stacked documents. Spencer sipped at his lukewarm tea as he stared at the letter he finished writing.

'And that's where Sir Clifton comes in. His involvement must've been an act of the Goddess. After all, it was just too big of a coincidence. A very welcome one at that. Clifton is one of Bladeknell's family knights. Dubbed as the proverbial diamond in the sack of coal. From peasantry to knighthood, he was a symbol of hope and aspirations. Praised by the nobles, and admired by the commoners. To me, he is a shameless schmuck who hasn't returned my damned settling core. I know him, he knows me. That's that. Hm?'

He looked down and realized he has been mindlessly sipping the cup that he finished the 'undesirable' tea. He placed the cup down and reached for the letter. Folding it with proportion.

'Clifton along with many others was assigned by Duke Allister Bladeknell to investigate the sudden increase in crime and organized crime happening all over his territories. That's the only thing I know as that's the only thing he said. He didn't even tell me the name if the syndicate had a name. The fact that something like this is happening under the kingdom's nose is unsettling. Not once, since the foundation of the kingdom did anything like this occur. Not that the public knows of. None that I know of.'

Spencer took an envelope out of one of the drawers and inserted the letter in.

'Clifton did the task with great diligence. Great is the only thing he does. I told him that once, and received it with great humility. Well. In one of their operations, they raided one of this organization's outposts to make them know of and to send a message. They are coming for them. They invaded an outpost where unauthorized slave trafficking is taking place and coincidentally that was where the kid was held captive. Clifton recognized him as they have met before, so he did what he must and returned the kid to my sister. His stay wasn't long as they still had another raid he has to participate in. But before he left, he told me something odd and asked me to do something.'

Tucking the letter in the envelope. Spencer reached for a sealing stamp and pressed it on the letter. After fiddling with it for a moment, he put the letter inside one of the inner pockets of his coat and leaned back on the chair.

'As for what that is. That is just for me to know.'

--------

Hey there Clifton. I hope this letter gets to you safe and sound. Because you went and left right after saving Tristen, I now have to write you, and I don't want to do it again. So pray that it does reach you.

About that thing, you asked me to. Well, the kid doesn't remember anything. At least that is what he said. The last thing he remembers is when he woke up, and that isn't a lot. There's no point doubting a kid that just got out of abduction, and maybe experienced things we don't know that would scare a child shitless. To the point that he lost all his memories. But that thing you told me got me raising my guard. I caught the kid (or whoever this is) hiding a smile after Elmina asked if what her eldest daughter said was true, making me doubt if he really is our kid. The most a disabled kid could react is a yes or a no. Emotions are conceived through the mind and the kid just lost it. I know. I'm supposed to be the last person saying this, but that wasn't a time to be smiling at all. And no, before you think of it. I'm not crazy, you are.

Who goes and says that you saw the kid you rescued smeared with blood on his mouth and fists while lying on a pile of corpses? Like he's some kind of a demonspawn? Was it three or four? Anyways, my point is that what you said is crazy, and I know you are not "crazy crazy" so it must be true. As I said, we don't know what they did to the kid so we must be careful. I can't really tell Elmina and her husband that the kid you returned might not be their actual son. She's already heartbroken as she is. I'll just have to watch the kid and see if there is something up.

Send me back if you found anything new in the outpost or anything new I should know.

Spencer Baliol Dummont.