Liar (part 2)

"Who was it? And what did you do?"

I asked him, and he began explaining.

"It was Rank three, the Arch-Mage of Ardjestyn. A very powerful mage with tons of ace cards to play alongside his already powerful wand. He arrived at Lionade just this morning.

The guild master told me, right after I wrecked his guild as I exited. Apparently the old man came here to look for me, and wants to know more about the reasons why I'm doing this."

"Are you close to him?"

"Not recently. But I did spend half a year training with him when I was nine."

"… So you are close to him."

Rake turned his gaze upwards and continued.

"He… only asked me a couple things. I met up with him right after one of his students approached me out of nowhere. He wants to know why I betrayed the kingdom and stuff, but he doesn't want any trouble.

So we talked… for only a little bit. After he left, I spent the rest of the morning making sure there's no spies placed in Lionade. The mage may be old, but he is rather sneaky when it comes to many things."

"And? What did you find?"

"Nothing. I didn't find any traces of him placing spies or whatever. He just left the town simply, without doing anything extra."

"If he is, as you say, a cheeky thinker, then it must be suspicious. Right?"

"Exactly. That's why I couldn't believe it and spent the next many hours looking for any potential threat. But I couldn't find anything and went back to the church. That's how I found out you got chased out from the orphanage."

"It was a fun run. But if the cheeky old man left without doing anything, then… couldn't it mean that he already placed something?"

Rake gave it a thought, while I continued what I'm feeling suspicious about.

"If he is truly a cunning old man like you said, then it should mean that he couldn't have done anything when he came here. If he truly left that easily, then that means he already did what he came for. Be it meeting you, or…"

"Or placing the trap."

"… Maybe the reason why you couldn't find the trap was simply because the traces were too old. Obviously you were looking for any traces that are new, right?"

"Yeah. I was. So if he already came here last night, or even yesterday at noon, then… I won't be able to find anything."

"And if he is a cunning old man…"

"There's no way he didn't do anything."

Rake and I had the same thought, and we both agreed on something. The old man definitely has done something before he met Rake, and it most definitely a trap.

Something he placed a long time ago, something that has already been there the entire time.

But what is it?

"Is there any way for us to figure this out?"

I asked him, but Rake shook his head.

"He's cunning and smart. So it shouldn't be possible for us to just guess it that easily. It's very likely that… we'll only know it once it's right in front of us."

"Meaning it will all be too late once we find out."

"Precisely. So there's no point in thinking about it too much. But, it's not a bad idea to always keep on guard all the time."

I heeded Rake's words and decided not to overthink it. So I stood up and stretched my body a bit.

It's still noon. Those actors that the guild master hired should be leaving this town any time soon.

I then began to question our plans moving forward. Previously, our plan was to just stick here and maybe play around with the kids at the orphanage.

But after that previous tense air, it's clear to me now that staying anywhere near them will only endanger them. So the only option for me is to stay away from them.

And now, I have nothing to do.

"We have nothing to do now, huh?"

Rake suddenly said, because those words are exactly what I am thinking currently.

"Well. We never should have gotten close to them to begin with, anyway."

"I am still amazed by how you still want to forgive them. But, I won't press on that anymore, so let's just move on.

What are we going to do?"

I was about to hit him with some cold painful words about how I have forgiven a man who was responsible for killing my entire race, but then he said that he won't continue on that matter. So I shielded that thought. For now, at least.

I pondered over what we should do next, but I just can't think of anything. The only thing that came to my mind was the most recent words that Rake said, about that Rank Three hero.

"You said that cunning old man definitely planted something. Maybe we can look for that."

I said as a suggestion, and Rake gave it a long thought.

As he was thinking, I stared at him and studied his expression. I know he knows some information that I had no idea of, and I know that he is thinking critically on what to do with that information.

So I can only wait for him to answer, because I am in no position to make that decision since I know nothing. He finally arrived at a conclusion a few seconds later.

"All right. Let's do a quick search. But if we don't find anything until sundown, we are leaving it at that."

"L-Leaving it at that…? Like, we won't search it again tomorrow or later on?"

"Exactly."

Huh…? What exactly does that mean?

Rake then stood up without waiting for me to process that information. He then took a deep breath and smiled as he let it out. 

Something tells me that his personality has changed once more.

"All right! Now, where should we start…?"

He placed his hand on his chin and began pondering. And just like him, I also tried finding a guess.

I have never been to this town before, so I don't know what is different about its current state and the one a few days prior to today. And I bet Rake also doesn't know about anything as well.

Which means, the only thing left to do is…

"Should we ask around?"

I suggested, and he nodded.

Shop owners, or even regular civilians. The people who lived here, people who did their daily lives at the plaza or the market, they have been here for a long time.

Surely, they will know if there is a difference that is happening in this town.

We then went around and began asking questions. The first person we asked was the magic tools shop, where we previously bought a storage bracelet for me to use.

The magic tools shop owner said that the only thing different between today, yesterday, and the days before that, is with the amount of knights roaming around. Those yellow haired knight and his friends are the only thing different about the city, and nothing else too unusual was happening.

And since those knights weren't that much of an anomaly, we agreed that it couldn't have been the 'traps' that the third ranked hero planted. They were here to track us down, and there wasn't anything too dangerous about them.

We then continued by asking more shop owners on the plaza about it, and they all answered the same thing.

Nothing too unusual happened, aside from those knights.

We couldn't find anything from asking, so we decided to split up and look for it ourselves. Rake will go to the eastern side of the town to look, while I went to the north. The east side is a much larger portion of the city where more places to visit are located, while the north only has the housing complex.

Rake planned to take care of the largest portion of the town, because he can traverse through the area with ease since he can parkour above the buildings. Meanwhile, I had to walk around like a loser. 

We also agreed to stop the search right before dark, and we will meet up by the entrance to the haunted forest where the house that we stayed previously is located.

And so, we split up.

For me, the search was more or less like a fun walk for me. The human town does not mind people wearing masks to walk around. Especially when the said person is wearing a cute cat-like mask.

Rake lent me some money, and I was given a couple coins just enough to buy myself some beverages if I ever need any. And while walking on the streets, I went and bought myself a water bottle.

I get dehydrated easily. I need some water to survive.

The sight seeing was pretty much as I expected. I wasn't doing anything, and was simply watching people doing their daily activities. Some are doing their businesses, some are also having a stroll on the street, and I can see some kids playing around in what seemed to be a park.

Right. There's a park.

The northern part of the town is where the housing complex is located. Nearly all of the commoners of this human town live here, and certainly there will be facilities or places that can only be found on housing complexes.

Such as this park right here.

I entered the park, and looked around. The park was mostly filled to the brim with pretty plants, but they are not that impressive.

Back in Velborn, the park that was behind the royal castle has always been the most beautiful park of the kingdom. And, it was restricted, only for the royalties or for certain people to access.

Meaning, only I, mom, dad, brothers, and a small number of other people can ever enter.

I spent a lot of time back then in the park. Actually, more like I spent most of my younger moments in the park.

Back when I was younger, I really liked playing with plants. Mom would always be there with me to help look after the flowers. And if she wasn't there, Lelia the chief maid would be the one to help me.

But as I grew older, I began to find more interest in books.

I was so nerdy, I would read ten hours a day and not do anything else. I would finish a thick book in like three days, and it always surprises mom every single time.

So coming back to the park after so long… made me miss the old days.

Whenever she told me how to place the fertilizers, or the right ways to water the flowers…

I still remembered those moments.

"Elice."

Suddenly, a familiar voice came behind me.

I turned around, and found mom standing right behind me. At the park, in the middle of the path that I was previously walking on.

She is… right there…?

No. No, I think I'm actually losing it.

I'm staring at her right now, but I am sure that she isn't real. After all, she is already dead.

What is… happening?

While I was questioning those things in my head, the image of mom that I'm assuming is fake, spoke again.

"Elice… go east."

… east?

What is 'east'? Why east? What is happening there?

East…?

Wait.

My memory recalled something. It wasn't even that long ago, but I remembered it.

It was only earlier, when Rake and I split up.

'I will go east.'

East…

That's where Rake went to.

I turned my attention back to mom, but she is already smiling softly at me.

Seeing her smile, my chest hurts. As much as I wanted to be serious at this moment, I can't. 

Even though this image of her is fake, I still just want to rush at her and hug her. Even though I know I will just fall over, even though I know she is merely my imagination…

Tears began to fall on my cheeks, and mom shook her head seeing this.

"You are always such a crybaby…"

Her words began to fade all of the sudden, and so is her appearance. Starting from her leg, she disappeared into thin air like dust, almost as if her entire body was made out of sand.

After she disappeared like that, I wiped the tears off my face.

Right.

I am indeed a crybaby…

My eyes returned back to normal, and I realized quickly that I am still at the park. I turned my gaze towards the east, the direction where Rake previously went to.

So what…?

What is happening… at the east?