CHAPTER 4

I don't know what comes from the mind of Seff after sulking but it surely is bothersome, He asked about what is the meaning of life, what country is the strongest, how the Frontier evolved from a base into a city, and many more.

And because we don't want to be involved in his madness we quickened the pace and after an hour of carrying we arrived at the gates of Frontier.

Frontier the place where all the kingdoms and empires gather their elite forces just to wage war against the uncontrollable country of Tampalas. After years of warring the Alliance has win and their base has become significant to them. And to commemorate the life of heroes who participated and died on the war, they all agreed to make this place grow into a city to show that their unity has triumphantly won the war.

The walls surrounding the Frontier is made of rocks and wood, and no one is guarding the open gate.

This is by no means of negligence of their duty, it's just that, they are abiding the rules that pass unto them.

In the top ark of the gate, there is a phrase that is engrave within, it says

Regardless of what you are or where you from in this place you are welcome

That's the reason why this place is crowded with foreign people.

The city is full of structures for commerce and trade, there is also another reason why people from other kingdoms go here, because there are a saying if something is not available from your kingdom then go to the Frontier, this place has all kind of trades to offer

The streets are crowded with people and merchants are busily selling their goods.

And after making our way around. We arrived on the shop of Boss.

Thankfully, there are no more customer because the meat that Boss is selling has been sold out.

Boss is sitting on a chair, he looks tired and there is a fan on his hand.

I can't help but to smile when I see his disheveled hair and the sweat rolling around his face.

"Good afternoon Boss" I greeted him "I think you are looking more handsome today because some of your fats are gone"

Boss is your typical fat vendor and he is weak in getting praises.

Boss smile after hearing the praise and he speed up his fanning.

"Oh Gabriel" he said "what do you have for me?"

"Wild boar Boss, we just hunted it earlier"

"Good, my stocks of food now is plummeting, I need all the supply that I can got"

Boss then asked one of his subordinate to get the boar, he then throw three gold coins towards me.

Of course I catch all of it smoothly but I give back the one gold to Boss

"Boss, can I exchange this for silver?" I said

Boss nod, he then give me a pouch containing 100 silver,

Which then I give to Hap, Von and Seff.

Hap and Von got 34 silver each and 32 silver for Seff.

Seff didn't argue with the split, in fact he is happy because he get 32 silver for just carrying

For the record, 100 silver is equivalent to 1 gold,

Boss who are fanning to himself started to speak

"By the way kids, if you are going to sell your catch, don't hesitate and sell it to me, I will add one gold in purchasing your catch"

"Okay Boss, don't back on your words"

"Of course Boss, your shop is always on our top list"

Hap and Von happily answered back.

After that the three of them said goodbye to me and hastily run back to the forest.

When I also plan on going to say goodbye to Boss, I can't help but to notice that he is currently in a deep thought, and out of curiosity I asked him

"Is there something bothering you Boss?"

"None, it's just that I can't concentrate because of the heat" he said

I shrug on his answer, and when I'm about to leave, a man inside the shop come out.

It was an average looking man, so average that you can forget his face the next day.

But not for me, he is the one who took my mother, and the one that mother said that I can trust.

Indeed, it is Louie.

Louie and I made an eye contact

"Oh! Good I'm about to go visit you" he said "I guess this make my job easier"

I frown, and ask Boss

"Boss, do you also know this man?"

Boss just smile and Louie started to laugh

"Hahaha, of course I know Boss" Louie said while laughing "who wouldn't know the good looking and understanding Boss, hahaha"

I don't know if Louie is being sarcastic or not, but this reminds me of mother when she is having conversation with Boss. She will praise him overly and when the conversation ends, mother will always have an extra meat for half the price. That's why I thought Boss is weak on getting praises

Boss sigh "You guys can use my office if you will discussed something"

"That is what you expect from a good looking man, always generous and always ready to give" Louie said while smiling happily

"God, please Louie, just go away and finish it already"

Louie then open the door of the shop and urge me to come in.

The size of the shop is comparable to a medium size house, the front serve as the store, the kitchen serve as the butchering place while the office of Boss is located in the second floor.

The stair leading to the second floor is made out of wood, and many footprints can be seen visibly.

The second floor has sleek interior, chairs and table with bottles of rum that are all over the place. Clearly this is the place where his subordinate eats and drinks. Along the corner there is a door with the sign of Keep Out hanging on it.

Louie opened the door and a room decorated with arts filled my view.

Unlike outside, this room is completely neat, the tables and chair are arranged properly, scrolls are stacked and books are arranged accordingly in the bookshelf.

There is a comfy bed over the window, and big moonstones stones are rowed in the ceiling.

"Wow, if Boss don't said that this is his office, I might think that this is a bedroom" I quietly murmured to myself as I look on the books on the shelf.

Louie chuckled and sit on a chair

"So Gabriel how are you doing this days?" he said

"Just as usual…, how is mother?" I ask

"She is barely hanging to her life" Louie replied

I'm shocked when I heard that mother is still alive, my eyes got teary but I don't let Louie see it.

"You don't have any more of that antidote that you gave her last time?" I ask in low voice

"That antidote is not useful to her anymore, and giving her that is akin to give her poison" Louie answered

Why do I always feel this sadness even though I thoroughly accept that mother will be gone to my life.

This feeling always affect my daily life. It always pop up in my head when I'm doing nothing,

And I can't fully give it all on whatever I am doing when that comes in my mind

It also took me several days just to adjust my thinking, and I don't want that to aggravate more.

I wipe my eyes with my hands then I changed the subject

"So why you want to see me Louie?"

Louie just stared me for a while, then smile

"I'm just delivering an item that Dellila want to give to you"

He then handed me a butterfly knife

"She said that this is her lucky item and the only thing that she can give to you" he said

The handle of the knife is made out of a hardwood and the blade of the knife is rusty.

It is likely that it goes old because she never used it for a long time.

I fold the handle and I put it in my pocket.

"Please tell her that I will keep it and thanks for the wonderful gift" I said

"Got it, there's also a matter that Dellila want you to decide." He said "I told Dellila that I would like to enroll you on Mollacks because you have unlock your Blessings in early age and it's a waste if you don't train there, but Dellila said even it is good for you, if you don't want to go then don't. She said to me that you will be the one to decide if you want to go or not. And your answer is?"

"If mother will be the one to choose, what will it be?" I ask him

"She will definitely say that you go" Louie answered

"And what is this… Mollacks?"

"Huh…? You don't know the Mollacks…?" Louie said with eyes wide open

I shook my head and look at him

Louie sigh "It is a school intended for training young people with Blessings"

It took me a while to processed things up, and when I made up my mind. I speak

"Okay, I decided, tell mother that I will go to Mollacks so that she can brag more in the afterlife"

"Hahaha, good decision, don't worry I will definitely say that to Dellila" Louie said while laughing

"So, when do I go to Mollacks?" I ask

"Haha, don't rush things kid. I also don't know the exact date when they will accept new enrollees, but it will be four to five years from now"

"And what will I need to be doing till then?"

"Just do what you do in your daily life. I will personally visit you when it is time to go"

I nodded "is that all what you want to say to me?"

"Yeah, you want to ask something?"

"No…, then I be going now"

When I'm about to get out of the room, a question form in my mind

"Yeah, there is one question" I said

Louie smirk

"What is it?" he said

"What do you feel when your friend die?" I said in low voice

Louie pick a book from the bookshelf then go to the comfy bed

"Just normal, dying is part of life and that is normal, what affects me the most is that, I can't do something about their suffering when they are facing their death. That is what pains me. So, I will also ask you this. Do you think you are the only one who suffers here? You only know her for years but I know her ever since when we are child."

***

The sun is setting when I arrived in my house, I go directly in my bedroom.

I collapse in my bed not because I'm suffering fatigue from the hunt but because all sort of questions are forming in my mind. The question that stood the most is the last one that Louie has said.

'Do you think you are the only one who suffers here?' that thought always echo in my mind, but I can't find the right answer to it in myself.

After an hour of pondering and lying on the bed, I've made my conclusion.

My answer is 'yes, everyone suffers when they are alive and I do not need to compare my suffering against someone, because everyone is also suffering like me. Everyone has a problem. They all have their own shit. I just need to carry my own shit and don't bother with someone else's shit'

The reason I arrive in this conclusion is because the thought that formed in my mind when I question him is 'why I'm suffering and you are not?' and to share this resentment I questioned him about his feelings when he see someone's dying.

But that man read me right and he even rebut me with my own question.

Surprisingly I felt relief when I finished thinking things.

I got up then head to the kitchen. The basket in the table is filled with different kind of fruits and because I'm living alone, I never run out of food. There are many sources of food here in Frontier, you only just need to be productive and you will never be hungry.

I pick 3 green apples in the basket, washed them and sit in the window.

While I'm currently eating the apples and gazing the stars outside. I started again to sort things in my mind.

Earlier when I'm about to leave Boss shop, he gave me a pouch of gold. I asked why he is giving me this and he answered that it is his debt to mother. Of course I don't ask any questions further and just thank him. Who the hell don't want a free gold anyway?

First, I planned on using this to renovate the house but that thought shattered because I already plan on going to Mollacks, and using it to the house that I will abandon will be surely a waste. With this so much gold I can live leisurely for five years before going to Mollacks.

More thought pop up in my mind on how I going to spend this golds. Just as I was about to stop thinking, a question came to my mind.

'Why am I so easy to read?'

As I wondered in this thought, I look in my bedroom where the pouch is hidden.

Suddenly an idea form in my mind and I can't help but to smile when thinking this.

It is definitely possible because this is Frontier where anything can be bought.

'Five years, when you see me again, you can't read me easily anymore Louie'

With that in my mind, I go back to my bedroom and started to sleep excitedly wishing that when I open my eyes it will be morning.