Objective Assessment

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Two persons could be seen one next to other, touring along a dirt road on top of a pair of healthy-looking horses. A dirt road that led to a small town, that in truth, resembled more of a waystation than a settlement.

They actually weren't alone in traveling this road, with several different folks coming and going to and from the aforementioned town.

From local guards, hunters and ambulant merchants to a few artisans bringing along their own goods. Most of them would most likely be making their way to the city of Labistal; since it was the closest thing to an urban area in this part of the Labal country, and naturally a place for commerce.

Transit along the dirt road was considerably slower than average, with some people even having to make a full stop in order for those who were coming the other way, to pass.

But this situation was not because of a dangerous slope that needed to be circumvented, or even a bandit attack. This was simply a road so remarkably busy for such a reduced space, that travelers where asked by the patrolling guards to remain civil and keep a slow pace, to allow everyone access in and out of the palisade gates.

A good enough reason for the girl and the old man traveling together, to talk about the most recent event that had stirred their lives in the past few days...

The appearance of a certain young man...

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A brunette young adult was riding an equally beautiful black horse that appeared to have been made the perfect animal companion for her.

Beside her, a rough old man, with an attitude quite different from the one he had but a few hours ago, when they were both still in Hunter's Heaven.

Apparently, not being around strangers brought his usual few-friends-face to a calm and relaxed bearing. This was actually the way he was normally... as long as Jennie was there also...

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"So tell me, Jennie... what do you think about this... Alexander guy...?

And I am talking about your objective assessment..."

"...Huh?! What do you mean with 'objective assessment'?"

Jennie retorted with her usual mocking look.

"You know, if you're really serious about becoming an Explorer... you'd have to at least be able to put your personal views aside, and deal equitably with anything... Like the guy, we left behind...?"

"Oh you mean like YOU did, when you wanted to provoke Alexander for nothing?! You sure are one to talk, ∼Uncle Lou∼"

She was making that face again...

"Okay, FIRST!: I was just uncomfortable with having you taking care of a semi-nude stranger in MY bed.

And second, you're deflecting..."

"OHHH So now you're getting ∼jealous∼... Te-he

C'mon, Uncle Lou, you couldn't possibly be telling me that because a man I rescued stole my attention from you, you wanted to make him into a human leather coat... ∼could you?∼"

Old man Louis was starting to get flustered, showing a side of him that, if seen by Alexander, would probably cause the latter a heart attack, just from the absurd change in personality...

"OKAY STOP IT JENNIE!!! (that's more like it). That I was out of line, I recognize, that's why I apologized to Alexander for my behavior, and the matter about me being jealous is irrelevant!

So stop deflecting, and answer me! Prove that you're serious about--"

"Okay! I got it, Uncle Lou! Geez, give a break, would you...?

*Sigh* I'll go ahead and give you my 'objective assessment'..."

As they were signaled by a road guard to move along, after they had to stop for a few moments to allow a wagon to move, the mood between Jennie and Lou turned a bit more serious.

Jennie dropped her usual playful expression...

"...To begin with, I think it's a little convenient the whole 'amnesia' thing..."

Lou agreed with a nod. He was surprised by Jennie's coldness when her first words came out...

Apparently, the 180° change in character ran in the family...

In any case, he conceded her to finish before giving his own input.

"I think, this isn't normal... He doesn't even have a head injury or an apparent disease... And he certainly isn't weak... I mean, he did kill a cursed beast..."

At this point, just as they were entering the town, both were in deep thought. Admittedly, even old man Lou was munching down his niece's words...

He was definitely impressed, and deep inside, regretted a little being the reason Jennie wasn't yet an Explorer...

Jennie, on the other side, was trying to find possible explanations that freed Alexander of suspicion...

Like any human, she couldn't possibly be fully unbiased -even less so if taking into account her kind nature- and was already formulating all kinds of theories and ways to prove that Alexander, was indeed only a good samaritan, with bad luck.

Whether if her blind trust was misguided, still remained to be seen...

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