Melancholic Evening Conversation

"Nyuhuhuhhuhu~! Hellllooo! Hell-OH! It's been quite some time, is it not?"

Hearing the annoyingly mischievous laugh, Faruk sighingly replies, "...Can you not chuckle like that, Dux? It's almost every time you contacted me you made that chaotic laugh."

Dux and Faruk talk to each other through the screen in front of their eyes. Every time one of them speaks, the circular wave will enlighten and intensify depending on how loud the speaker talks. ...And when Dux shrilly and loudly laughed like that, the wave intensity overwhelmed itself and turned white before normalized again.

"Nyuhuhu, can't be helped, can it? It's like, what, thirty years since I talked to you through the system call feature. Last time it's uhh... when I got to Afthernhorn Duchy and found out some interesting news about the church."

"Yeah, I suppose it's been quite some time..."

"Anyway, howzit going over there?" Dux instantly changed the topic. "Have you been a doting father to that clumsy and curious child of yours?" he asked in a mocking voice.

Faruk can already picture the wizard's human face, grinning intensely as he said those lines.

"Hmph. Speak for yourself. I am but her contracted master. I fit no role on becoming a father to her," said Faruk brushing off.

"Aww... dishonest, are we?"

"Enough of this unnecessary conversation. What brings you to call me this evening?"

"Nyuhuhu, fine. I just wanna give you a heads up about the current happenings around Raskiel."

"Is there some sort of incident?"

"Naaah, not quite an incident, if you ask me. It's more like a distressed movement from the Derea Dukedom to the south. Their actions seem to be a repercussion of you being released from your seal, Faruk."

"Hm. Might I be in the correct if I say their land is being ravaged by migrating monsters?"

"Indeed. After all, your presence is the cause of their migration."

"Hm... this is quite the enigma..."

"But fear not, my good dear dragon friend. ...None of the nobility or any of those from the church have noticed the seal removal, at least for now. Rest assured, Faruk."

"I... I see. So... what about the duke's actions now?"

"Nyuhuhu, glad you asked. The head of the Derea family, Duke Johan Derea has sent investigation requests to the provincial troops and adventurer guilds across the duchy. It might not be any longer till we'll need to headhunt anyone who investigates too close to your cave."

"Hm..."

"Are you worried, Faruk?"

"Perhaps. I've been feeling some sort of... omen, lately. I dare not speculate whether it is a good or bad one, since it's still vague."

"Maybe we should exercise extra caution from now on, eh? After all, you'd not want your little Oria to be harmed, right?"

"..."

Faruk didn't give any reply. He's bombarded with a myriad of thoughts. Without even realizing it, he's already gazing at the full moon above him along with the scattered stars, twinkling as the cold breeze of the evening wind blows by. Soon after, Faruk asks to his wizard friend.

"In your perspective, Dux, how long will they reach here?"

"Err... The distance from Raskiel Mountains Region and that of the nearest city belonging to the Derea Dukedom is about three to five days of travel. Roughly around four to five days from tonight I believe they will have soldiers and adventurers swarming about."

"Hm..."

The silence falls between the two once again. Dux knows very well of his big friend's attitude whenever he's leaving everyone in his silence. ...And this time, Dux knows that he's thinking of no other than Oria Argentora.

"...If you're worried about her, why not send her to Miss Katze in Fred Village? That woman may be excruciatingly annoying, but she's extremely good in taking care of children. Even Oria could open her heart to her during our last visit."

"Is that so... I will consider that as an option. I thank you for this information, Dux. Now, I have better grasp of what's going on and what will possibly happen in the near future."

"Nyuhuhuhu, as expected of the Silver Dragon Lord. Oh, right, talking about that kiddo, I'm interested in her growth. So, how's she faring?"

"Hrrm... it's rather hard for someone who spent most of his lifetime controlling the Grand System."

"Ooooh! Tell me, tell me!" Dux pried him to tell. He's incredibly engrossed to know.

"Well..."

Faruk explains what happened during Oria's training today, from her quick growth and how the [E-404] skill somehow 'levels up'. He also tells him about how her personality has changed drastically throughout the hours of his 'intense' training sessions.

"Ho-ho... is that so? It does sound strange. Though, are you sure you didn't have any passive skill active during that time?"

"Truth be told, I have one passive skill I brought along when I transferred my consciousness to the Observer. It is the [EXP Tripler]. It functions to help her reach higher level quickly. Though, it doesn't include skill levels."

"Nyuhuhuhu, perhaps that's where the problem arose."

"Hm?"

"[EXP Tripler] ...gee, I wanted to get my hands on it back in the day. Anyway, that skill of yours must've affected her skills, too."

"It's not possible, Dux. That skill of mine works only to level up her status, not her skills."

"Yeah, I know. But we still don't know the identity of her [E-404] skill yet, do we? Whether it functions as a passive skill... or is it an active skill? Who knows?"

"..." Faruk came to a realization that what Dux said might be true.

"The way that alien skill of hers leveled up the moment she planted a rozferul tree... I mean, that's one bizarre way to level up," said Dux additionally.

"It is," Faruk replied almost faintly. For one long minute, the Silver Dragon retained silence. Finally, he speaks once again in somewhat melancholic tone.

"...I sometimes ask myself whether I just linked myself to a defective being. Is she even an entity in this world? The way the system didn't really work as I expected it would be sends me to a cumulating distress. I'm a former Guardia. I know everything about the system. But she... she denies all there is to what I knew and understood about the system."

"Faruk..."

"...At first, she's just a feeble child of man, a former slave willing to cooperate to free me. She accepted if she'd die as a result of forming a contract with me. I approve those brave words of hers. She survived and I made her my protege. ...But as time passes, I've come to realize that she's not just an ordinary slave with ludicrously high MP."

"Well... no matter how you look at her, she's not your run-of-the-mill little human girl, of course..."

"Indeed. ...And she's also a part of the omen I felt. ...I fear her, Dux."

From the screen, a sighing voice from the wizard can be heard echoing.

"...I understand how you felt, big guy. Being someone who wholeheartedly worked for the Almighty Goddess and understands how the system works for every creature, either alive or the undead. And suddenly out of nowhere you found someone who doesn't follow the rule of the system. Even though you're not a Guardia anymore, I can feel your stress, buddy."

"...Yeah. If I were still a Guardia, I might've branded her a bug that needs to be vanquished."

"Nyuhuhuhu, a ruthless dragon lord you are. ...But still, Faruk. Now that she's contracted to you, her life completely matters to you."

"I understand that. I only made her my protege so that she may not run herself into death and make me follow in her footsteps. Until she's strong enough to live on her own, I will make sure to train her in order to survive this harsh world. Though..."

"Mmm?"

For a few seconds, Faruk dives into reticence. He resurfaces from his silence and gazes into a shooting star in the solitude of the night sky. He ultimately asks:

"...Hey, Dux... for someone who dwells in the realm of research and tampering with the Goddess' Grand System, do you have any advice for me?"

"Huh... a former Guardia asked for my advice... Huhu, if this is recorded in history books, it will surely shatter the opinion of people about Guardias. That being said, if you ask me for advice, then I wholeheartedly say this:

Embrace that fear of yours and overcome it.

That child also has her fear when she's around you, no? Then, you two are on the same boat. Work together with her on how to deal with each other's fears."

"Embrace and overcome our fears, huh...?" Faruk responded slowly, yet he fully understood what the wizard tried to say.

"Yeah..." Dux replied calmly. "Though, if push comes to shove, I will always be there to assist you."

"Heheh... I guess it was more of a blessing rather than a curse to know you, huh?" Faruk replied in a sarcastic tone.

"—GEHERK! I-I-I refuse to believe I'm a curse!" Dux instantaneously retorted. The circular wave intensified as he loudly shouted.

"Haha. I jest. I suppose I will work on that. Once again, I thank you for the information, Dux."

"...Nyuh. It's no big deal. Before I go again, is there anything you'd like me to do?"

"Now that you've said it... hmm..."

Faruk thinks about it long and hard. Dux should've granted himself a medallion for being extremely patient in dealing with the Silver Dragon's habit.

"Ah, right... do you mind look into the 'slave camp' that took Oria as one of their slaves?" Faruk asked at last.

"The slave camp, huh? I see you want to know something more about Oria, eh?"

"Indeed. Even though a fraction, I must know more about her. In addition, I have a hunch that that slave camp might be the place where she obtained the [E-404] skill."

"I see... those accursed slavers, huh... very well, then. I might contact you in a day or two. I'll see what I can dig."

"Hm. I'm counting on you."

"Well, then... take care now. Be a good father to her, will you~?"

"I am NOT her father."

"Nyuhuhuhuhu~ how dishonest! Well, buh-bye for now!"

*beep*

The circular wave deactivates on the screen, froze, and darkened as their call ends. Soon after that, the screen fades away. Faruk looks up to the grandeur full moon that shines through the cloudless night sky.

"Heh... perhaps I was too paranoid? ...Who knows? Embracing and overcoming my fear, huh...?"

Faruk looks back to their camp site. He floats over there, hoping to see Oria in her tent. She is still sleeping, but somehow, her expression does not share any comfort at all. Her eyebrows and arms twitch occasionally.

Faruk sighs as he saw this... phenomenon. He looks for her backpack and proceeds to use some sort of magic. Followingly, a faint blue light fills the outline of a blanket floating from the bag. He lands that sheet of blanket over Oria. It's cheap looking, but it's all it takes to warm someone in their sleep.

After doing that, Faruk recalls what Dux said to him. He remembers him mocking him about being a doting father to the young Oria.

"Hmph. Me, a father for her? How foolish. Our relation is nothing but master and apprentice. Though, that begs the question... where's her family now?

But her circumstances showed that she remembered nothing about her past. Well, there's no use speculating about it now."

For one last time, he looks at her sleeping face again. He talks to himself, quietly, unheard by the sleeping little girl.

"Oria Argentora... it all started when you evaded death from the contract-forming process. I wonder about it... I truly wish to know...

Are you a plaguing curse... or are you an almighty blessing?"