Book 2 - Chapter 84

"Sometimes I forgot how smooth you were at flirting with females," said Rose as she was packing her stuffs.

We were back in our room, packing and separating items for the mission and finally checking out from this expensive place.

"Flirting? With who?" I asked in confusion.

"Don't play dumb, Zen. You were flirting with Lily in front of everyone. 'We need you, we always needed you'. It was so obvious you were flirting with her. I won't lie, I definitely felt jealous hearing that," she chuckled.

"I wasn't flirting with her. I was just telling her facts. We really needed an elf which happened to be her if we are to accomplish our mission. Without her, we have no way of tracking the bell," I explained.

"You never understood, did you? It's the way to phrase it, Zen. Oh gosh, Lily is going to hate herself for feeling hopeful again. She was blushing when you told her that. You… mister, are going to tell her that you love her and is going to make her your wife," she pointed at me.

"No, I will not. Change of plans, Rose. I have a new objective now and I intend to see through," I said.

"And what would that be? Keeping me alive? Zen.. onii-chan.. I will die.. eventually. You have to accept that. The both of us are going to die eventually, Zen," she explained.

"Look.. I don't mind if I were to die before you. You are fit to care for Daisy. I, am not. Let's face it, I am a terrible father that doesn't even realise his own daughter's condition. I can't do this alone, Rose. I need you at my side," I sighed.

"Let's be realistic here. What can you even do if I were to die? There is nothing you can do about it, onii-chan," she pestered.

"Unless... no.. No! You will not attempt to resurrect me. That would defy death itself. I forbid you from resurrecting me, Zen," again she pointed her index finger at me.

"That is not up for you to decide," I looked away.

"What do you mean?! It's my life, Zen. Hey.. look at me. You're a good father, Zen onii-chan. You are a loving father and Daisy knows that. I love our daughter and I will continue caring for her. But you need to promise me, if anything happens to me, if I don't make it, you have to let me go," she placed both her hands on my face.

"Argh.. fine, fine! I promise I'll let you go. Only, and only IF, you leave this world. As long as you're still alive, I will do anything to bring you back. Deal?" I lifted my pinky.

"Deal," she sealed it with a pinky promise.

"Now, back to Lily. Make use of this mission to get closer to her. Just.. tell her you have a change of heart. That's it, she'll get the idea. We don't have much time," she continued.

"W.. what do you mean we don't have much time? What is that supposed to mean?" I confronted her.

"Oh, it's nothing. Sorry, just a slip of the tongue. What I meant is that we don't have much time left to finish our packing before the check-out time," she hurriedly continue her packing.

"Rose? Is there something you're not telling me? I can trust you on that, right?" I asked once again.

She sighed and replied with "Yes, you can trust me on that". But I knew that she was hiding something.

Does she know something that I don't? Have she seen her future or her own death that triggered her to keep pushing me to make Lily my wife? It.. somehow makes sense as to why she kept insisting on it. But, is it really? She had been insisting it even before we married. Maybe I am just overthinking it. I should just finish our packing and help Daisy with hers.

***

I knocked on Daisy's door. Expecting she needed help with her packing but it appears that she had already completed all of it. Colour me amazed, she is completely different than her mom who was still struggling to pack everything into her bags. But it is noticeable that her mood was sour. Once again we have to leave her with someone else to care for her. Daisy had always been an attached child who stuck with Rose majority of the time. It's no wonder Rose is so heavily against her becoming an adventurer when she still behaves this way.

"Hey, kiddo. How's it going?" I sat at her side.

"Dad, can I be selfish?" she asked me.

I turned to look at her. Now that was not an answer I was expecting. She leaned her head against my arm and I was worried that she was crying. I began petting her head to calm her down.

"I don't want you to go," she tugged on my sleeve.

"Daisy, daddy promise you that this will be the last quest that your mother will be following me with. After this is over, mommy will be staying with you back in the City Of Pines. Alright? Things will be safer after this, I hope," I tried to calm her.

"What about you, daddy? I miss you too," she refuses to release my arm.

Hmm, what do I do? Again, I feel like I am missing out on something. Oh, that's right. Her spiritual powers.

"Daisy, do you know who Kirin or Byakko is?" I asked her.

I felt her body tensed up. She quickly moved her face in another direction away from my sight.

"W.. who are they? I.. don't know them," she stuttered.

"Daisy, I know you've met them. You don't have to play dumb. Daddy is not going to scold you or anything," I petted her head.

"Then why are you asking about this?" she asked.

"Well.. since you have the power to reach out to us, you can find me and them through dreams, isn't it?" I asked her.

"It's.. not that simple. I've tried before it before and that was how I met Moi instead of you two. She was the one who responded to my calling when none of you did," she pouted.

"Daisy.. my child. I know you can do it. I have faith in you. All you got to do is trust here.. and here. Focus on looking for me, Kirin and Byakko. The three of us are always together. Daddy will always respond to your calls . I promise," I pointed to her brain and heart.

"Okay. I will do my best to find you. Thanks Dad," she smiled.

For a second I thought I saw an adult form of Daisy smiling at me. I rubbed my eyes and Daisy was staring at me wondering what I was doing. That can't be right. Daisy is at most 10 years old now. That is a far-fetched from being in adulthood. I must had been seeing things.

"You don't have to be alone, you can always find us with your abilities," I smiled and kissed her forehead.

She hugged me close when Rose knocked on the door. I guess she is finally done with her packing. Time for us to checkout of this fancy tavern once and for all. My wallet is going to thank me for not staying another night.

***

I opened the door to our new room. Peter had booked a room for us near the bell tower. We will need to be completely deaf if we couldn't hear the warning from it. We had our backpacks ready for us to grab immediately at a moment's notice. Rose had insisted that Lily shares the same room with both of us for ease of mobility and communication, hence we had been provided with a sort of suite style that comes along with multiple rooms.

While it is a big step-down from our previous fancy room, it is certainly better to have a roof over our heads until we start sleeping with the moon above our heads. Any moment now the bell might ring at a moment's notice. It is quite unnerving when you think about it. Just imagine if you happened to be in the bathroom when it occurs. Sigh.

We had already left Daisy with Peter so it was just the three of us. It was certainly heart wrenching to leave her with Peter but we don't have a choice this time. She was a strong child, putting on a happy face as she cheered good luck for us and ensuring that we don't have to worry about her. I am happy that she is such a strong child and perhaps I really did saw a glimpse of her being an adult.

Truth be told, I am worried about this quest that we will be undertaking. Both Kirin and Byakko had taken the liberty to warn me personally. Hell, even Moi came over to warn me about it. Even my gut feelings is telling me to be careful this time. I have a strong feeling that I might come face to face with another vessel or champion without getting any help from Moi. She helped us a lot when we fought Baku previously.

I sat on the couch of the living room after placing my backpack and waist pouches on the floor. I guess it was obvious that I am feeling distraught as both of them sat at my side. Lily asked for the bell which I provided. Apparently she is going to make a bola or something to ensure the bell stays tightly wrapped on a monster's leg, arm or body.

The three of us were quiet. Since when did things became awkward for the three of us? Rose was resting her head on my shoulder while Lily was making the bola with some strings and some metal looking donut. No one was saying anything. Even the sound of the wind was louder than the three of us. I tried to think of a topic to talk about but nothing was coming to mind. Are we going to be this awkward until the bell rings? That is even more agonising than the quest itself!

"Zen, if you don't mind me asking," asked Lily out of the blue.

Oh thank the above Lily broke the silence. What the hell is wrong with us? We've literally been friends for such a long time but now things are awkward? That doesn't make any sense.

"Since when did you start wearing earring? And only on one side for that matter," she asked without shifting her head as she was still tying the bola.

She was wearing her signature circular glasses that she had been wearing since long ago. I'm amazed at how those glasses were still usable after almost 30 years. And how it still fits her after turning into an adult!

"Oh, this? It's an earring of Constitution, not some cheap earring or me trying to be fashionable. I wear it for a purpose," I explained.

"I see," she ended her question just like that.

In my mind, I was like, that's it? Why are things awkward again? Rose was nudging me with her elbow, telling me to make more conversation.

"Uhh.. uhhh.. how are things going with you and your partner?" I stuttered while asking her.

Ouch!! Rose pinched me at my side. Lily probably couldn't see what was happening when she was so focused on making the bola. It was as though she was performing a sewing with what she was doing. Any moment now she is going to lift up a clothing or something to show me with a 'Tada'.

"Zen, you don't have to worry about me getting the wrong idea. I know what you meant when you said you needed me for this quest. I would also like to apologise that I had lied to you before. I don't have a partner. Probably won't have one in a long time," she smiled without looking at me.

"Is it really because of me?" I asked with a serious tone.

She seems to be in the mood to open up her feelings instead of bottling them up. I should use this opportunity to understand what she had been through. She's my saviour and I should return the favour to her in any way possible.

"Oh, what do we have here? There seems to be some nice tea available," said Rose as she headed off to the kitchen.

It was pretty clear she wanted to give me time to talk with Lily. What an odd situation I am in, your wife pestering you to get along with another woman. It just doesn't feel right. But I know Rose is hiding something from me that made her kept pushing me to marry her. I know something is wrong but Rose remained tight-lipped about it. Sigh.

It was soon after Rose had left that Lily decided to reply me. The kitchen was not exactly in a separate room but it was far away for us to talk in secret if we talked quietly. Let's see what Lily's respond will be.

"I guess it's.. partly because of you. But I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. It's my fault for not being able to get over you," she whispered.

Obviously she is afraid of letting Rose know about our conversation. Despite Rose being vocal about us getting together, she is still my wife. What she says and what she feels are two completely different story.

"Lily.. I want to know. How did it all started? I don't remember leaving that big of an impression on you when we first met. Did you really fell head over heels for me on that very day?" I asked her with a soft tone.

She placed aside the bola she was making. It seems as though she had already completed it some time ago but was just looking at imperfections. She lifted both her legs and hugged them, burying her face on her knees.

"I guess it really did start on the day that we met. Even you figured out that I had feelings for you. But I blamed it on the Stockholm Syndrome that I was merely attracted to you because of your heroic rescue. Then someone decided to buy things for me. It was only two days but you stole a part of my heart that day. But as time goes on, my denial grew stronger and I started avoiding meeting you. Y'know, the part where I stopped meeting for about.. four years? We finally met again when John was about to be the next Viking Lord," she chuckled.

"Right. It's been so long since then. Since you're being honest telling me about your story, I guess I should let you in on mine too. You were my first crush, Lily. For the next few years after we met, whenever I see any female elves, I immediately think of you. As a matter of fact, you still are to be honest. My heart still beats quickly when I'm with you," it was my turn to chuckle.

I was shocked when Lily actually reached out her hand and placed it on my chest. Did she thought I lied to her? What happens next was even more unexpected. She held my hand and brought it closer to her body. I started panicking as I assumed that she was going to place it on somewhere dangerous but soft part of hers. Thankfully she placed it above her chest instead. Phew!

I could feel her heart beating fast. So it was the same for her too? She leaned closer to me, really close. Uhh.. things are getting uncomfortable now. I was not expecting to get all romantic with Lily but it would appear that I might have opened a floodgate in her. No way am I going to get lovey-dovey with her in front of Rose. I still have my conscious that I am doing something wrong when I have a wife of my own. I instinctively turned my gaze to Rose but she seems to be turning her back towards us. Is she really just making tea? I am so worried that any moment she is going to turn her head, drop whatever she is holding and starts chasing me with a knife.

I slowly turned my gaze back to Lily. Oh boy, I know that look of hers. That is the gaze of a woman deeply in love. She's not going to kiss me, right? I'm so glad that Daisy is not here with us now. I don't wish to be judged by her right now.

"Then why didn't you choose me instead?" she whispered with a flirting tone.

"H.. huh? Oh, I..... was just thinking what was best for you. You know you're going to outlive me, right? I'll eventually be a thing of the past for you," I panicked as I stuttered my reasoning.

"That… was your reason? What.. makes you think you know what is best for me? Who are you to dictate my life for me? You are not just anyone that I can simply forget, Zen! You're someone special!!" she shouted.

"If the both of you are done talking, perhaps you can join me at the table?" asked Rose as she sipped her tea.

Lily stood up, stomped her feet to the dining table and sat there. I was left alone on the couch. Right, poor choice of words, Zen. You numbskull, why did you say that without thinking? I thought of pouring myself some tea but upon gazing at Lily's death glare, I decided to head into one of the rooms instead. Ah damn it, I hope I didn't strained our group's relationship that it affects the quest mission. You're a fool, Zen Hawthorn.

***

I heard a knock on the door as I opened my eyes from my nap. A dreamless nap? Felt so surreal. I guess Moi did keep her promise after all. I wondered how she stopped those microsleep from affecting us. I announced whoever it was to come in. Fully expecting Rose to be on the other side, I closed my eyes once more to rest my eyes.

"Oh, you were sleeping? We'll talk some other time then," said Lily.

I quickly opened my eyes and jumped out of bed. A polite bow of forgiveness was needed to apologise to her for my poor choice of words earlier.

"I'm so sorry for the things I said earlier. It was not what I intended to convey to you. I should had thought about it properly before saying them," I maintained my bow.

"It's fine, Zen. I hurt your feelings too back at the colosseum. Call it even?" she asked with a smile.

"Fair enough," I smiled back.

"Besides, it's not like I don't get where you're coming from. It can be intimidating to marry someone completely different from your own race. It's alright, no hard feelings, Zen. You don't have to worry about me," she made a sad smile.

I instinctively reached out to grab her wrist. I don't want things to be awkward when all three of us need to travel together. I should say it now before I ruined my chance.

"You don't intimidate me, Lily. That is not the reason why I didn't choose you. Listen, about the things I said before. I… might have a change of heart," I told her.

She looked at me confused. Probably thinking about the things I said to her before. It was then that Rose knocked and opened my door. I immediately released my grip on her wrist but Rose definitely saw me holding her.

"What were you two doing?~ Fu fu," she sneered.

"I just apologised to him and that was it. I wish to get some rest," said Lily as she hurried out of my room.

Rose turned to me and asked whether I had assaulted her or something and I showed her a speechless expression. As though I would do something so impolite to a close friend of mine in the first place.

"So.. how did things go?" she asked.

"As my wife, you are awfully invested on me getting a second partner. I've told her I had a change of heart like you wanted. Can we get some rest while we still can? We have no idea when the bell will start ringing," I asked her.

"Yeah. We should get some rest. I'll take the other room so we don't distract ourselves. Zen, you might think otherwise but I love you. I really really do. Just think of me as being an understanding wife, alright? Rest well." she smiled before exiting my room.

"That.. or there is something you're just not telling me," I said to myself.