A Friend’s Situation

Amidst the occasional chirping of birds and a plethora of other sounds of nature, a cat boy and a human knelt silently in front of one of two gravestones. Gusts of wind of varying intensities occasionally blew past them, tousling their hair.

The human boy was barely more than skin and bones, clearly finding it difficult to stay upright. Only with the help of his Cat Person friend could he successfully be immersed in his mental prayers and lamentations.

'I'm sorry, Millina! If only I hadn't cried out for help back then, then none of this would have happened to you…'

Devastated at what his past self's instinctual actions had inadvertently resulted in, Martin's expression turned significantly more gloomy. Soon after, tears ran down his cheeks and he began to shiver, only partially due to the slight early-morning chill which he was mostly protected from by the considerably warm jacket that he was clad in. Next to him, Quinn's eyes also became watery.

-----

Yesterday, after Quinn had reunited with his old friend Martin, the group consisting of Isaac's students and subordinates carefully escorted all the people that they had managed to save to the surface, to the field hospital primarily staffed by those associated with the Guild. They had to venture back and forth a few times, but even though they had to carry those who weren't able to make the journey themselves, they only took about an hour to find some time to breathe.

None of them were experts when it came to helping victims of tragedies, despite most of them falling into that category themselves. Therefore, not wanting to intrude, disturb or get in the way, they chose to do the only thing that they felt capable of accomplishing - to care for Martin, who Quinn was already familiar with.

The teenage human boy was certainly a mess, but not as much as Quinn had been when he had been saved. They first brought him an assortment of easy-to-eat food and snacks, along with a few bottles of water, so that he could regain a bit of energy.

All the while, the group members chatted with each other and told Martin a number of stories to keep his mind occupied. This served to make him feel as if he wasn't left out, whilst simultaneously not forcing him to partake in the conversation himself.

Once Martin had filled his stomach, Quinn wanted to request that the Guild's healers check his friend for any injuries, but before he could get up and do so, Isaac sent a vial of Mermaid Blood into his hands, which he accepted with a slight but respectful, grateful bow.

Drinking this monster-born Elixir equivalent made all of the scars that Martin had been hiding underneath his mere rags disappear within minutes, while the sequelae of the innumerable beatings that he had been subjected to over the past seven to eight months also bade their farewell.

Previously, a few of his broken bones hadn't perfectly realigned during the healing process - all due to the 'generous care' by the overseers, who had repeatedly re-injured him - and some pieces of them had even been chipped off, staying stuck in the flesh around the mended bone ever since. Some movements had become tortuous due to this, and lots of internal bleeding had taken place too many times to count.

Fortunately, all of this was now over.

When he realized how amazingly healthy his body felt, that all of the pain had silently vanished after mere moments of slight discomfort, Martin's shoulders shook and he bit his lower lip, stopping himself from crying with reddened eyes as well as a stuffy nose.

Next on the group's agenda was to clean the young man up so that they could help him pick out some new clothing afterwards. Oh, and he also most definitely needed to get his hair cut.

Two out of these, the bathing and the haircut, could be taken care of in the bathhouse that they chose to bring him to - it was one of the most prominent establishments of its kind in the city - and the place even provided them with one set of the most basic clothing available, free of charge. After all, if they let Martin leave their business in rags, it might reflect poorly on them in many ways.

While the girls waited outside, Jakk, Kalin and Quinn accompanied Martin into the bathhouse to keep him company as he was getting all of the grime, dirt and dried blood that he was covered in scrubbed away.

It took more than one and a half hours to get everything done, but by then, when Martin stared into the mirror, he could scarcely believe that this relatively good-looking, albeit severely starved, young man… was actually him.

He touched his face in disbelief multiple times and even pinched himself, only then did he finally come to terms with it. His pale skin had turned a little pink due to the somewhat forceful cleaning that he had undergone - the filth hadn't exactly been all that cooperative during the washing process - which made him appear a lot more healthy than he actually was. Clad in a white shirt and brown pants, he struck others as somewhat… presentable again.

After getting politely chaperoned out of the bathhouse because Martin had sat in silence in front of his mirror for twenty minutes, occupying the room for far longer than the staff had originally intended, inconveniencing them in the process, the group paid a little extra to compensate the employees before accompanying Martin to the nearest clothing store that was still open. There, they bought him multiple sets of clothes that he took a liking to, as well as some that they thought he might find a use for.

The girls had already gotten him some daily necessities while they had been waiting, so with all items on their list checked off, everyone decided to wrap it up here for the day. Understandably, even though he had been using Quinn's shoulder to support himself all the way, Martin had grown tired and exhausted after this hectic period of time. This wasn't only because of the number of places that the group had brought him to as well as the long walks in between, but primarily due to the mental fatigue that he had been suppressing for so long catching up to him.

Quickly, they brought him to the nearest inn and rented some rooms for them all to stay in, just for tonight. They had originally planned to bring him back to the base - they had even gotten permission to do so already - but the young human couldn't keep his eyelids open any longer.

-----

"Sigh."

Heaving a deep, melancholic breath, Martin wiped away his tears, then he weakly rose to his feet. In the process of doing so, he almost fell over, but Quinn promptly supported him the moment that he noticed his plight.

Silently staring at the beautifully carved gravestone just a mere one and a half meters in front of him for a while longer, Martin eventually made a decision, after far too much thought. The moment that he did so, he felt the sensation of breathlessness that had burdened him ever since he had vaguely learned about what had happened to Millina mostly disappear.

"So, what now? What do you want to do?"

Right on cue, as if he had sensed that he was ready to talk, Quinn asked him exactly the question that he had wanted to hear. Despite that, Martin didn't respond immediately. Instead, he thought over everything one last time before giving his answer.

"Recover as fast as possible, then get a simple, peaceful job. Afterwards, I'll live a quiet life. Maybe I'll get married and have kids, who knows?"

Staring at his friend as if he was observing a particularly weird organism, Quinn showed a face of confusion.

'What the heck? I only wanted to know where you'd like us to bring you next. So why are you telling me your entire life's plan now all of a sudden?'

Still, he soon chose to play along and avoided pointing out what he had just thought. However, that didn't change that there was something else that bewildered him.

"That sounds nice. But… don't you want to get vengeance?"

Glancing at the puzzled cat boy with a resigned gaze full of more vicissitudes than someone of his age should have normally experienced, a wry smile played across Martin's lips as he shook his head.

"Not really. I might have wanted to get rid of the bastards that directly tormented me, but you all have already taken care of them. I don't feel any drive to chase after any- and everyone who had anything to do with why I ended up in that place. I just want… peace."

Falling silent at his friend's remarkably mature response, Quinn pondered for a bit before speaking up again.

"Alright, I'll support you to the best of my ability. I… I'm not yet ready to stop. Zagan is still out there. I want to make him pay as well. If it wasn't for him, then that whole sweatshop never would have come into existence."

With an understanding smile adorning his face, Martin nodded.

"Thank you. And… I believe I understand. Maybe I'm not as driven by vengeance as you are just because I didn't experience the same things that you did. Suffering inflicted upon your loved ones feels many times worse than the torment experienced by yourself… I think. Or maybe I'm just simply not cut out for the bloody path that you've embarked on."

Sighing once more, he shook his head slightly in an effort to get rid of all unnecessary thoughts, then he continued.

"You said you'd help me, didn't you? Then, do you think you could introduce me to a normal job? I… I honestly don't even know where to look. I know that I just talked as if I've got everything figured out, but… I really have no clue where to begin."

Quinn couldn't help but chuckle a little at the slight blush that had crept on Martin's cheeks when he admitted this. For the past around half a day, he had felt his friend to be… quite different from how he remembered him. He appeared to be 'wiser', more enlightened. As if he had broken through some mental shackle in the wake of his release from prolonged suffering. But that embarrassed look, that clueless behaviour… it was all still the same. He might have changed, but at his core, he was still Martin.

"Well, I could do as you requested and find a regular job for you… but I think I have a better idea. Want to hear me out?"

A bit annoyed at the smug grin on Quinn's lips, Martin furrowed his brows before helplessly shrugging.

"Sure. Please elaborate."

His grin growing wider, Quinn rubbed his nose and looked away, feeling a little guilty about how high-and-mighty he had presented himself. Nonetheless, he couldn't change that he still felt a bit of pride when he talked about this.

"You've turned into a bit of a philosopher now, so… how about seeking employment with my master, as a 'Book Seeker'? You'd get taught how to read and write, then you'd have to search for and purchase books that he doesn't own yet. My master told us that he intends to hire some Book Seekers in the future, so I already asked him whether or not he'd accept you if you applied - and he said that he would. What do you think? This way, we even can more easily stay in touch!"

Although the content of Quinn's speech had convinced him on the spot and the excited, sparkling eyes of his friend made him want to agree immediately, Martin still felt compelled to inquire about something that had stuck out to him.

"Who is that 'master' that you're harping on about?"

Taken aback for a moment, Quinn's eyes widened, then he slapped himself on the forehead, wincing slightly as a result of this action.

"Oh, did I forget to mention it? Most of us - in other words: Aselina, Kalin, Mina and me - are the subordinates of Isaac Blackshaw of the Loki Familia. As for Jakk, he is also from the Loki Familia, and master's student."

Astonished, Martin took a second or two to calm himself before regaining his bearing. The reputation of the Loki Familia was simply too great. Not only had he already heard people sing their praises before he had been kidnapped, even on Daedalus Street, but after the city-wide broadcast yesterday, he had a far better understanding of how influential and powerful of a force the Loki Familia really was.

"So in other words, you all have a chance to join the Loki Familia as well? Or… are you already a part of it?"

Once again emitting an aura of smugness, Quinn shook his head.

"Nope! Aselina is, but the rest of us neither need to nor want to join the Loki Familia. We are part of the Isaac Familia! But… just so you know, you can't tell anybody about this. Master has told us that it wouldn't really matter if word got out, but it's still preferable for everyone else to be in the dark for a bit longer."

At first, the young human had been pretty bewildered when his friend had so proudly declared himself to not be part of the Loki Familia. But afterwards, when he finally realized what Quinn was getting at, Martin almost staggered backwards at the implications of what he had just heard.

"But only deities can create familias… So Isaac Blackshaw is a god?! A deity is part of another deity's familia!? Did I understand that correctly?"

Seeing Quinn nod calmly in response, Martin's expression grew solemn.

"Alright. I'll keep my mouth shut about this, don't you worry. I can't even imagine the amount of trouble that such a revelation would invite. Oh, and before I forget, about that Book Seeker employment that you mentioned. Please help me apply for it!"

In all honesty, a privileged life where he could get an education for free and only had to gather new reading material for his friend's god sounded pretty much as ideal as he could have ever imagined. It didn't appear to require too much excessive physical exertion either! He would be an absolute fool if he turned down this opportunity. From how this group of Quinn's friends had spent vast amounts of valis without even blinking an eye, he deduced that he most likely also wouldn't have to worry about his future self's finances. But best of all about this job was what Quinn had mentioned at the very end: the fact that he wouldn't lose contact with the last friend that he knew to still be alive.

"Got it!"

Clearly relieved, the cat boy flashed Martin a bright smile before leading him back towards the edge of the clearing, where the rest of the group had been waiting for them all this while.

"Everything sorted out? Where to next?"

Jakk, who had been playing with his dagger in his boredom, sheathed it again after grabbing it out of midair. Gracefully, he dropped from the tree branch that he had been sitting on.

"Back to the base. If all goes well, then he'll be working for master soon."

At Quinn's reply, Mina's tail subconsciously began to wag while her eyes glimmered with affection and devotion. Even merely thinking about Isaac made her react in this way.

"So he'll be serving milord too? That's great!"

Correctly judging that she had misunderstood what he had meant to say, Quinn scratched his cheek and elaborated a bit.

"Remember the Book Seekers that master told us about? He'll be the first one."

Realization dawning on her, Mina nodded, both slightly disappointed and joyful at the same time. While she personally would have preferred it if one more retainer or student had joined their ranks, her lord had obviously laid out a plan inside of his head long ago, for which many Book Seekers were a necessity.

"Ah, so that's what you meant. Well, in any case: Welcome aboard, Martin!"

"Welcome aboard."

A bit awkward at Mina and the normally silent Aselina giving him such a warm reception - especially because the latter had had an unapproachable, icy aura around her up to this point - Martin hastily spoke up.

"I appreciate the goodwill, but please don't congratulate me too early! I don't know if I'll actually get the job yet… It'd be mortifying if you all already accept me just for me to be turned away in the end."

Giggling amusedly, Mina shook her head.

"I don't think you need to worry about that. Milord hasn't denied you the position yet, so that means that he has already accepted your application."

In a mixture of exasperation and puzzlement, Martin furrowed his eyebrows.

"Excuse me, but am I missing some crucial context here? I have never met Isaac Blackshaw, so how could he possibly have denied or accepted my application? He can't even know for sure whether or not I'd want the job in the first place, right?"

Shaking her head and gazing at him with pity evident in her eyes, Mina kindly explained.

"Yes, there is something that you don't know. Milord knows everything. Or rather, everything that happens around us. He has been paying attention to us all this time, so of course he is aware of your situation in detail. Don't worry, you're pretty much already employed!"

Choosing to stay silent for a while, Martin observed the clear fanaticism in the gorgeous Chienthrope's eyes and sighed inwardly. It was widely known that deities lost access to most of their divine powers after they descended to the Lower World, so what Mina had claimed sounded impossible to the young human's ears. However, because it was plain as day that the girl was obsessed with her 'lord', he didn't bother to shatter her potentially love-induced fantasy.

"... sure. Okay, then let's go with that."

Martin didn't notice that almost everyone else was glancing at him with knowing looks on their faces, secretly already anticipating the moment when the youngster's mind would be completely blown after experiencing Isaac's unfathomable abilities for the first time… or rather, the first few times. After all, it took quite a while to grow numb to amazement of this extent.

As they were making their way back to Orario's walls, the group realized that Kalin was still leaning against a tree, completely lost in thought. Apparently, he hadn't even noticed that a discussion had just taken place.

"Hey, Kalin! Are you coming with us or do you plan to stay there all day?"

Clearly, calling out to him also didn't work, so Jakk quickly walked up to him and waved his hand right in front of Kalin's eyes. Just as Jakk was about to hit his shoulder to see whether that would snap him out of it, Kalin's blankly staring eyes regained their clarity. Momentarily, he was a bit dazed, but then he hurriedly caught the approaching fist before it was about to hit him.

"I know that I tuned out for a while, but that doesn't mean you need to hit me, right!?"

Somewhat worried, Jakk pulled back his hand and scrutinized his friend from top to bottom, trying to figure out if he was truly alright. Although Kalin had occasionally fallen quiet these past few days, something apparently weighing on his mind, he had never entered a strange trance-like state like this before.

"You didn't respond to words at all, and even waving my hand in front of your eyes didn't do the trick. You okay?"

Evading Jakk's gaze, Kalin cleared his throat, quite ashamed of himself.

"Yeah. Something happened, but I'll explain it to you later. It's not a big deal! I'm good now, really. When I fully come to terms with it, I'll tell you. What do you say?"

Because it was all too obvious that he was hiding something, Kalin hastily ensured Jakk that he wouldn't leave him in the dark. Only then did his friend's tense expression relax a little.

"... fine. But if you need my help, then let me know, okay? I'm always here if you need to talk."

Rolling his eyes in an attempt to hide that he was actually pretty touched by the Hume Bunny youth's words, Kalin gave him a short nod before hurrying to reconvene with the rest of the group.

"Thanks."