Chapter 45: Interlude (Part 5)

Justice... What Proxer's mother did stemmed from her own sense of justice, but in the end, it was that very sense of justice that led to her self-destruction, just as Proxer'd said before. Because of her fanatic belief of it, it also ended up breaking her family apart. That was undoubtedly the reason why...

'He reacted so intensely towards how I dealt with being attacked over and over again.'

Albeit differing greatly in nature, what both Jogrin and Proxer's mother were doing were essentially the same - taking it all up upon themselves. Sharing your troubles with trusted ones: that's what most people would advise for those kinds of individuals, but the burden Proxer's mother was experiencing wouldn't allow her to do so, which was well within reason, but at the same time... What would've happened if she'd disclosed the perpetual curse that she was inflicted with since birth, even to her closest ones? In that case, some might actually believed that what'd taken place, logically speaking... was the best outcome out of all.

There was no definite right or wrong. Whatever she'd opted to do, it'd always have its benefits and drawbacks. Perhaps behind all the emotional burden, she did believe that the benefits outweighed drawbacks for such an act. However, her real thoughts would remain shrouded in mystery for obvious reasons.

"Sorry... It's not like me to be crying. Please forget that ever happened. My image is on the line here." Proxer jokingly remarked as he wiped the tears off his face.

"Unfortunately, my memory doesn't allow that. It's going to stay with me till the day I die." Jogrin responded as he looked to the side.

"So you're going to remember this for a whole one or two thousand years?!" Proxer screamed.

"Honestly, I don't know how long I will live, since I've already far exceeded how long a Darkian usually lives for..."

"Oh... Of course..." Proxer was a loss for words.

"Anyway, it's good that you were able to overcome those tragic incidents that occurred so closely to you and starting up a family and all that. You definitely and indeed, are strong."

"A compliment coming from you is rarer than finding a needle in a haystack, and yet I just heard one." Proxer was completely taken aback by Jogrin's words.

"Am I not supposed to do that?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. You're like, the kind of person that doesn't do that. Like, if you were a teacher, you'd never compliment your students because you don't advocate doing that. In fact, please keep doing that, not just to me, but to the others too."

"If complimenting is going to have people act all shocked and start rambling on with words of how shocked they are, I'd rather not do that." Jogrin shrugged his shoulders as he turned to look at Proxer.

"Ah... Did I mess up?" Proxer giggled at Jogrin.

'I knew that he's prone to emotional fluctuations, but to this extent is simply... unfathomable.' Jogrin confirmed that Proxer's current emotion aligned with how he was acting, which he found to be strange. Maybe it was a kind of resistance Proxer'd developed after all those tragedies.

"Enough about that. Let's get something to... Uh, right. You don't eat... Anything in particular that you want?"

"Books." Jogrin didn't hesitate and gave his reply.

"That was quick, but I should've seen that coming... Well uh, it's gonna be tough finding you a book you haven't read yet, let alone multiple..." Proxer pondered about what he could get for Jogrin. "Unless... Hey, are you perhaps interested in "that" kind of stuff?"

"What kind of stuff?"

"You know, the kind of stuff that teenage boys are interested in. Not that I've had any! Hm... Maybe Zenover has some hidden..."

"Just what are you talking about? I don't understand you. Besides, I'm not young. I'm older than the oldest Zutan by 14.5 times."

"You look as young as Zenover so I thought maybe...

"*Sigh* Enough already, just tell me directly what it is."

If it was something that he had to act so secretive about, it should be books with forbidden knowledge, such that what was beyond the walls that encircled the living space of the Zutans, or something about "Telestrophe", but the fact that Proxer mentioned about Zenover having the possibility of hiding those "mysterious books" absolutely suggested against that to be the actual case. Then, what kind of books could Proxer be referring to?

"Well the, here goes..."

Proxer braced himself and brought his face close to Jogrin's ear, and whispered into it. Only after a few seconds later did he step away bashfully while clearing his throat. Jogrin stared at Proxer, completely aghast by what he'd just been told.

"Really...?"

"Well yeah, they're technically books as well..." Proxer attempted to laugh it off, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of embarrassment about the fact that he just muttered something like that.

"Does something like that really warrant being hidden? I don't get it at all. It's not like somebody will get killed if they're leaked."

"Nah, somebody will die if anyone catches wind of any of these books."

"Huh? Why?"

"You know what? Forget I said that, and let your heart stay like that please."

"What's with you suddenly? You're confusing me so much... Oh well."

Jogrin couldn't comprehend why Proxer was acting like that, but since he seemed to have regained his spirits, Jogrin decided to just leave him be and let him be bashful until he was satisfied.

"Well, besides books, there's actually one more thing that I want to look for." Jogrin sent a gaze towards Proxer, indicating that he wanted something else from him.

"Something that aren't books?"

"Yes. I've wanting-"

"Hold on a second! Let me guess... No, I have to guess what you're looking for!" Proxer appeared hyped for some reason.

"... What's the point of that?"

"There isn't really any meaning behind it, but I just want to guess." Proxer replied with a pensive look on his face.

"You're just acting more and more capricious..." Jogrin couldn't help but sigh again.

...

On the other side of the town centre, in a restaurant, sat two young individuals. Some might think that they were a couple, but that wasn't the case, and they'd even become too flustered to deny it. Garty, whose stomach was rumbling a while ago, leaned back against the back of the couch whilst looking satisfied. Meanwhile, Zenover, sitting on the other side of the table, simply savored the food that was presented in front of him. Slightly astounded by the speed Garty was eating at, he looked at her.

"What?" Garty, noticing that she was being stared at, asked impatiently.

"... Do you want to order more?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know... Maybe because you just gulped everything down in one go?"

"I did not do that!!" Garty glared at Zenover with sharp eyes.

"But you were like a glutton, showing no mercy to the food!" Zenover dramatically remarked.

"Shut up! You're just a slow poke! Hurry up already!"

"Um, dear customers, I know that flirting is a part of being a relationship, but please keep your voices down..."

A waitress approached them and reminded them in a sheepish voice, only to receive a glare from Garty.

"Sorry... We'll be surer to keep that in mind... Garty! Calm down!" Zenover waved at Garty while panicked.

"Oh, um... Sorry." Realizing she was scaring the waitress, Garty apologized, embarrassed.

Then, they remained silent until Zenover finished his portion. Since Garty didn't know what to do, she awkwardly browsed through online platforms by scrolling on her phone. Still, with what the waitress'd said to them just now, she couldn't shake the feeling of self-consciousness. Perhaps that was the push she needed to do to seal with her and Zenover's fates?

...

"Hey. I'm done eating." Zenover called out to Garty who had her head whilst looking at her phone.

"Finally... How can you take so long to eat? You're a boy!"

"No, you were the one who was too... You know what, nevermind. Let's get going. This one's on me."

Zenover took out his wallet from the left pocket of his jeans, only to be stopped by Garty.

"Who said you gotta pay for me?! I brought my own money. Look!" She took out pieces of paper money from her purse in a hurry.

"It's fine. Just let me pay."

"Hoh? Do you actually feel bad for always teasing me? Hmm??" Garty narrowed her eyes as she looked at Zenover smugly.

"... Yeah yeah, I guess I am." Zenover pinched her face in vengeance for that teasing remark, but she only became more smug. "Gotta say, you really have a knack for being obnoxious. I'll make sure to keep teasing you."

"Right back at you!" Garty smiled brightly in response.

They exited the restaurant as they "bickered" on. However, as soon as the two of them turned a corner, Zenover felt that something was awry: despite being in the middle of a crowded street, he could feel gazes piercing him from somewhere close by, and those gazes were giving him a sense of foreboding. For now, he had to steer clear of any potential danger and lead Garty somewhere so that she wouldn't be embroiled in it.

"Zenover? What's wrong? You look pale all of a sudden... Oh no! Is it the food we had just now?!" Noticing the abrupt change in Zenover's expression, Garty voiced her concern.

"Garty. Come with me for a bit."

As soon as Zenover muttered those words, he grabbed Garty by her hand and dragged her. Caught by surprise, Garty yelled "Hey!" while running as fast as she could to keep up with Zenover's pace.

...

"Wait, say that again, but slowly this time."

"... Like I said, I feel bad for what I did, so I'm going to find a carpenter or a locksmith to fix the door. Still, I'm aware that there aren't-"

"I'm really touched, to think that you'd proactively suggest to fix the door..." Proxer, taken aback by Jogrin's suggestion, patted his shoulder as he complimented.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Isn't it normal to fix what's broken? Especially when it's something that I broke myself..." Bewildered, Jogrin returned with a question.

"I just didn't take you for the type of guy to care about that... Anyway, there aren't any of those in town, let alone the neighborhood..."

"I know. That's why I'm asking you to find one from out of town, by online booking or dialing?"

"Yeah, I could do that, but it'd take a while for them to get here... And that's why I've been thinking of doing it myself."

"I see, but had you booked for their services right from the start, they'd have arrived by now."

"Urgh... You're not wrong about that... You know what, this long leave is starting to get to my head. Just look at me procrastinating! I gotta do something before this becomes my habit!"

'It'd never be a problem for you if you weren't that type of person to begin with.' Jogrin kept such a remark to himself as Proxer pondered how he should take the initiative.

"Hm! For now, I should go buy the necessary materials, like a large piece of fine wood."

"You're thinking of building it from scratch?"

"Yeah... I think it's better this way, since I can also use the wood for the floor, and cover it with a carpet so it wouldn't look out of place. We do have some saws and other tools. Besides, I've had experience with this kind of thing when I was small, so it should be fine... though it was a long time ago..."

"What about the digital lock? You're making one form scratch too?"

"There's no way I'm capable of that. I need to buy it online... I think I can install it though. Alright! Now I need to procure the wood, take measurements once I go back, and start working!"

"Then, I'll go with-"

"Hold it right there! I can't focus on picking the best kind of wood with someone else following me, so I need you to stay put here."

"What? I don't see how that's correlated..." Once again, Jogrin was completely bewildered.

"This is the instinct of the experienced, you wouldn't understand!"

"You said it was just one from a long time ago, didn't you?"

"Guh... It's just that..."

"*Sigh* Fine, I'll just stay put here. Just keep in mind not to buy a surplus amount of anything because you can't decide on which one to pick."

Proxer, after listening to Jogrin, had his eye wide open as he stared at Jogrin. He was astonished by Jogrin's accurate discernment for the reason behind pushing him away.

"Ahaha... Of course I will never!... Be back in a jiffy!" As he told Jogrin that, Proxer swiftly dashed out of sight.

...

Now that Proxer had disappeared, Only Jogrin was left behind, standing still and having nothing to do... or it should've been the case ostensibly, but there'd been a presence following him and Proxer ever since they got off the vehicle.

It wasn't anyone with ill intent, but it was needless to say that the presence was extremely wary of him. And now, the presence was even more tensed up as soon as Proxer left them behind. Just like before, albeit inevitable, Jogrin felt that having someone being "stressed" around him was uncomfortable, so he opted to speak to the lurking presence.

However, just as he was about to turn towards the presence and speak up, he picked up something else with "emotional perception". It was Zenover within an abundance of other presences. There was also another presence moving at the same pace as him, with both of them panicking. Upon investigating further, Jogrin found that there were three presences following behind them some distance away. Other than Zenover's, all the presences were unrecognizable. In other words, as soon as he lost focus, Jogrin would have to look for the other presences again. Despite that, it seemed they were moving towards the more sparsely populated area ahead, in other words, where Jogrin currently was, so perhaps it'd be easier to identify them once they reached there. Either way, it appeared something tumultuous was about to unfold.

'Why are they moving to somewhere with so few people? What is Zenover trying to achieve? They're getting closer to me so it's going to be a cinch to find them.'

With that, Jogrin set out, toward Zenover's direction, but even before he took a step, he stopped, because he knew he was going to be stopped in his tracks.

"Halt!!"

A soldier showed himself from the alley on Jogrin's right, putting his hand up, blocking Jogrin's way. His other hand was ready to unsheathe the gun when he deemed it necessary.

"Finally deciding to show yourself, soldier? Kapel sure is cautious, but why only one of you? Does he think that just one of you can do something to me?"

They were genuine questions, but the way Jogrin phrased them sounded like a threat instead. It was natural that the soldier immediately unsheathed the gun and pointed it at him.

"What's with you all of a sudden? Do you actually even less basic courtesy than I do?"

A scene like that would normally cause a panic among the public, but fortunately the soldier was hiding in the shadow of the buildings on his sides, so no one other than Jogrin was able to see it. Perhaps he was doing it on purpose with the consequences of his action in mind. In any case, he could prove to be useful here.

"You'd better stop or else!" The soldier threatened to shoot Jogrin.

"Perfect timing actually. I happen to require a eye witness right now, and you will serve that role."

"... What?" The soldier was confounded by what Jogrin said. "... What are you trying to pull...?"

"I've said before that I tend not to get involved with too many people proactively, but I guess today will an exception. Well, just follow me, and you'll find out... It's not like I can fly or even run away. Calm down." Jogrin calmly replied.

The soldier sheathed his gun, albeit warily. Despite the blatant reduction of hostility, he was still poised.

"Fine then. I'll see what you're attempting."

"Good."

Jogrin, followed by the soldier, strode along the street with pits here and there.

"Where's your tail?" The soldier asked curiously.

"In here." Jogrin pointed at the part where his spine should be.

"I see." Having had his question he'd had since the time in the graveyard answered, he accepted what he'd been told.

...

'The range of "emotional perception" wouldn't stop expanding... Will it ever end?'

...

An ordeal, to be sure, but it's undoubtedly one that those involved couldn't afford to slack off on. The king's whereabouts, in spite of everyone's efforts, still couldn't be figured out. For some odd reason, part of his routine was vague. It appeared that the king was deliberately hiding it from others, even his own family. Without a doubt, everyone believed that this missing clue was what they should focus on searching for.

Inside the tent stationed in the middle of the campsite behind the Maladin household, Kapel and Captain Ryov were seated at a round table, with seven others present in the form of holograms. These nine individuals were part of a contingency committee formed the day after the king had gone missing.

Jogrin's advice was able to give them a kick start, but this wasn't nearly enough for Kapel to come to the final conclusion.

"Has his Majesty's schedule always been the same ever since you start working as his secretary?" Kapel spoke to the hologram sitting beside him.

"Yes, it's never changed. In fact, I believe the previous secretary followed the same schedule as well." The hologram spoke up in response.

That very part of the king's routine was becoming a huge conundrum for everyone involved. They must find clues as soon as possible, since it was only a matter of time before the news of the king missing would begin to spread.

"Please allow me. On my end, I have dispatched every personnel available on a wide search, but sadly, no significant results-"

"Please forgive my interruption, and I am not questioning your efforts, but are you certain that every nook and cranny has been thoroughly looked into?"

"I understand your concerns, Grand Commander Kapel, but it is indeed true that my men have been searching without rest for the past week or so."

"Thank you very much, and sorry if I offended you, Officer Fillan."

"No worries... With that being said, I do have a suggestion regarding the area of our search..."

"Wait... You are not suggesting the outside of the walls, are you?" The secretary dropped some cold sweats.

"... Yes. I believe this is the only way available to us at this moment." Fillan calmly responded.

"There have not been any records of any of predecessors travelling beyond the walls, so it is undeniable that certain perils may lie outside, but it is indeed true that we have no other options..." Kapel shared his thoughts with the others.

"Actually, I have discussed such a possibility with my higher ranking subordinates. They also believe that there is a likelihood of the king ending up outside the walls, as no results had been produced during the week-long search within them." Captain Ryov, seated opposite to Kapel, raised his hand and spoke.

"Some of my subordinates share the same opinion."

"Same here."

Some unanimously voiced their agreement.

"Then, we should have a vote here and now. Raise your hand if you vote "for"." The secretary took the initiative to seek for the other representatives' opinions with a vote. Some of them raised their hands in response.

"Now, "against"... Am I safe to assume that those who did not raise their hands abstained?... Then, with a total of 5 votes, this ballot is eligible. And, with 3 "for" and 2 "against", I conclude that we will hold an expedition beyond the walls!"

The rest of the committee members, including Kapel couldn't help but gulped at that announcement. As someone who voted "against", Kapel had to accept the outcome, but at the same time, he didn't have a good feeling about this.

"If I may, I believe a reconnaissance should be conducted before the actual expedition, to ensure it is a viable action."

"Grand Commander Kapel, the decision has been made from the vote-"

"No, he has a point, it's a good idea to do that beforehand." Captain Ryov, who voted "for", backed Kapel up.

"Then, we shall have another vote."

The secretary held another vote, and the result was that they'd conduct a reconnaissance. However, now the problem was, who should be dispatched?