Chapter 13: Shared Reasons and Goals

{Spring, 07th | 4 ET | Academy's Library}

After finding nothing at the library, I went to the House and went straight to the cafeteria since I was hungry. When I got there, I found a lot of students are throwing me stares.

       I picked up my dinner and went to a lone seat and enjoyed my dinner. When I was eating, Rufias came by with her food, and then she sits beside me with a worried look.

She smiled and started to eat her dinner. "Quite a show you put up in the last class, Riku" she teased. I sighed and continued eating. "I can understand that everyone here comes to this school with a reason.

       "Because I'm also come to study here with a reason too. So, you say that you don't want to waste a second to save your family?" "That was amazingly done, even the teacher standstill even after you went out" she laughed. I laughed a bit.

"So, could you tell me what is in your mind? Maybe I can help you somehow? I was trained to help those around me, so you're one of them, tell me" She asked. I shake my head.

       "It's none of your business, this is something private. If you do have your own goal then it's best to keep it with yourself" I hesitated.

By the way, this stew is great, it also had some meat in it, I can say the cafeteria is doing its best.

       She then sits closer to me and her shoulder touches mine. What is it with girls, they always playing with the guys?

       I blushed a bit, "Oh, I don't mind sharing my mind since I know you're trustworthy, Riku" she whispered in my ears, which sends shudders through my body, why do girls always do this, Mom did this a lot of time to tease me.

I moved my seat and my food to some distance from hers, I'm still blushing. "Oh, what a shy guy, hahaha. Riku, you're so fun to talk and tease with" she laughed. "Have enough fun?" I scoffed.

       She smiled and begins to talk a bit seriously, "You know, Riku? I actually came from a noble family in Riesevelt. You know when girls are born in a noble family, they are used as a tool for politics"

"Our families arranged a wedding for us, girls with a higher status noble families" she explained. The situation became tense and heavy, I do know what she's talking about since that also applies in my past world too.

       "So, I'm arranged...with the guy I don't even know what his face looks like. Until I heard about the rumors and I saw his face for the first time.

He's a sleazy pig, he's also have thirst for sex and you know... enslaving women" she uttered.

"Rufias, you..." I worried. She smirked and forced a smile, "Oh, you worry about me, Riku. It's so kind of you. But I have to fight this only by myself" 

       "So I come here to graduate as a Raider since my parents promised me to cancel the marriage if I'm actually able to graduate, and here I am, that is my reason, Riku. Is it so hard to share yours?" She said.

"You say hard, didn't you hold your breath for a while when you shared it with me," I said. She went silent. Someone came to our table, oh it's Nanna. "Everyone here indeed had a reason to come, I'm the same, Riku, Rufias," Nanna told.

       "I also have a reason, you know. And you know what, I could find it could help me relax a bit if I talk it out with you guys" Nanna said.

"So, it was a long time ago when I lived in a village where a lot of beastmen families could live together with humans," Nanna said.

       "But my biological family was in very big debt, we tried many things and efforts to solve this. After 3 years, my parents were very tired of all of it and decided to sell me to a slave trader, I was only a 1-year-old girl sold to the merchant" Nanna explained while sighing.

Rufias seems to be concerned about Nanna and patted her shoulder and smiled. Nana shook her head and smile back. "It's okay. The merchant was surprisingly kind and took good care of me and he released me to an orphanage and everyone was kind to me and raised me well until this point" Nanna told.

"Everyone there was really like my family; they provided me food to fill my stomach, a roof to rest with easy, a place to call home"

       "So, I came here to learn to become a good merchant to repay the kind merchant that brought me to the orphanage and those that gave me the place to call home" Nana said and then her tears falls.

       Rufias hugged Nanna to calm her down, but she cried too soon after hearing the story. It's actually a common story to my ear, I had heard about similar stories in my past life.

I do feel pity for her though, not in a bad way. I can see her efforts to learn about her specialty in material research since I see how she is focused to forage when we're at the Marmel Forest.

       Suddenly, Gaius came and banged his meal to the table and he sits next to Nanna. "Well, we do have our own sad stories, huh? Well, I'm the same too, I came here for my own reason too. You see, I came from a poor family living in the corner of Riesevelt"

"I only have one brother, his wife, and my mother. My mother was sick, I was too young to get a job, so my brother do all that he can to feed us. He then became a raider, he worked really and he deflected much death in his work until one day" Gaius told.

      "That night, my brother was brought by his party, he was dying, they saved him, but not all of him, he lost 1 each of his arms and legs, they said they fought a Baal in the sewers"

"Since he was unable to fight with his hands now, he's in deep depression, wondering how he'll feed his family now since his wife just gave birth" Gaius said.

"Luckily, my brother's friend and our neighbor allowed him and his wife to work at their bakery and I was then determined to be an engineer to make synthetic limbs so he can fight again"

      "Hearing that, my brother and his wife worked really hard to fund my tuition, I don't want to disappoint them, I will not let their efforts go to waste" his expression stiffened and I can see his eyes wetting. "So you see, Riku. It's not so bad to share your story with your friends" He wiped his tears.

Tiofina then came to the cafeteria and was looking for a seat. Nanna waved at her and Tiofina came to sit at our table. She was wondering what we're talking about and Nanna explained.

       "Reason, huh. Well, I can guess that everyone here has one, and I do have my own reason too" Tiofina said.

       "I came here because of what I saw two years ago. I lived in Riesevelt with my family, I was having a good life, I have a loving father that is working as a Knight, and a mother that's a seamstress and 1 brother and sister"

It was all perfect until I saw my father sleeping lifeless, after a fight to defend the town from the siege of the bandits" Tiofina told me while holding her tears.

       Why does this dinner become so sad, I even lose my appetite hearing all their stories. Sigh, I guess we're all just sad kids with a sad childhood.

"So, I vowed to myself to find a cure for all wounds, illness, so I'll never have to see someone hurt, die in front of me, again.

      So I can help those around me who are in suffering, and to never let anyone hurt" She cried hard, which made all of the people in the cafeteria look at us. Faie is looking straight into my eyes, worried about how I will feel sharing my story with those around me.

"It seems everyone here has shared your stories, we're really having sad childhood, huh. Keep the cry down, though. We don't want all the people in the cafeteria to look at us. Sigh, since you all had shared your reasons, well, I will share mine" I said.

       So, I shared my story and the reason why I came to learn here at this school. All, about my mom, about Faie, all that happened in the past, the events in my hometown. 

After that, all of them went silent. "So that's what you meant you don't want to waste time in that class, we all had a rough childhood" Gaius commented

      "Then, since we have our own goals, why don't we help each other to reach their goal, since we're workshop party members, well minus Edgar, how does it sound to you all?" Rufias suggested.

Nanna and Edgar agreed instantly. I patted Gaius's shoulder, "Let me help you in making the synthetic limbs," I said. Gaius smiled, "Thanks, let me help you too, Riku".

We had shared our reasons and goals and agreed to help each other in achieving their goals.

       The sad talk turned to a hopeful one, we regained our appetite and continued having dinner when Edgar comes by and mocking our conversation.

       We ignored it though after we have done eating, I went to take a shower and I read some books.

Faie still looks worried, but I calmed her then after I was done reading, we went to sleep. Sharing and helping each other's goals, huh. It doesn't sound as bad as I thought.

> End of Chapter