A Short Meeting with Faruk and Dux

It's late evening, but it's still some time before midnight comes. Most people in Fred Village are still working, although some has returned to their homes and will continue to work the next day.

After cross checking her skills, Oria gets up from bed and goes to the window. From there, she sees lights from the lanterns in the village, banners above the streets, and flags flown over some houses.

"It's so pretty…"

Just by gazing at the small village, Oria feels at peace. The village may be small, but everyone living in there always look happy and is willing to work together.

"Yaaawn…"

The girl is sleepy. Her body urges her to take a leap of faith to the comfortable bed. But instead, Oria investigates the system screen, specifically the purchasable skills list.

"I wonder… is there any… skill that can repel sleepiness? I have 3 skill points. I think it's okay for me to spend one. Umm… but will Faruk be mad at me if I do so?"

Perplexed, added with her imagining how Faruk will yell at her again, Oria decides not to purchase any skills and leans by the window frame, watching the road towards the forest.

"Yaawn… I think I'm going to sleep now. I wonder when Faruk and Master Dux would return… eh? Huh?"

Suddenly, Oria notices a silhouette of a tall humanoid being in the clad of mage clothes in the distance coming from the forest. Accompanying him is a flying orb, which immediately sends Oria to a quick realization.

"Master Dux…? F-Faruk…?"

The girl wipes her eyes, making sure she's not mistaken. She was not. The tall human appears to have tentacle arms.

"I-It is them!"

Outside, Dux and Faruk approaches the boutique shop. Dux has transformed into his human form while Faruk remains in his Observer form. This is the first time the latter visiting the village.

"You sure you don't wanna wait out there, bud?"

"Hm. I wish to see her with my own eyes. That is all."

"Nyuhuhu. Fine, then. I'll leave it up to you to explain if Katze ever found you."

Back at the house, Oria sneaks out of her room. Going through the small dark hallway, she snuck past Katze and Mrs. Poly's room. She carefully goes down the wooden staircase, where every step makes a creaking sound. Luckily, she was able to reach down without alarming anyone in the house. When she reaches the door, she opens it, but fails due to it being locked.

"Aww…" Oria felt disappointed. She's eager to meet them both. She then thinks of another way. "That's right… I remember there's a backdoor!"

The entire house is dark, so it makes things difficult for the child to find her way out. But luckily, she made it to the backroom and the door wasn't locked with a key, but a mere wood plank.

"Yes! Now, just gotta take them out… carefully… quietly…"

She puts away the wooden plank and the door opens with ease. It makes Oria happy that she can finally go and meet them both. She then goes outside without closing the door.

Meanwhile, Faruk and Sqidral Dux sense a presence approaching to them in a running velocity.

"You feel it, man?"

"Hm. Didn't expect her to come to us instead…"

The little girl comes out from the backyard. She's easily noticeable because she's the only girl with silver hair in the village. Not to mention her hair shines a little as if they're moonlight.

"Faruk! Master Dux!" Oria shouts as she runs to them.

"O-Oria… why did you go out on your own?" Faruk asked in a frowning voice.

"Eep… ehehe… I saw you guys coming and uhh... I'm kinda missed you guys, so I snuck out."

"Please don't do that, will you? You're going to make the household have a fatal heart attack if they notice you're not there. Not to mention it's only a day since we left you and you missed us that much?"

"S-Sorry, Faruk. I don't know… it just feels different if you're not around. I wanna ask many questions, but since you're not around… it's kinda hard to find answers."

The Silver Dragon sighs, but he's extremely relieved that his protégé is doing well and healthy. Listening to her voice makes Faruk at peace once more.

"Nyerehehehe, it seems you've bonded yourself with him so well, eh, Oria? Almost like—"

"—Utter another word and you'll regret it, Dux."

"Y-Yes, sorry."

"Hm. Anyway, I'm glad to see you in good condition, Oria. I understand you have many questions, but can you wait a little longer?"

"Eh?"

"I returned here only for a brief period. I will go again after this."

"What? No way!"

"The situation calls it, Oria. But fear not, I believe you will be fine as long as you are with the people of Fred Village."

"Aww… where are you going, by the way…?" Oria pouted as she asked him.

In a low sighing voice, Faruk replies, "Don't give me that look, will you? It's not like I will never come back. If you're going to be more patient, I will give you a present."

"Eh? Really?"

"Hm. That's what I said."

"Aww… w-well, okay, then. Just, don't go away for too long, please?"

"Good grief, you little… It depends on the situation. But I will do my best to come back as soon as possible. Are we understood?"

"Hm. Understood, Faruk!" Oria nodded while giving her biggest smile.

"Good. That being said, I want to know, is there anything strange happening as of lately around the village?"

"Umm… no? I don't see any problem, though."

"I see… (Maybe that powerful presence did not come here. To the Raskiel shrine, perhaps? Maybe I should go there and check it out. I should go to some other places, too…)"

"Heehee," Oria giggled lightly all of sudden.

"What?"

"Oh, nah, it's nothing. It's just feels funny how you suddenly think deeply. B-But just so you know, it's scary if you do that in dungeon!"

"Heheh. It's an old habit of mine. Well, then, before I go… Dux, give it to her, will you—hey, what's with that smug look of yours?"

"Nyuhu~~ oh, don't mind me, mate. Just being a spectator to a LOVELY family meeting."

"Hm?" Oria didn't really understand.

"Whatever. Give her those things, Dux."

"Nyehey, comin' right up, Faruk," Dux saluted and then summons his wizard rod from the sky. "Oria, Imma give you these back."

The debaucherous wizard casts a portal in midair, summoning some items that Oria had gathered during her training in the dungeon.

"These are magistones that I got!"

"Indeed," Faruk nodded. "I heard from Dux that Fred Village has an excellent blacksmith. I guess the meister might be willing to forge a new knife for you if you give him these."

"R-Really? I can get a new knife?"

"Yeah," Dux nodded. "Go to the blacksmith and ask a man named Marcus Aldhelm. He's the owner of the blacksmith."

"Marcus… Aldhelm…"

"Uh-huh. That's right. He's uhh… a bit temperamental, to say the least. But he's a kindhearted man. If you ever have a hard time looking for him, just go to the backyard. He's training children that wants to venture outside the village."

"Okay… (Wait… last time, the class that Miss Rosine held… it was behind the blacksmith, wasn't it?)"

"Hm. Now that's done, please return to Miss Katze, Oria. You'll make her worry."

"Ah, r-right!"

"Ngaah, no worries, Faruk. I'll accompany her. Err, you just go ahead."

Oria looks up to Dux's human face. He's blinking in successions. When she looks at Faruk, he too does the same.

"(What are they doing…?)" Oria wondered.

After an awkward blinking session, Faruk suddenly nods.

"…Very well, then. I will go. Don't take it too long, will you?"

"Nyuhuhu! You always seem to be troubled when I'm late."

"Of course, I am. Yet you… huff, but never mind. Just finish your task."

Faruk leaves the smiling wizard who waves at him as he flies away.

"Now, then, Oria, let's go."

"U-Uh…"

It's only an hour before the midnight strikes. Oria returns to the house accompanied by Dux. She opens the backdoor and bids the wizard goodbye.

"S-See you later…"

*clank*

The wooden door is shut tightly, with the wooden plank reinstated once more. As Oria carefully steps upstairs, she somehow feels something is amiss about the backdoor.

"That door… Did I close it when I got out? Or didn't I? O-Oh, well, at least nobody noticed me. Gotta hurry and go to sleep!"

Meanwhile, outside, Dux stares at the boutique shop for a long time. The breeze flutters his mage dress and hat, yet he's unperturbed by it. Soon, he chuckles a bit and calls out to someone.

"Nyehheh. How long are you going to hang in there…" he turns around to the grass field in the forest. "…Granny Poly?"

From the forest, the old woman appears. With her, she brings a cane that has a yellow orb on it.

"Keh-heh. It seems I could not avoid your detection skill, eh?"

"Nyereheheheh. It was not me who noticed you first, though."

"…It was that flying ball creature?"

Dux nods, "Yes. What's wrong with ya, anyway? It's unusual for you to be this curious."

"Keh! I do what I want to do. I have a right to know who's Oria's master, you know."

"Nyuhuhu, that's not false."

"So? That flying ball creature is… her master?"

"Why, yes. He's quite the person. An old friend of mine, too."

"I see… so, that's her father…"

"—GEH! S-Saying directly to the point, are we, Gyalliepollieeah!?"

"Don't pronounce my name weirdly, you freaky weirdo!"

"Ha! Look at yourself, lady! Eavesdropping on us, ain't that a weirdo in its full nature?"

The atmosphere turns heavy with a sudden silence falling between them. For a minute, nobody traded words. Soon, Granny Poly speaks in a frowning expression.

"Tsk! It's hard to counter your words sometimes."

"Nyuhuhu, why, of course! After all, you learned to retort like that from me. Aaand it goes down to that excruciatingly annoying girl, Katze."

"Keh-heh-heh. Guess it runs in the family, eh?"

"Nyeheh. Anyway, I gotta go. He's gonna be all volcanoes if I don't hurry. Well, then, see ya later, Granny Poly."

"Y-Yeah, I know. Sorry for dragging you like this."

As Dux excuses himself, he walks to the forest, leaving the old woman by herself. But just a few steps away from Mrs. Poly, she suddenly says in a rather loud voice.

"…I've known about her past, Dux."

Instantly, Dux stops his move. The old lady continues, "I know you're not happy about this. But Oria suffers from a deep trauma just by interacting with people. I had her go to Priestess Rosine and had her examine her. That's where I found out."

In a deep voice, Dux replies shortly. "…I see. Did Rosine know about her current master?"

Granny Poly shakes her head, "I'm afraid not. She knows there's a hollow in her memories. All she found was memories of her terrible past when she was a slave."

"Nyeh. It seems he was right when he said he wanted to use 'that'…" Dux muttered to himself.

"What did you say?"

"Oh, it's nothing. …In any case, Priestess Rosine is an excellent healer, both physically and mentally. Though, she's temporary in here. But after seeing Oria and her past, I dare say she's willing to stay here, am I right?"

"Keh-heh-heh… indeed. She did say she's staying for the winter."

"That's good to know. Please take care of Oria for me, okay?"

"Heh! You don't have to ask."

"Nyuhuhu…"

Sqidral Dux walks away while waving his tentacle arm in the air, bidding her goodbye. Granny keeps her eyes on him, but then, Dux suddenly disappears as the cold evening wind blows. It is as if he merges with the forest's darkness.

"…From his reaction, it appears he doesn't want any of us to know about who's Oria's master. I didn't listen to their conversation. I was only observing. Oh, well, then.

For the time being… I will keep my nose off.

And Oria…

…Geez, she's not lying when she said she found magistones. I feel bad for laughing at her. Huh, it also meant that she had been through a dungeon before. An actual dungeon."