Moon III

The girl came back with a medicine box. "Alright, here we go. Do turn around please." Briefly she noted that his facial expression was trying to withstand the aches even though his eyelids completely shut. It worried her.

Ruvian has nothing against it. He kept silent as he was trying to pull himself from the verge of passing out.

Small concentration of Vis formed on Adelle's finger then it turned into a small spark of fire that was enough to burn-cut and unwind the previous bandage.

"Anyhow, my name is Adelle Varfleffof. What's yours?"

Ruvian didn't answer. Just his heavy breathing that she heard clearly.

"Alright, hold on a little bit."

Adelle remembered a piece of paper that Elder gave her before he left. 'Gramps instructions were right. The Behemoth's blood remedy made him a lot weaker. Well, I hope I didn't smack him too hard .... '

"Feeling any better?"

Adelle just finished strapping the last part of the new bandages.

"... I think." Ruvian did feel a little relaxed thanks to the pain balm that Adelle applied to his back beforehand. "I can't thank you enough. I had no idea how to repay all of this." He turned around to face where her voice was coming from.

"No need to fret it now. I'm sure you can, at one time. So what's your name?"

"My ... name? Ah, yes, sorry. I was spacing out. Yours is Adelle Varfleffof, right?"

'She does have the notch of a nice person. But I'm not really sure about revealing my identity right now as someone who just came from Nethereal. I hope nobody knows me for now'

Revealing one's surname was cultured to show respect and least hostility.

'But it makes me feel bad not returning the favor'

She hummed in approval. "Don't tell me that you've got amnesia." Small grin formed on her face.

"N-no, it's errr .... Ervian .... Ervian Errigan."

'I'm sure i'm picking that up from the errr, and that's not even my surname'

"Well, happy to meet you, Ervian." Unfortunately he couldn't witness her welcoming smile.

"The same to you."

"I've been meaning to ask this. Hope you won't find it insensitive."

"It usually depends. But, let me know, anyway."

Adelle reposed her kneeling to gain more comfort.

"So what miraculous deed that you did to make your way out from a Behemoth in Nethreal?" She stared at his closed eyelids. "I mean, you are blind, aren't you?"

'So she did know about Behemoth and Nethereal. I'd better be more careful about what I'm going to say.'

"Yeah, I'm. I guess I have to thank my Aspect of Sensus. You know? Far seeing even when my eyes closed."

"Eh? So why didn't you use it?"

"That's the part. I couldn't channel my Vis. It felt like it was just gone."

"Hmm, okay, Guess it must've something to do with the remedy. Let me double check Gramp's instructions." She reached out a piece of paper inside a wooden cabinet while Ervian just waited for her answer.

"Now it does add up. Gramps left an extra note on the back. The remedy will disrupt your Vis flow in your body for a few days. Surely I missed that part."

He sighed. It put him in ease to know the cause. 'Who is this Gramps exactly ….'

Adelle then giggled. "Gramps had that Aspect too. I'd say it's a potent ability. I wonder if it can be used to peek when someone is bathing."

"W-what ...?"

"Hahha, kidding."

".... Well, technically, it can. But what you will see is just a bunch of blue strings that formed the shape of the object."

"Ooh. I never knew that. Would higher Vis Level make the Sensus Vision not just a bunch of blue strings?"

"No. But it will make the image projected become much more detailed and cleaner."

'That's kind of like an academic question. What's her background actually?'

"I see. Still a top class ability though. I hope I awaken one." She then stood. "I'll get a snack to accompany us. Be right back."

Ruvian–the so-called Ervian now–wouldn't interrupt her intent. It's been a long time since he had a proper sustenance.

Recalling what's his diet in Nethereal. It was always meat from lizard-like monsters that he encountered, most of the time.

Worst of all, water was scarce. He had to navigate deeper down a cave to find a water deposit. Oftenly, Ervian would go back to the last deposit when he couldn't find a new spot.

'I couldn't imagine if I was without my Sensus .... That could be the end of me.'

A sudden whistling of steaming pot breaks his thought. Not long after, Adelle's voice came in.

"Here, raise your hand. It's steamed corn kernels." She handed him a bowl.

Ervian slowly reached the spoon in it. "Thank you."

Couldn't wait to taste it, he didn't let the spoon idle for a moment. Ervian may be not uttering a word, but his thoughts are full of praises and gratitudes as its sweetness reaches every inch of his tongue.

Adelle kept silent watching the cinnamon roll eat. No one can stop her from staring at his cute face.

Moments later Ervian finally caught back in reality, realizing that Adelle hasn't said anything. "Um, sorry. I get ahead of myself," he admitted embarrassingly then lowered his eating pace.

She lets out a small laugh. "Don't mind it. I knew that Nethereal is a horrible place."

"Adelle, may I ask something?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Who is this your Gramps that you kept mentioning? He doesn't sound like an ordinary grandpa out there."

"Right, he's currently away for some days. His name Lefazio, does that ring a bell?"

"Uhh, i don't."

"Well, he's a famous researcher. And, to be honest, Gramps and I aren't blood related. More like a foster father, or maybe master too, kinda somewhere in between. He teaches me a lot of things. Hope you won't get a wrong idea."

"I see." Ervian took the last spoon of corn and chewed it slowly.

'That blood relation part almost got me a wrong idea ….'

"What about you? I could tell that from your armor that I laid in the room, you're a soldier. With a bull head carved emblem, that's Lamantia kingdom crest," Adelle continued. "There's a whole cut on the back of the armor. It does look like a fatal blow. But, your back is fleshly undented. I guess I beg for its story."

"It was … armor of my friend. He was the one taking that blow. So I decided to swap our leather armor when my team headed for medic. Glad that he made it alive."

'Made up stories. How crafty I am. That is indeed my armor.'

But Adelle was fascinated. She just carves new adventures. She could get some, thanks to Lefazio's collection. However, a true experience was truly something anew.

"But being in Nethereal at times like this is … just not right, you know?"

Ervian gulped silently. Wrong words could end up with a red flag raised.

"The other end of the portal, that took me from Nethereal, is it around here?"

"Safe to say it is."

"And … what are you referring to with 'at times like this'?"

Adelle sighed. "You sure like to answer my questions with questions. Alright, i'll tell you if you answer me first." She couldn't help her giggling smile even though Ervian was not able to see it.

"It's … like what you've said. I'm a soldier from Lamantia. Delegated to partake in Alliance Army. The last battle that i fought was … umm … well, took place in Nethereal. I lost sense of time."

"The Battle of the Last Crystal," she added.

"Umn, yeah, It had something to do with the Crystal. How do you know it?"

"It's written in the history book. Couldn't miss one of the greatest events in humanity."

Ervian froze for a moment. He was forgetting an important point after all his return. Then, an urgent question came to his mind. "Adelle, how long has that battle ended?"

She thought for a moment, to make it more interesting. But actually, it's just her coping with something.

"Let's … play a guessing game," she giggled a bit.

"Ugh, you do like to tease me, don't you?"