Chapter 3: Moving On

Chapter 3: Moving On

Was this a fragment of a long-lost memory?

A familiar man presented an unconscious young boy in his arms to the green-haired Dark Lord.

“I believe this child is Lenard Gaines’s descendant…”

Dark Lord’s crimson eyes widened slightly at that revelation. “I see. Then I will save him by sharing a fragment of my magic. Will that do?”

The younger man gently patted the young boy’s head and nodded. The Dark Lord slowly approached.

Covered in horrible injuries, the boy gasped for air, his life petering out with each ragged breath. He didn’t have long left.

“Please help him. He will surely aid our cause in the future,” the man said with conviction.

“So he will,” the Dark Lord said with a sedate nod before touching the boy’s right shoulder with his magic-imbued hand.

***

LEO woke up gasping for air and shot up in bed. He was shocked by the sweat drenching his body and causing him to stick to the sheets. The comforter slid off the bed onto the floor. He slowly stretched over the side of the bed, picked up the comforter, and looked around.

What he saw was the familiar scenery of the idyllic Port City inn where they were staying before taking on the Ancient Ruins Quest. It was such a peaceful, normal morning, it felt jarring after everything that had transpired.

Realizing that the danger had passed, Leo relaxed and exhaled deeply.

He squeezed his bangs and bent over, trying to remember his dream.

What was that just now?

He figured it was a dream, but there was something about it that left his heart thudding in his chest, warning him it was more than what it seemed. The contents were beyond bizarre, but was it really just a meaningless scene his mind made up?

I’ve never met the Dark Lord… Am I just that tired?

In fact, he was so tired that his whole body felt heavier than lead, and even getting out of bed was a pain. His mind was in a dizzying fog, and although he was awake, he felt half-asleep.

This must be the price of using a Holy Relic. I’ve still got a lot to learn. Leo shrugged, even that motion making his back muscles ache.

Leo could only speculate on the situation because his memories ceased after he activated the ancient magic. As pathetic as it was, he figured he probably fainted after that. A minor price to pay for using a relic to bring Elias back.

When he looked down, his black robe was missing, leaving him in just the sleeveless tunic he wore underneath it. Whoever put him in bed must’ve removed his robe to help him sleep more comfortably.

Leo decided to get his fatigued body moving and slipped his feet into the lace-up boots placed neatly beside the bed.

Checking on everyone comes first.

After everything he and the rest of the party went through to save them, Leo was especially keen on making sure Aki and Elias had made it back in one piece.

Once he started thinking about them, his heart raced and he practically ran out of the room with just the clothes on his back. As soon as he entered the hallway he heard the woman he loved crying in anguish.

He jerked his neck toward the sobs to find Aki sitting on the ground, burying her face in her knees in front of a room at the end of the hall.

Aki…? Did someone die?

With his heart in his throat, Leo forgot all about his exhaustion and rushed to her side, nearly tripping over his feet on the way.

“Aki! What’s wrong?! Is someone hurt?!”

“Leo…?” She glanced up, her tear-swollen eyes rounding on him. She placed her palms on the floor and tried to push herself up to meet him. “Leo! Should you be moving yet?!”

Leo crouched beside her before she could stand. He quickly shook his head. “I’m fine! Why are you crying out here? Is this his room?” He sensed Elias’s presence in the room. “I’ll go talk to him—”

“Don’t!” Aki grabbed hold of Leo’s shirt when he reached for the door, and she pulled him back down with a burst of herculean strength.

Surprised by the sudden tug, Leo fell back on his behind. “Aki! What did you do that for?! You could’ve gotten us both hurt!” He angrily glanced at her and his eyes bulged when he saw her expression.

Trembling, she gripped his shirt with both hands and pressed her forehead against his chest, clinging to him.

“I’m sorry, Leo…! Please don’t bother Elias right now…” she pleaded, then began repeating “I’m sorry” until her voice was hoarse.

Leo frowned down at her back as she kept her face buried in his shirt. Something happen between them? He placed his hands on her quivering shoulders and lifted her face so he could see her better.

“Oi, Aki, what’s wrong? Did something happen between you and…” Leo stopped just short of finishing his question.

Aki’s jawline had tightened, her face crumpling. Seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks onto her lap was the only answer he needed to know he was right.

I don’t get what’s going on, but she doesn’t want me to see Elias right now. Hmm… Leo scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out what happened without asking. My guess is that Aki went to see Elias first and then something bad enough happened for her to burst out of his room and breakdown crying.

He didn’t have the full picture but figured since she was just sitting there crying rather than running around in a panic trying to find help, Elias didn’t need immediate medical attention. In which case, Leo didn’t need to disregard her desperate plea to stop him from checking in on Elias.

Drawing that conclusion, he decided to prioritize the hurting woman in front of him. He patted her head.

“I’m confused, but I at least know what you don’t want me to do.”

His word choice was on the vague side, but it seemed enough to reassure Aki that he wasn’t going to barge in on Elias. She looked up at him with red eyes and muttered “Thank you.”

Leo quietly sighed and gingerly grabbed her wrist. He hesitated for a moment as he felt how slender and delicate her wrist was before he pulled her to her feet.

He led Aki away from the room before she could object.

“Come over here for a bit, Aki. I want a proper explanation for what’s wrong,” he said over his shoulder.

Ignoring the perplexed look on her face, he marched on at a brisk pace toward his room. He thought she would have an easier time explaining what happened in the privacy of an empty room.

Aki gave a small nod and tottered behind him without a word.

I don’t know what happened between you two, but don’t go makin’ Aki cry, Elias.

***

“WHY don’t you sit there first?” Leo invited Aki into his room and directed her to the table and chairs in the middle.

Aki bumbled inside and perched lightly on the edge of the closest chair. Leo decided it was better not to sit directly across from her and chose to flop back on the side of his bed. He thought she would have an easier time talking about what happened with Elias if they were sitting farther apart.

Leo reclined back on his elbows, crossed his feet on the back of the nearest chair, and casually brought up the topic while he stared at the ceiling. “…So? What happened? Did Elias say something mean to you?”

It wasn’t hard to guess that Elias, in his depression, would have lashed out at Aki because she came to see him first. Elias clearly loved her. So Leo could see how he might’ve hurt her in a moment of venting since she was someone he didn’t have to filter himself around.

She looked at Leo with wavering eyes before her expression darkened and she lowered her head. He waited patiently for her to talk on her terms, but several silent minutes passed with her motionlessly staring at her balled fists on her lap.

Leo scratched the back of his head as he looked at her dejected side profile out of the corner of his eye. She probably won’t talk until she can gather her thoughts.

He let out a long sigh, smacked his knees, and swung his feet back onto the ground. “You can tell me when you’re ready… Why don’t we have something to drink first? I’ll go ask for drinks downstairs.”

The entire second floor was reserved for guest rooms, while the first floor served as the lobby and simple dining area.

He hoped chatting over a sweet drink would lift her spirits.

“You don’t have to go through the trouble for me,” she mumbled.

“I’m doin’ it for me. I wanna drink something sweet to restore my magic,” Leo said, making an excuse he knew she would accept, and then he left the room alone.

He quietly closed the door behind him and glanced at Elias’s room. Absolute silence suggested there was no one inside.

You heard her crying, didn’t you? Leo thought with a sigh as he stared at Elias’s sealed door. There was no way he hadn’t heard her wailing just outside his room.

Did he stay cooped up in bed pretending not to hear her despite knowing he was the cause of her tears? Had he bit his lip and clenched his fists to resist the urge to go out and console her? Was he just trying to wait out her tears thinking that would make it all go away?

Whatever the reason Elias had for his actions, Leo couldn’t forgive any man—even his best friend—for making the woman he loved cry. Actually, it was even worse because his best friend was responsible for hurting her.

What do you think I backed down for? I was trying to give up on Aki because I wanted you both to be happy together. But if this is how it’s gonna be, then I ain’t letting you have her, Elias, Leo announced in his heart as he headed downstairs, imagining his friend with his head buried in a pillow.

***

LEO descended into the dining room on the first floor where he was greeted by his party members who were in such high spirits it drove away his dampened mood. They were chatting around a circular dining table and all broke out in smiles when they noticed him coming down the stairs.

The lone woman among them sprung from her chair and welcomed him with an energetic wave. “Hey, Leo! I’m glad you’re up! How are you feeling? Doing all right?”

Leo waved back and flashed a roguish grin. “Hey there. Yeah, I’ve still got all my parts thanks to you guys.” He didn’t need anyone to tell him the rest of his party members were responsible for saving him after he lost consciousness. He figured as much. “Thanks again.”

“Anytime,” she responded, pounding her fist against her chest and settling back into her seat.

The dining room was taken over by Mina, Louis, Sutcliff of the Shadow Tribe, and Johann, who sat up ramrod straight as he always fussed about appearances. He had shed the heavy, pure-white vestment he always wore for a casual turtle-neck shirt and pants. There weren’t many opportunities to see Johann dressed in comfortable clothing, so Leo felt like he just got a rare peek into his friend’s personal life.

Leo stood directly behind Johann and looked down at him from above. “Yo, Johann. Good to see you’re still alive after yesterday.”

“And it’s good to see you are still able to bounce back like it’s nothing… Then again, even I am surprised we made it through this one alive,” Johann responded with a shrug. Then a smile softened his face. “It is thanks to everyone here that we were able to come back safe and sound. You have my heartfelt gratitude.”

Scared senseless by the suddenly sweet face he was making, Mina rushed behind him and flicked him in the back of the head. “Oh my Goddess! Johann is being sweet and modest for once!”

“Hey! That hurt!” Johann huffed, his face nearly smacking into the table with how hard she flicked him. “You’re such a jerk,” he added with a small laugh.

Louis reached out from where he sat opposite of Johann and grabbed Mina by the belt, pulling her toward him. “Behave, Mina. Why are you always so wild?”

“Who are you calling wild, mister? You act too old for your age!”

“I would prefer it if you said I’m calm and thoughtful.”

“I can’t believe you can praise yourself like that.”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough you two! Take your lover’s spat outside. You’re stuffing up the place.” Sutcliff stood up and spread out his arms between Louis and Mina to stop their endless banter.

Wow. It looks like these guys have really hit it off while I was out. Did they have a heart-to-heart while I was clonked out or something? Wish I could show Elias. I wanna prove to him what good friends he has.

Sutcliff slipped from the group and came to stand in front of Leo. Disregarding the look of confusion on Leo’s face, he bowed as deep as he could go. “Master Leo, I am deeply sorry for endangering your friends through my careless actions…!” He remained motionless with his neck exposed as if he were ready for Leo to punch him.

The others quietly watched from the table, considerately giving the two their moment to talk things out.

Leo pressed a hand to the back of his neck in thought before laying his hands on Sutcliff’s shoulders. Sutcliff lifted his head in surprise and saw Leo’s impish grin.

“Your actions might’ve triggered the chaos, but I’m not gonna hold it over your head. I know how hard you tried to help us after the fact.”

Considering everyone else in the room treated Sutcliff like a friend, it seemed they had also forgiven and welcomed him into the group. Leo didn’t feel like blaming him now, especially when he could tell Sutcliff sincerely regretted it.

“So let’s stop bringing it up, okay? If that’s not good enough for ya, I’ll slug you once for Elias,” Leo said jokingly, but Sutcliff’s eyes glistened and he presented Leo with his right cheek.

“P-Please do! Punch me more than once!”

“Gimme a break. Not another overly serious type,” Leo sighed. “Okay, how about you help out Elias and Aki instead of letting me beat ya up?” he suggested as if they were bargaining over Sutcliff’s repentance. Sutcliff blinked several times in response.

Embarrassed by the absurdity of his suggestion, Leo continued as he scratched his cheek, “I know it’s unheard of for the Shadow Tribe to help the Hero. But to be honest, having even one of you on our side will make our lives that much easier. We still don’t know if Elias and the Dark Lord are going to go to all-out war or not.”

The Shadow Tribe possessed excellent physical and magical capabilities that made them a serious threat to the Hero Party. The battle ahead would shift drastically in their favor if they could win any of them over.

“We’re countin’ on you,” Leo said with a friendly smile, patting Sutcliff on the arm.

“Th-Thank you!” Sutcliff exclaimed, overcome with emotion. “Please tell me what I can do for Hero Elias, Boss Lady Aki, you, or the others!” He sucked in a deep breath and dropped into another dramatic bow. “Thank you very much for forgiving me!”

Sutcliff’s next level of trying to atone had the opposite effect of making Leo uncomfortable and uncertain of how to interact with him. Leo made eye contact with the rest of the group who watched on as Sutcliff kept his head lowered.

It was true Sutcliff was the cause of a great many problems, but he seemed likely to become an even greater ally. This alliance was likely going to play a key role in the future.

Leo patted Sutcliff on the shoulder for the second time and then walked back to the dining table. “So? What were you all doing down here? Just chatting?” he asked.

Johann shook his head and looked at what was laid out on the table, urging Leo to do the same.

Leo put a hand on his hip and leaned over Johann to get a better look at the thick book opened on the table. The aged pages had yellowed and torn in places. Could this be…? He gasped.

Johann nodded, answering his unspoken question. “It’s just what you think. This is a copy of the Book of Creation. We were just about to read it together. Still, I can’t believe there was a copy out there. Sanctuary was wrong to think they had the only copy in existence.”

A copy? Then this is what Aki was talking about. Leo recalled his conversation with her in the cavern. Supposedly Sutcliff set up that quest to deliver this book to Elias per the Dark Lord’s orders.

Sutcliff stood beside Leo. “Obviously. This is a precious treasure that the Shadow Tribe has hidden from Sanctuary for ages. By the way, the original was written by Ivan Clarence, and this copy was written by Lenard Gaines.”

Louis turned to the last page and pointed out Lenard’s scrawled signature. The ugly letters reminded Leo of his bad handwriting.

This was written by my ancestor, huh?

Lenard Gaines was one of the revolutionaries who played an active role during the Creation Era, a user of the Holy Relics, and a close friend of Ivan Clarence.

What feats did he accomplish during the Creation Era?

Why was he less known to the world than Ivan Clarence?

And what in the world could Leo do as his descendant?

Presented with the Book of Creation he had wanted so bad he could taste it, Leo reached out, everyone’s eyes on him, and then dropped his hand with a shake of his head. Clearly, no one expected him to do that.

Johann raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s wrong? Haven’t you been foaming at the mouth to read this?”

“Ah, well…” Leo mumbled, scratching the back of his head. “…You see, now’s not the time for it.”

“Something happen?” Louis asked, worry edging into his voice.

Leo looked down. “Yeah. To tell ya the truth, Aki’s waiting for me in my room.”

“WHAT?!” Mina shrieked, clearly misunderstanding him.

Leo waved his hand in front of his face and clarified, “Don’t get the wrong idea! She’s not there for romantic reasons… There’s nothing weird between us. Something happened between her and Elias. She was bawling in front of his room when I entered the hallway.”

“Why?!” the others asked as one, worrying even more than before.

Leo placed his hand on his chin. “Can’t say. I haven’t heard the details myself. My guess is Elias lashed out at her… So I brought her to my room to ask about it.”

The others shared a look before Mina spoke for the group. “I see… At least that means Elias woke up. That’s good, but…it definitely sounds like he did something to upset Aki.”

“…Who can blame him after all he went through?” Louis prompted in a quiet voice. “Elias is strong, but even he has to be reeling in shock and doubt. I don’t think he will be able to brush it under the rug and act the way he did before like nothing ever happened.”

Everyone sighed and looked away from each other.

Surprisingly, it was Johann who broke the heavy silence hanging over the room. “Good grief. Elias is such a handful,” he said in a cheerful voice that belied his somber words. “Knowing him, he’s wallowing in self-pity, blaming himself for everything that happened. He has always been that way.”

Nostalgia reflected in Johann’s eyes as he thought back on his childhood with Elias. “Elias’s remorse is stronger than anyone else because he tries to be perfect,” he continued, speaking from experience. “He believes being the perfect Hero is the only reason for his existence…”

Everyone’s shoulders slumped as if they had each experienced that side of Elias for themselves.

“…But his heart is still human—it’s nigh impossible for him to remain perfect every hour of the day,” Johann sighed. “So I hope this incident will help our stubborn hero realize that’s why the Hero has a party—has us.” He gave a small smile. Those lips that were so unused to turning up managed to brighten the mood.

As strong as the Hero was, there were some problems that his strength alone wouldn’t be able to solve.

In those situations, he just had to rely on his fellow party members instead of going at it alone. If his abilities couldn’t break the deadlock, then he just had to have a friend who could do it. Elias needed to learn his limitations and when to ask for help.

In a sense, Elias was an extremely prideful hero. He was obsessed with being the perfect, remarkable Hero everyone in the world looked up to. Failing in any way made him question his mere existence.

“It’s because of his perfectionism that Elias refuses to let anyone see him look weak,” Johann said. “But this time he actually vented his anger on someone—namely Aki. I think that is a good sign. She is the Hero’s Right-hand and his secretary, so it’s a part of her job to look after him when he’s having a mental breakdown. Maintaining the Hero’s mental health comes with the job.”

Johann’s word choice was so funny Leo burst out laughing. “Comes with the job, huh? That’s one way to look at it! Seriously though, Elias and Aki are both such a handful. Take your eyes off them for a minute and they get into trouble. I’ve gotta be there to keep them straight.”

“Exactly. They think they can do everything alone,” Johann agreed.

“Like you’re one to talk!” Leo retorted, causing the smile to freeze on Johann’s face. Everyone laughed.

Johann was trying to solve all his problems without consulting anyone either. Perhaps everyone has a side that’s desperate to do whatever it takes to accomplish something alone, rather than ask for help.

Johann cleared his throat and changed the awkward topic. “Anyway, we will discuss what to do with the Book of Creation and where to go from here, so can you take care of Elias and Aki for us, Leo? I believe you can handle their issue best,” he said to Leo, then handed Louis the Book of Creation.

“Leave deciphering the text to me,” Louis said.

Louis must have been the most proficient with ancient script for Johann to give him the book. Having such a knowledgeable person on hand was a huge gain for their party.

Leo headed over to the dining room counter and ordered tea with honey from the innkeeper in the back.

Sweet drinks typically went over well with women. He hoped Aki would like it too. As he was thinking of Aki, Leo suddenly realized that Nako was nowhere to be seen. She was supposed to be waiting back at the inn with Johann when Leo went off to find Elias and Aki.

Leo returned to the table with two drinks on a tray. “Hey, Johann, where did Nako go? Out for more snacks?”

She was an assertive woman like Aki; maybe she went into town to buy things for her exhausted older sister.

Johann shared a look with Sutcliff and loosely shook his head. “…No, she…had to return to the Dark Lord’s Castle with him to attend to some other business. I was there when she left, so I can vouch for her safety…”

Leo eyed him suspiciously.

“I’m heading back to the castle first, so I’ll check in on Lady Nako,” Sutcliff chimed in before Leo could question Johann further. “You’re better off hearing about her situation from the Dark Lord.”

From the Dark Lord? Then it had to be a topic they couldn’t discuss here. With that in mind, Leo decided not to push it.

“That works. I’m good as long as she’s okay. I’ll let Aki know. All right, I’m off to cheer up our girl.”

Then I’ll have to have a good talk with Elias and help him snap out of his funk. These two always keep me on my toes, he thought with a wry smile.

The legendary brave who carried the fate of the world on his shoulders and was worshipped as the Hero was actually just a young man who worried like the rest of mankind. He needed a good scolding when he was in the wrong too.

And we’re the only ones who can do that as his friends.

Leo started up the stairs when Mina called after him. “Take care of them, Leo!”

Without looking back, he raised the hand that wasn’t carrying the tray. “You’ve got it. I’ll do something about this. Give me advice later if I need it,” he said, ascending the stairs under the watchful eyes of his friends.

They sent him off with the hope he’d succeed in the battle ahead.