《The Last Legacy》


 Prologue

    Things couldn''t be any worse that night. The night sky that was clear a couple of hours ago had disappeared, hidden behind countless dark clouds that each released an endless stream of rain. It had been raining for at least an hour, and yet, there was no sign of it slowing down, let alone stop.


    Fleur could only tighten her grip on the horse''s reins as strong gusts of wind hit her. The wind kept pushing off the hood on her brown cloak, revealing her long silky blonde hair to the extreme weather. Her frustration peaked when she pulled her hood back up for the tenth time, only for another gust of wind to push it off again immediately after. She wanted to scream at the top of her lung, or punch something. But in the end she could only let out a sigh in resignation, glad that at least she wasn''t carrying anything important for the wind to blow away. She only had a rope that she used to help pull the wagon if it got stuck in mud.


    Silently and repeatedly, Fleur threw out curses at fate, as it constantly impede her in everything that she did all her life. Her mother mysteriously fell ill the day she was supposed to leave for the academy. The usual spots where she and her mother gathered herbs were overrun by monsters. And it just had to rain so heavily when she wasn''t around to care for her mother. Out of all people in the world, fate just had to target her.


    Suddenly, the sound of her horse shrieking drew her attention back to reality. ¡°Is something wrong, Jak?¡± she shouted at her horse companion, who had been bravely pulling the wagon. When her horse shrieked a second time, she squinted her eyes to try and see what''s in front of them. Something must have riled Jak up.


    Despite the intense rain limiting her vision, she could still make out, though barely, the shape of someone sitting motionlessly under one of the trees at the side of the road. The bulkiness of the person led her to believe that they were wearing a full-body armor, which would make them a knight, which was odd. Knights rarely visit the area because there was nothing noteworthy around. Fleur couldn''t help but wonder why this one ended up here. At first, she wanted to ignore them, her mind was more focused on hurrying back to her mother. She can vividly imagine her mother struggling to light the fireplace because of the cold. And the knight was probably already dead, she could just report the body to the elder the next day.


    But then she saw the knight shakily raised his hand toward her, and her plan shattered. The knight was still alive, and in need of dire help.


    She wanted to keep moving because she thought the knight was already dead, but then the knight turned out to be alive. With such bad weather, they wouldn''t make it if she didn''t help them. Even so, what of her mother? What if she was unable to light up the fireplace and the cold made her mother''s condition worse? But what if her mother was just fine, and she had to live her life knowing that left someone at the side of the road when she could have helped?


    Fleur''s brief inner battle finally stopped when she saw the knight fall to their side. She couldn''t help but grit her teeth at the sight, as it reminded her of when her mother first showed symptoms of her illness. Had she immediately taken action that day instead of just accepting her mother''s reassurance, would her mother be cured? Was her suffering all that time avoidable? It was this thought alone that finally pushed Fleur to make a decision.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    She pulled Jak''s leash and stopped the carriage. ¡°Please hang on!¡± she shouted, though unsure of whether the knight was still conscious. She jumped down from her wagon and immediately rushed toward them. The sound of the storm drowned out all other noises, but she could still make out the sound of the knight''s armor shaking and their shallow breath when she put her ear against their armor''s chest plate.


    The young girl tried to lift the knight with all her might but struggled to even lift one of their hands. Dragging her onto the wagon by herself was out of the question. Her mind rummaged for an idea on how to lift the knight. She desperately looked around for something she could use or perhaps someone passing by that would help her. The road they were on was one of the main roads into and out of the village, so a lot of people should be going back and forth, but the rain must have forced them to take shelter. Fleur would have done the same if she wasn''t anxious about her mother''s condition.


    Finally, she remembered about the rope on her wagon, and an idea popped up inside her head. ¡°Wait here!¡± she shouted before leaving the knight and returned a moment later with rope in hand.


    After securing the rope around the knight''s chest, she threw the rope over the tree''s thickest looking branch. Fleur then jumped and used the weight of her whole body to pull the rope down. Fortunately, her weight was just enough to lift the knight. Without waiting for orders, Jak pulled the wagon and positioned it below the knight. She tried her best to gently lower the knight, but the rope''s rough surface scratched her hands and forced her to let it go. The rope reeled, and the knight fell with a loud thud. Fleur started panicking and rushed to check their condition. When she heard the sound of them breathing, albeit more shallow than before, relief washed over her entire body. That relief quickly vanished when she realized what she had to do next.


    Hesitantly, Fleur pulled out a tiny crystal from her pocket. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment too long. She wanted to keep the expensive magic crystal for when her mother needed it in the distant and perhaps uncertain future, but the knight in front of her at that very certain moment was in critical condition. There was no way he could survive the journey with the storm and cold wind constantly battering him. Suddenly, Fleur shook her head. It was this kind of hesitation that she wanted to avoid. Refusing to waste more time and further endanger the knight''s chance of survival, she gritted her teeth and shattered the crystal in her knuckle.


    A circle of rune appeared on the wagon''s floor, while the crystal''s remains turned into dust, slipping through the cracks of her knuckle and floated up. The crystal dust formed a bubble barrier that covered the wagon and warmed the air inside.


    While putting the rope back, Fleur couldn''t help but admire the knight''s armor. She hadn''t seen a lot of knights in her life, but she was certain that this knight''s armor was vastly different. There was a glowing line where the hole for eyes was supposed to be, and similar lines could be seen across the armor itself. After a bit of thinking, she realized it felt much lighter than she had expected. Then again, her vision of knights was based on seeing them once as a child. So she just thought that it was the current generation of armor or something. Perhaps she would have known better had she left for the academy.


    ¡°Ha¡­ I should stop. There''s no use pondering about the past.¡±


    After securing the knight onto the wagon with the rope, Fleur got back on the carriage and continued her journey back, her mind wondering whether she just did the right thing or not.

 Chapter 1

    The rest of the journey back home was uneventful. She kneeled beside the knight and tried to open their armor to assess the knight''s injuries, but she couldn''t for the life of her find a way to get the armor off. So it just didn''t look different, it also worked differently from normal armor.


    When the sight of a small wooden cottage came into view and smoke were coming out of the chimney, Fleur breathed out a sigh of relief. Her mother managed to light the fireplace by herself. Looking down at the knight again, she noticed that the knight''s breathing had returned normal. She also noticed the lack of blood both at her wagon and where she found the knight. She could only concluded that the knight suffered blunt trauma, which was supported by the visible dents on his armor.


    Jak, finally had his destination in view, fastened his pace for the last stretch of their journey. The barrier was starting to weaken anyway and could disappear at any moment.


    To her surprise, not long after she passed by the wooden fences surrounding her house, her mother opened the front door with the usual red scarf wrapped neatly around her neck and a blanket covering her whole body.


    "Fleur! Are you okay dear?" her mother shouted.


    "I''m fine, mom! Just get the first aid kit ready at the garage! I got an unconscious knight with me!"


    Her mother nodded and closed the door behind her. As soon as her wagon near the shed connected to the side of her home, her mother opened the doors. Jak pulled the wagon in, and the magic barrier shattered the moment the shed doors were closed. The pieces of the barrier dissipated to the air.


    Fleur jumped out of the wagon and took the first aid kit put by her mother on a nearby table, while her mother disconnected Jak from the wagon and checked his condition. After she was finished, the horse took one last glance at the trio before laying down at a stack of hay, utterly exhausted.


    With the kit firmly in hand, Fleur got back on the wagon and knelt beside the knight.


    "Want me to help?" Fleur''s mother asked as Fleur was struggling to pull off the knight''s gauntlets. "I''m fine. You should just rest, mom."


    "Nonsense. Are you sure you can take off all of his armor pieces? This one is quite different from the typical knights," her mother said with a hint of confidence.


    Fleur couldn''t argue with that. She knew nothing about armors compared her mother. "... Alright. But I''m doing all the treatment, you just sit and guide me." Her mother nodded in response and sat on the wagon.


    "Press this spot here to disconnect the gauntlet, put some power in," her mother said while pointing at a small circle above the gauntlet. Fleur did as ordered and the gauntlet immediately came off. Fleur did the same thing on the knight''s other gauntlet and set them aside for the time being. At the sight if the knight''s skin, Fleur couldn''t help but admire their skin. She ran her fingers gently on the knight''s skin. From the hair on it to the bulky muscle and rough tanned skin texture, she could confidently say that the knight was a man. No need to take off his helmet or any other armor pieces. Though she did felt it to be more... harder than the rest. And she wasn''t talking about bones. She straight up couldn''t pinch the skin.


    Despite that one oddity though, she fortunately only found bruises on his arms, so she just rubbed herbal lotion on them. It would speed up the recovery process drastically.


    "Do you know which faction this knight belongs to, mom?"


    "I do. Now press there to take off the helmet."


    Weirdly enough, her mother pointed her finger at a similar circle at the neck, but she threw her gaze away as if embarrassed at what was hiding under the helmet.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Mom, are you okay?"


    "Just tell me when you already press it, dear."


    Fleur sighed as she didn''t have the energy or time to argue. She pressed the spot on the neck and the helmet immediately split into two, spilling out some blood. Fleur hurriedly looked for the wound and found a small one at the side of his head, so she cleaned the wound, disinfect it, then wrapped a bandage around it. Just as she predicted, the knight was a man, one with gray hair and eyes despite looking young. Maybe only a couple years older than Fleur herself. She had to admit that he was pretty handsome. Although...


    "He doesn''t look like he''s from around here," Fleur commented after she finished wrapping the bandage. Her mother turned her head back around but said nothing in response. As Fleur pulled off his helmet, her attention was drawn to the blade scar that stretched from the bottom of his right eye to the left. Other than the scar though, there was no sign of other injuries on the knight''s face.


    "After so long... I can''t believe I get to see this armor again," her mother said, a hint of nostalgic feeling could be heard in her tone.


    "Are you going to tell me who this knight work for now? Did you work for them in the past?"


    Her mother didn''t respond. Fleur turned to her mother to ask for direction on how to open the chest piece and instead found her mother stroking the helmet with a longing look. One that she usually directed at the necklace around her neck.


    "Mom!"


    Her mother snapped at her shout, "O-Oh, yes. Press these two spots to open the chest."


    Fleur followed her instruction and finally opened the chest piece to be greeted by a black undershirt. She lifted the knight''s surprisingly soft shirt to look for any other wound. She was relieved to find no other bleeding wound, but the man was really bruised at a lot of places. It''s almost like a monster mauled him. Regular animals couldn''t do that much damage and she had seen similar wounds before on one of her patients.


    The rest of the armor went off easily now that she got the hang of things Every time she found a bruise, she would apply lotion on it then moved on to the next one. Meanwhile, her mother was so absorbed looking at the helmet that she didn''t notice Fleur going inside and returning with some blankets. She laid those blankets on top of the knight before turning her focus to her mother.


    "It''s done. Let''s go back inside." Her mother nodded.


    As the two returned to the house, Fleur noticed her mother still carrying the helmet. She felt it was finally time for her to ask the big question. It had been nagging Fleur ever since she saw her mother caressing the helmet.


    "Do you know who he is, mom?"


    "... No," her mom answered without hesitation as she sat down on one of the two chairs in front of the fireplace. Fleur went and stood beside her chair.


    "But this armor is the exact same one that your father was using the day he disappeared."


    Fleur could feel her stomach fell to the floor. "You mean..."


    "No, this is not the exact same as your father''s armor. There''s supposed to be a huge scratch right here, see?" her mother said rubbing the cheek of the helmet. "He got it while saving me from a beast."


    Fleur breathed a sigh of relief, "Then perhaps... he knows.... where father is?" Fleur asked hesitantly. The topic of her father had always been avoided in the house. Fleur didn''t want to reopen her mother''s wound. But if there''s a chance of meeting her father...


    "Fleur..." her mother put down the helmet and went to hug Fleur. "As much as I wanted that to be the case... I had learned to not get my hopes too high. And I want you to do the same, my dear."


    Fleur returned her mother''s hug. Deep in her heart, she just wanted some closure about her father who disappeared not long after she was born. She didn''t care if he was dead. She just wanted put her hope and imagination that her father would return one day to rest.


    "... We will ask him tomorrow, alright? But only do so with me around. I... also want to know."


    Ah. The same feeling that had been eating Fleur was also eating her mother from the inside. The unknown fate of Fleur''s father.


    "Of course, mom. I promise."

 Chapter 2

    The night filled with storm eventually passed by, replaced by a clear and calm morning. The sound of bird chirping and the gentle sun ray filled the shed through the cracks.


    Slowly, the knight opened his eyes. After spending a moment to recognize the wooden roof above him, he sat up and wanted to carefully observe his surrounding. However, he realized that he wasn''t wearing his helmet, so he instead frantically looked around for it. When he found his equipment on the table near a single door, he practically jumped off the wagon. Though in the panic for getting his helmet, he slipped and fell near the table. He groaned in pain, not just from his old bruises but probably from new ones he just made. Still, he put on his helmet.


    "It still works..." he whispered to himself, letting out a sigh.


    Suddenly, the door opened and he saw a young lady staring back at him. She seemed surprised to find the knight sitting on the floor while leaning onto the table.


    "What are you doing?! You are still hurt all over!" she scolded him while putting his hand across her shoulder to help him stand back up. The knight didn''t have the power to resist, so he just followed along when she guided him back to the wagon and pushed him down.


    "Where am I?" the knight asked, his voice a bit husky. He didn''t realize that he was talking in his own language. Only when he saw the confused look on woman''s face that he immediately switched to her language.


    "Sorry. I meant to ask where we are right now."


    "W-We are at Lycia Village," the woman answered, half surprised at the knight for suddenly speaking in her language. She couldn''t help but wonder what language the knight just spoke in. It sounded very different from her own language or even any language that she knew of.


    "Ah... I see. So I made it..."


    "Made it? So you are supposed to be here?"


    "Yes. I was sent here."


    "For? There''s nothing noteworthy here."


    "... I-"


    The sound of the knight''s stomach growling cut their conversation short. The knight was glad that his embarrassed face was hidden behind his helmet.


    "Oh, you must be hungry, right? Let me get you something to eat. A soup, perhaps? They should still be warm enough."


    "P-Please. Thank you."


    The woman nodded in response. She disappeared through the door she came from to prepare a simple meal for the knight. That, and she wanted to tell her mother about the knight finally waking up.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The knight, with time in hand and helmet firmly on his head, used the opportunity to admire his surrounding. The shed was made out of wood. The floor had hay scattered all over it. It was at this time that he finally noticed the horse sleeping in the corner on top of a bunch of hay. The creature had been sleeping so silently that he barely noticed its presence.


    The sound of the door opening drew back the knight''s focus. The woman returned with a tray of meal, along with an old woman. The two looked similar so he could already guess that the older woman was her mother.


    "Ah, forgive me for my lack of manners. My name is Arch. And I thank you two for saving me."


    "Don''t mention it," the young woman said with a calm smile, "I''m Fleur, and this is my mother, Liana."


    "... Fleur and... Missus Liana?" the knight repeated their name, his face looking like he was in a daze.


    "Yeah. What? Have we met before?"


    "N-No," the knight suddenly snapped out of his daze, "... it''s just... my mentor mentioned you two a lot."


    Fleur''s eyes widened at the mention of her father. Before she could ask further though, the knight started ravaging on his meal. She turned toward her mother who from nodding alone managed to tell Fleur to be patient and let the knight fill his stomach first. The intensity in which he devoured his meal led Fleur to believe his last one must had been at least days ago. As he continued to eat, all Fleur could do was wait. Her hands gripped tightly onto her dress as her mind was filled with possible answers to her question.


    When the knight finished his meal, Fleur instantly dropped the bomb.


    "Do you know about my father? His name is Roerich."


    The knight nodded, "Yes. He is my mentor. We were supposed to go here together, but I must have gotten separated from him on our journey."


    "R-Roerich... is coming here?" her mother asked in disbelief.


    The knight nodded once more. Her mother look shifted from fear to relief, as if a huge burden of uncertainty was lifted from her shoulders somewhat. It was the happiest she looked for the longest time.


    "So... my father is coming here?"


    "Yes. And he is a strong man. I''m sure he will get here sooner or later."


    "That''s... a relief. Thank you for answering our questions. You must be tired, right? We should let you rest a bit more," Fleur said while hurriedly escorting her mother back to the house. She was unsure on what to feel about knowing her father coming back after so long. She didn''t even ask why her father suddenly disappear and just suddenly return again. The knight mentioned a mission, so her father only come back because of it?


    While Fleur was ravaged by these questions, her mother rambled on and on about preparation for her father''s return. Fleur could only smile and follow along.


    Back at the shed, as soon as the two woman left, Arch immediately held his head with both hands, gritting his teeth from the pain raging in his head. His head had been throbbing constantly ever since he fell trying to grab his helmet, even though he didn''t knock his head on anything. Rather than physical pain, he felt like a part of his mind was missing. His memories before and during that stormy night was in pieces. There was something important that he had to remember involving Fleur and her mother. But no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn''t come to him. In the end, Arch slammed his fist to the wagon, calming himself down.


    He could only hope that whatever it was that he was missing, they would return in time.

 Chapter 3

    "Fleur, didn''t you say you were going to gather some herbs today?" her mother asked. The two of them were at the kitchen, making a note of all the cooking ingredients they got in stock. Unsurprisingly, they were lacking a lot of stuff.


    "I did," Fleur answered while closing the drawer in front of her, "But I can''t exactly leave you alone with that man. Beside, I still need to take notes while you should be staying in bed."


    "Nonsense. I feel just fine. Besides, I don''t see any problem being with Arch."


    Fleur turned around and looked at her mother in disbelief.


    "In fact, Arch will keep the house safe while you are gone!" her mother continued, a smile plastered on her face. It took Fleur quite a lot of willpower to not just slam her palm onto her face.


    "Mom, we barely know him. Who knows whether he was telling the truth or not. How could you trust him so easily?"


    Hearing the worry in Fleur''s voice, her mother immediately dropped the ingredients in her hands. She walked up to Fleur and grabbed her hands before giving it a good squeeze. "That''s a good point, and I''m well aware of that. It''s just... he is your father''s prot¨¦g¨¦. I can tell. The way the act, the way the talk, it is very similar," her mother giggled. "That might sounds foolish... But I''m still confident that Arch is a good person. Your father wouldn''t have taken him in otherwise."


    "But-" Fleur''s protest was cut off when her mother shoved her a basket.


    "No buts, young lady!" her mother said as she pushed Fleur out of the house, "You are going to go out and gather those herbs! I need some of them to cook some of your father''s favorite dishes!"


    The door closed behind Fleur. She couldn''t help but let out a sigh of frustration. Ever since her mother heard about her father returning, she had been busy around the house. She cleaned the windows, swept dust off the old books, and of course, checked their stock of ingredients. Fleur was worried that her mother''s condition worsen because of fatigue, but luckily so far such thing hadn''t happened. With heavy heart, she left, hoping that her mother''s judgement of Arch turned out to be true.


    The sun was starting to set when Fleur reached the village again, the basket in her hand filled to the brim with herbs. She exchanged greetings with everyone she passed by. In a small village like hers, everyone was practically family.


    As she continued to make her way, a couple of children ran past her, one of which slipped and fell. Soon after the boy that fell let out a loud cry while holding his wounded knee. A glance on the wound was all Fleur need to know that the boy had scrapped his knee against some pebbles.


    In lightning speed, Fleur kneeled beside the boy. Her hand rummaged her basket before taking some red herbs and mixing it with water and some magic on her palm. She then before apply the concoction on the boy''s wound. With that done, she pulled out spare bandage from her pocket and wrapped it over the wound.


    "There we go. It doesn''t hurt much anymore, right?" Fleur said with a big motherly smile.


    "Y-Yes! Thank you so much, sis Fleur!" the boy said with glowing eyes.


    "Don''t mention it. Just be careful from now on, Eric," Fleur said while ruffling the boy''s hair.


    The boy stood up and ran away with his friends while an elderly man walked toward Fleur.


    "Working hard as usual, I see," the elderly man commented.


    "Elder Karl! I''m glad to see you well," she bowed.


    The elder nodded, "What a coincidence we meet here. I was just on my way to your home."


    "Oh, do you need more medicine elder? Is your back hurting again?"


    "No, no. That''s not it. I want to ask about the person you saved last night."


    Fleur stomach dropped. "Words travels fast, I see." She knew her village was small, but she was still baffled at how nothing escaped the elder''s ears or eyes. She was sure that the storm would have deterred people from going around. Though... there''s one person that could around her home even in such condition.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "You know, I haven''t seen Quin today. I''m guessing he finally got his retribution in the form of a lightning strike and is now bedridden?"


    The elder laughed at her blatant hatred of her admirer, "No, no. I sent him out to track a weird monster up north."


    "Weird monster?"


    "Yes. Pier''s son said this particular monster was constantly drooling and had black crystals sticking out all over its body."


    "That sounds trouble. Shouldn''t we contact someone more well equipped to handle such thing?"


    "You know how it is. Unless we can prove the monster or the crystals to be interesting or beneficial to the officials, they wouldn''t bat an eye. Not even after that monster wiped out the whole village."


    "Yeah, I know that, but this is different. How many times in your life do you hear a monster with crystals, probably magic crystals, sticking out of its body? For all we know he could be the result of a failed magic experiment."


    "That''s certainly a possibility, but I doubt they would want to conduct such experiment so close to the border. For now, we will wait for Quin''s return. I told him to gather parts or materials from the monster that we can show to the authority. Just make sure you and your mother stay safe for the time being."


    "I always do, elder."


    "Good. Good. Now back to the topic of the outsider..."


    Fleur internally cursed at herself. She was hoping the elder had forgotten about him with all that talk about the weird monster.


    "Do you know who he is? Why is he doing so far out here?"


    "He said his name was Arch. He was sent here on a mission. I don''t know the details though. If you want to know more, you should ask him yourself."


    "You are right. You are on your way home, correct? Let us go together then."


    Fleur nodded. The two walked back home, their conversation revolving around news and events in their small village.


    When the two got close enough to her home, they were greeted by the sight of Arch chopping firewood out front. He was still wearing his helmet, but the tunic and pants he wore belonged to her father. Arch noticed the two approaching and waved his hand toward the two.


    "Are you not feeling hot in that helmet?" Fleur asked when she and the elder got close enough. The elder didn''t say anything but did raise an eyebrow at the helmet Arch was wearing.


    "Don''t worry. I will be fine. I feel more uncomfortable not wearing this," Arch said while putting away the axe on his hand.


    "I see. Anyway, Arch, this is Elder Karl, leader of this village."


    The two shook hands.


    "It''s nice to meet you sir. I''m Arch, a knight of the Requiem Empire."


    "Ah... I had my suspicion. But you just confirmed it. You are the exact same as him."


    "Pardon?"


    "Roerich. He also wore that same looking helmet all the time and he also served the Requiem Empire. Though even to this day I have no clue where that is."


    "Ah, Roerich is my mentor. The empire is indeed a long way from here. We were supposed to come here together but got separated in the way. He should be here anytime soon."


    The elder raised an eyebrow once more. "Roerich is coming back? Well that''s good news!" the elder said gleefully, "Though what''s the occasion? Fleur told me you were sent here on a mission."


    "That''s right. Unfortunately I can''t tell you any of the details. Perhaps you can ask my mentor when he arrives."


    "Ah, shame. That man''s tongue wouldn''t slip out a thing. But since you are with Roerich, I''m sure you are here with good intention. Anyway, we should prepare a celebration for Roerich! Is your mother aware of him coming back?"


    "Very much," Fleur grunted while throwing her gaze to the side, "She spent the whole day preparing ingredients to make father''s favorite dishes."


    The elder noticed that despite the happy news, Fleur didn''t look that enthusiastic. "What about you, Fleur? You don''t seem that happy about your father coming home."


    "... I think I''m tired. I''m going in." Fleur ignored everyone and just rushed into the house.


    "Arch?" the elder turned to the knight.


    "Yes, sir?"


    "I know we just met today, but can I ask a favor from you?"


    "Certainly. As long as it''s within my capabilities."


    "Please, keep an eye on Fleur for me. I''m worried about her."


    "Of course. Fleur is my mentor''s dearest daughter. I will help her however I can."


    The elder nodded. As much as he wanted to console Fleur, he believed that she needed time to sort out her feelings. Her father left her at such a young age, so there wasn''t many good memories between her and her father. While everyone else seemed happy, she alone felt secluded for not being able to share the same sentiment.  The elder sighed, hoping that Fleur would be fine.


    After excusing himself, the elder left, leaving Arch who was still secretly consumed by the void of losing important parts of his memories.

 Chapter 4

    Later that night, Fleur was having dinner with Arch and her mother. The table was filled with foods that her father supposedly loved. Her mother had spent the whole day cooking them all up to prepare herself the day father arrived. And while Fleur couldn''t deny that they were delicious, everything just felt off for her. Yet her mother and Arch seemed to enjoy them just fine. The nagging feeling built up at the sight of the two so happy, until the dam finally broke.


    "I''m finished," Fleur said, slamming her spoon down before rushing out the house.


    "F-Fleur! I should chase after her," Fleur''s mother stood up but was stopped by Arch.


    "Let''s let her have some space for now."


    "I... I''m a bad mother."


    "Where does this come from?"


    "Ever since I first mention Fleur''s father, she started acting weird. And instead of comforting her, I just got swept up by my own feeling... I really should talk to her."


    Arch didn''t stop her this time, but just a couple steps away from the table, Liana suddenly coughed and fell to the ground. Arch immediately rushed to her side. "Are you okay?!"


    Liana nodded. "Don''t worry, this happens when I get too tired."


    "Let''s get you to your bed, then. Leave Fleur to me."


    Unable to even stand on her own, Liana had no choice but agree. "I leave my daughter to you. Tell her that I''m sorry."


    Arch nodded before escorting Liana back to her bed. After cleaning the table and putting away the dishes, Arch went to Fleur. He was worried that she had stormed off to a place far from the house, but he was relieved when he saw her laying on the roof. Finding no ladder around, he assumed she had climbed her way there.


    "Got time to talk?" Arch asked from his position.


    "Go away," she replied, quick and emotionless.


    "I have something important to tell you."


    "I''m not interested."


    Arch jumped onto the roof without breaking a sweat. His landing was also silent. "Your mother said she is sorry."


    "... It''s not her fault."


    She stayed silent when Arch made his way to her and sat beside her. The sky and stars above had her eyes occupied. But the constant presence of Arch beside her eventually forced her to spill everything she had been feeling and thinking the last few days.


    "It''s my father''s fault. He disappeared on me and my mother, you know. No letter. No news. Nothing came from him for years. It was like the ground itself swallowed him whole. Mother tried to look happy in front of me, but I can always see a hint of sadness in her eyes. Now suddenly, he wants to return and expect me to give him a warm welcome? There''s no way."


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Arch stayed silent as Fleur poured out her feelings.


    "Where was he when mother fell sick? Where was he when we got attacked by bandits?!" Fleur sat up, both of her fists clenched. She could still remember those days vividly as if they happened yesterday. The Fleur at that time was hoping that her father would suddenly appear and solve the problems, but he never came. In the end, she solved them all by herself. Fleur had to brave herself and do things she shouldn''t be doing.


    "These hands..." Fleur looked down at her palms in pain, as if thousands of needles were being slowly pushed into them. "They are already stained by blood. I don''t regret any of it. I would do anything to protect my mom. It''s just..."


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to force yourself," Arch said with a gentle voice. He slowly placed his hand on her palms and gently push them down, diverting her eyes from them to himself.


    "Even after all that... my mother was so happy when she heard him coming back. She looked happier now than when I got accepted into the academy..."


    Tears started pouring out of Fleur''s eyes. When she realized she was crying, Fleur hugged her legs and hid her face, embarrassed for showing such a shameful side to Arch.


    "Do you hate your father, then?"


    Arch sudden question took Fleur by surprise. It took her a moment to consider his question before answering. "I-I don''t know," she answered after sobbing, "Somehow... I just can''t bring myself to hate him completely. But I also couldn''t be excited like you or mother about him coming here after... everything. Why did he leave us? Where has he been all this time? Did he even care about us in the first place?"


    "Well... Truth is, I lost my memories."


    "E-Eh? What do you mean?"


    "Ever since you saved me that day, my memories of the past have been hazy at best. I remember pieces and bits here and there, but it''s hard to make the connection between them. Even so, I do remember a time when your father begged on his knees to our superior to be allowed to visit you two. When he was refused, he almost assaulted the superior. That wasn''t all, but he did everything he could to get back to you two. However, his duty to the empire forced him to stay. I know it''s not much consolation, nor is it a justification for abandoning you two, I just want you two to know that all this time, he always has you two in his mind."


    "..." Fleur didn''t respond.


    "Sometimes, things just... happens. Whether you decide to hate Sir Roerich or welcome him back as your father, it is your choice and I will always honor no matter which one you ended up with."


    When Arch was confident that Fleur had stopped crying, he decided that it was his cue to leave. "I have said everything I have to. Best I leave you alone now. Just make sure you don''t stay out too long, okay?"


    Arch walked to the edge. He was about to jump when he heard a weak voice calling him out from behind.


    "... Arch?"


    "Yeah?" he turned around to face Fleur. She was still hiding her face behind her legs.


    "... Thanks."


    "Your welcome."


    Arch jumped down, his heart felt infinitely lighter after telling someone about his loss of memory. After glancing at Fleur one last time, he walked in and closed the door behind him.


    After she was sure Arch left, Fleur hurriedly wiped her tears and looked at the stars. She decided that she would try to welcome her father back, for her own sake, and for her mother.


    Later that night, Arch was awoken from his slumber, sweating all over. His eyes were wide open and his breath was heavy. He didn''t have a bad dream, it was something much worse. His memories had returned. After everything he said, he didn''t want to imagine Fleur reaction when she found out about the truth. About his mission, about Sir Roerich, and about the danger that came with him to their dimension.

 Chapter 5

    Morning came, much to Arch''s frustration. He had been awake the whole night, only dozing off for an hour before being fully recharged. His mind was busy processing his newly regained memories and combining it with the new ones he made the last few days. There''s so much he had to do, so much to say. The fate of a lot of things depended on him completing his mission. But all those disappeared from his mind when he heard the sound of cooking and cutting coming from the kitchen. He waited for around 30 minutes before he walked into the main part of the house.


    Fleur was cooking in the kitchen. She woke up bright and early to make her mother some energizing food to apologize for her harsh attitude last night. As she was chopping up some garlic, a pair of familiar hands wrapped tightly around Fleur''s body.


    "You don''t have to apologize, mom. I should be the one to say it," Fleur turned around and hugged her mother. "I was just unsure on what to feel about father suddenly coming. But after a night of crying and thinking, I have decided to give it a chance."


    "I... Thank you, dear," her mother let Fleur go. "But did you say you were crying? The whole night?"


    "Nope. You misheard it," Fleur hurriedly turned back around.


    "Turn around and let me see your eyes, young lady! They are puffy, aren''t they?"


    "No, of course not!" The two giggled as Fleur desperately hid her eyes, but she eventually lost to her mother and lotion was forcefully applied to her eyes.


    After sitting down, her mother started telling Fleur stories about her father, and Fleur couldn''t help but let out a smile, unable to contain her own excitement. But just as she finished a story, Arch walked in.


    "Uhm, morning, Arch," Fleur said, her face reddened from embarrassment.


    "Morning," Arch replied, completely unfazed.


    The three proceeded to have breakfast. But this time, Fleur and her mother was the one constantly talking. Arch slipped in his words here and there, but he was much quieter than usual. Fleur thought he was just being worried about his lost memory, so she didn''t question him.


    "You know, I haven''t seen Quin the last few days. Did something happen to him? Maybe he found another girl to chase around?"


    "Oh, I forgot to tell you. He was ordered to follow this weird monsters that have crystals stuck all over its body. Quite a blessing, I admit."


    The moment the crystals were mentioned, Arch visibly flinched.


    "Arch, are you okay?" Fleur asked.


    "I''m fine, don''t worry. I just wish I can meet this Quin, in person," Arch said while looking menacing.


    "Okay... We will see him sooner or later. Anyway-"


    The rest of the morning went eventful after that.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "You want to come with me?"


    Fleur was about to leave to gather some more herb because, as it turned out, they needed more for winter supplies. And Arch suddenly offered to come with her.


    "Yes. I can gather some firewood while you gather the herbs."


    Their stock of firewood was indeed getting low, so on top of the fact there were things she wanted to ask of him, she couldn''t resist letting him come.


    "You can go, Arch," Fleur''s mother suddenly spoke. "I will be fine. Just make sure you two come back before the sun sets."


    "We will, mom. Alright, Arch, get the axe and let''s go."


    The two talked the whole way to Fleur''s usual spot. She tried pressing on his weird behavior at breakfast, but Arch just brushed it off as her imagination. And his answer remained the same even after they arrived at the herb spot. Fleur started gathering herb while Arch cut down some tree and placed them on the makeshift firewood holder on his back.


    Suddenly, they heard the voice of someone screaming. Fleur immediately recognized the voice to be of Quin, the hunter that was keeping track of the crystal monster.


    "Maybe we should get back to the village," Arch suggested, but Fleur shook her head in refusal. While it''s true that she''s constantly annoyed by Quin, it wasn''t enough to just abandon him to his fate when she could do something. Before Arch could stop her, she leapt up and ran toward the source of the voice, dagger ready in hand. Arch unwillingly followed suit.


    After some minutes of running toward the voice, they finally found Quin running, a monster close on his tail. In an instant, Fleur pulled out a small crystal from her pocket and shattered it in her hand. A magic circle appeared below the beast and from it thick veins came sprouting out, entrapping the beast. At the sight of the beast finally stopping, Quin fell to the ground, utterly exhausted. His breath was ragged and his hands were shaking. Fleur rushed to him to check his condition, while Arch watched the beast struggling against the vines.


    "Quin! Are you okay?"


    "F-Fleur... Thank god for your help. I had been running for hours from that thing. It feels like my legs are about to come off."


    "Arch, help me carry Quin back to the village," Fleur said. But the vines that were stopping the monster were suddenly torn apart.


    "There''s no time. Get him back to safety, I will hold it off."


    They didn''t have much choice if they wanted to save Quin, so Fleur reluctantly nodded, "You better come back safely!" and with that, she left with Quin.


    Halfway to the village, Fleur and Quin took a little break under a tree. But the sound of the monster approaching alerted them. Before they could respond, though, the monster already appeared. Quin immediately passed out.


    The monster''s body was bruised all over, blood covered half of it''s body. The worst kind of possibilities immediately crossed her mind. The monster wasn''t covered in that much blood, and she feared that the rest came from Arch. It was at this moment she realized that she had to run away on her own.


    Before she could start running for her life, two blood-covered blades pierced through its torso. The monster groaned out in pain for a moment before thrashing around. The monster had enough strength to split the trees into two, but the blade remained in place. Eventually, it succumbed to its wounds. When the monster''s lifeless body fell, Arch, covered in blood, was revealed to be the one who attacked the monster. Fleur was ecstatic and relieved, finding Arch to be still alive. But when she looked down at his hands, she couldn''t help but let out a surprised gasp. The two blades that killed the monster were attached to Arch''s hands. To be more exact, his hand split open for the blades to come out. On top of that, the lack of magic circle led her to believe that he wasn''t using any magic. Her mind made the connection of back when she examined his hands and found some parts much harder than the rest. The blades were inside his hands from the beginning.


    Out of reflex, Fleur took a step back when Arch offered his hand. Her reaction made Arch immediately pulled his hand back.


    "... Get the man back to the village. I... will clean myself first, so just wait for me at home. I will explain everything then."


    Fleur could only watch as Arch disappeared into the forest, unable to say or ask him anything.