“DON’T TOUCH HIM!!!”

I was suddenly jolted awake at the sound of a woman screaming. I grab Kurulu and immediately head towards the commotion. Up ahead I see the mother that I had healed with the potion back in the lizardman village.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, there’s a small dispute happening. Can you stop it?”

She was trying to stay calm but I could see that her body was slightly shaking. I reassure her that I would take care of the problem and enter the room. There was a woman on the ground holding onto a little boy and she was screaming at a frogman. The daughter of the woman I just talked to was trying to deescalate the situation but I can see that she was also shaking in fear. It wasn’t just those two though, all the women and children were afraid of the frogman.

“What’s the problem?”

“This bastard is trying to take my son away!!!”

“No, no. Boy is sick.”

The blue-spotted frogman was shaking his hands at the woman’s accusation and I could tell that he was troubled by her screaming. I can see the fear in his eyes as I was holding a weapon so I put it down. I calm down the hysteric woman and I got a closer look at the little boy. His face was flushed red and his breathing was rough. The frogman wasn’t lying, the boy looked ill.

“Please calm down, Ma’am. I think he’s right, you’re son is sick.”

“Yes, I have medicine to give.”

“No, I don’t trust him! Get me a real doctor!”

The woman’s fear of monsters was taking over her sense of reasoning. I understand her circumstances but I felt bad for the frogman, he was genuinely trying to help the little boy. If nothing was done, the boy’s sickness would just get worse. I get up and grab the herbs that were in the frogman’s hand and gulp it down. It was bitter and it actually seemed to relieve some of my fatigue.

“See, the herbs aren’t anything dangerous. Please trust me and give the medicine to your son. Can’t you see he’s suffering?”

“I...Ok.”

Seeing my actions, the woman reluctantly agrees to give her son the frogman’s medicine. I thought it was going to be harder but the woman seemed to recognize me and trusted my judgment. The frogman takes out more herbs before turning it into a paste-like substance. He mixes it with water and lets the woman feed it to the boy. Instantly his rough breathing disappears and he goes to sleep.

“Ahahaha, I can’t believe you ate the ingredients raw. You’re going to upset your stomach.”

“Ugh, it’s fine.”

I was able to eat those herbs without fear because I could tell the frogman had no ill intentions. The situation was resolved but seeing that he wasn’t welcomed, the blue-spotted frogman leaves the room. I chase after him because Fifi wanted to talk with him.

“Excuse me, what’s your name?”

“Brisben, thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. My name is Jude, can we talk for a bit?”

“Sure, but I go home.”

“I’ll walk you home then.”

We leave the building and the sun was already starting to set. Along the path back to his place many people greeted Brisben and he would reply back with a smile. I didn’t know what to talk about at first but it was Brisben who broke the ice. He was curious about my experience in the dungeon and my life outside of this place. 

Brisben was a nice guy so I begin to tell him of my experience inside of the dungeon. His eyes shined as I tell him of the hard battles we fought and even the amazing treasures we had found.

He asked me what life is like in our world because he had never once gone out of the village before. When it came to talking about life before we came here, I told him about Ostempal and Hope City. There were some details I omitted but Brisben stilled listened with eagerness.

“What about you Brisben? How’s life living in the village?”

“My family are herbalists and I am too. I live my life to take care of others and I enjoy doing. But sometimes I want to go out. Meet people or find treasure, I want to explore a world that isn’t confined to a small space.”

“I see.”

Brisben’s dreams were ambitious and I hope that he can accomplish them one day. Our small talk ends as we arrived at his mud hut. Unlike other frogmen’s houses, his yard was filled with all kinds of herbs and flowers. Fifi was extremely excited so she decided to show herself to Brisben. The two of them talk and trade information about herbs which I didn’t quite understand.

“Thank you, take some of these.”

“Really, thank you. Just wait for a second, oh, found it.”

Brisben hands Fifi some herbs and in return, she gives him some seeds. We say our goodbyes and we head on back. I never had the chance to ask her so I ask Fifi about her skills in herbalism. She’s used it many times on me but she’s never really talked about it.

“It’s not a nice story, do you still want to hear it?”

“Yeah, I want to know more about you, Fifi.”

“Hehe, sure.”

She sits on my head and begins recounting her story.

“This happened a long time ago, even before I had gotten into the hero raising business. Fairy’s are naturally born with a large mana pool so I relied heavily on magic to do everything. I was still young and had never experienced a situation where I had run out of mana, until that day. My fairy friends and I were playing in the forest one day without a care in the world until we suddenly came upon many dead bodies. With the damage done to the forest, we could tell that a large battle recently occurred.”

“Being curious kids we looked around the battlefield but it was a mistake. The corpses turned into the undead and even their spirits became evil ghosts. Sensing that we were living beings, they chased after and wouldn’t let up. We tried to outrun them but they didn’t have to worry about stamina, unlike us. One by one, our mana and stamina were depleted and my friends were being killed.”

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me the rest if you don’t want too.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Anger and sadness filled her voice as she talks about her past. I pat her head and she thanks me before continuing her story.

“In the end, it was only me and Eysil, my best friend. I had to carry her because she had run out of mana and I was on the verge exhaustion. The dark and corrupt energy from the undead was eating away at Eysil’s body so I pushed myself to get back home. I ran and ran, but our village was on the other side of the forest. What usually felt so short, felt like it took hours to get back and when we did make it, it was too late. I didn’t have enough mana to heal Eysil’s injuries and she was already consumed by the undead’s corrupt energy by the time we made it home. Being the only fairy that survived, the others criticized me and I was eventually banished from the village.”

“I didn’t care about being banished since they never liked me anyway, but I regret not being able to save my friends. They were the few fairies who truly liked me and I wasn’t able to save them. In the following years, I spent all my time learning about herbs because of that regret. Unlike healing magic, herbs didn’t depend on mana and it was able to heal more than just injuries. Herbs can heal illnesses, disease, and even curses to a certain extent.”

This was the first time Fifi has ever talked about her past and I’m glad that she did. But maybe I shouldn’t have asked since I know how it feels like to talk about a traumatic event. I feel bad for making her remember these memories.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through, Fifi, but your herbs have saved me countless of times. It’s an amazing skill and you should be proud of it.”

“Heh, of course I am!”

“Those fairies must be regretting that they have ever banished you. I’m glad I was able to meet you because of that, but they must be short-sighted to ever banish such a cute, adorable, and skillful fairy.”

“Oh, Jude…”

“HAAAHHH!!!”

I was trying to cheer up Fifi but our conversation was suddenly interrupted by someone’s grunt. It was coming from behind a few trees and we decide to check it out. The closer we got, the more broken trees and boulders we saw. The grunts got quieter but I think I recognize them, it sounded very familiar.

“Mako, you’re still training this late?”

“Oh, hey Jude.”

Her body was drenched in sweat and her clothes were sticking onto her skin. With a big smile on her face, she signals me to come over. Standing right in front of her I still wonder how she can smell so nice after sweating so much.

“Hehe, let me show you something. Stand right there with your palms facing towards me.” 

“Ok.”

Mako was extremely giddy and excited as she walked a few paces back. There was a joyful child-like smile plastered on her face. Ever since we came to Consal, Mako’s been diligent in the way she acted so it was refreshing to see this side of her again. I liked both sides of her but this side wasn’t hesitant to speak her feelings. Sometimes her words and training can be harsh but it’s nice to hear her true feelings. 

Having a chance to think about it, I haven’t seen the side of Mako who likes to talk about her hobbies. She was eccentric but it was really fun to hear her talk about the things she enjoyed, even if I didn’t understand them.

“Here I come.”

Following Mako’s instruction, I hold my hands together with my palms facing towards her. She rushes forward with her right fist aiming for my palms but it was too fast for me to see. Something about this was different from all the other times we had sparred together. I could sense it but I was too late to react. Her fist makes contact and I could feel my entire body being blown back. My feet drag dirt beneath me and I finally come to a stop as my back hits a tree.

“T-this!”

The strength behind Mako’s punch was incredible. My hands were shaking in pain and it was like I was punched by Gul’sa Quan again. What’s even more amazing was that I could feel a large amount of mana gathered inside of her body as she punched me.

“Hahaha, amazing, isn’t it? I was able to reinforce my body with mana.”

I didn’t have any words. I’ve been thinking of ways to enhance my body with mana but I didn’t have any progress so far. Even if I wanted to do more research, I was currently cursed so I couldn’t. Mako is incredible, I’ve talked about this topic with her a few times and she has already figured it out.

“Ahaha....”

I rush forward and hold Mako up as she was about to fall face-first into the ground.

“Are you ok, Mako?”

“Yeah, just a little bit tired.”

“How long have you been training?”

“Hmm, about 3 hours.”

I sigh as I remember that this side of Mako loves to train till exhaustion. She always pushes herself to improve and sometimes she forces me to go along with her. Just remembering the training in Hope City makes me shiver a little bit.

“Get on.”

“Um…”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind the sweat.”

I bend my knees and offer a piggyback ride. She was a bit hesitant but she gets on. Her breasts press against my back and I wrap my arms around her legs. I would be lying if I didn’t feel a little excited from Mako’s body, but it makes me feel guilty to think like this while she’s vulnerable. I clear my mind as I carry her out of the dark forest. Maybe because it was so dark, the stars in the sky shone brighter than I’ve ever seen before.

“The stars are beautiful.”

“Yeah, they are.”

I wonder how long it has been since I’ve seen the stars so clearly. Hope City had fake stars and even when I was living in Ostempal, the pollution made the stars barely visible. In a small town surrounded by fog, I would have never imagined seeing such a beautiful sight.

“Do you have any dreams, Mako?”

After hearing Brisben’s dreams of exploring the world and Fifi’s goal of learning about herbs to save others, I became curious about dreams. My current goal is to become a hero for Fifi but other than that, I didn’t know what I want to do with my life. I didn’t have any dreams or goals.

“I guess I want to become stronger and…Don’t laugh, ok.”

“Ok, I won’t laugh.”

I could feel Mako squirming as she prepared her heart. She breathes in and out in a rhythmic pace before speaking.

“I-I want to fall in love and get married.”

“Pfftt, ahahahaha!!! That’s such a little kid’s dream.”

“S-shut up, Fifi!”

Fifi who had been oddly quiet suddenly bursts out into laughter and Mako begins screaming out in embarrassment. Fifi continues to tease her and Mako digs her face into my back like a mole trying to hide from a predator. It wasn’t such a bad dream but it made me feel sad. One day, Mako is going to get married and we won’t be able to spend time like this anymore.

“W-what about you, Jude? What’s your dream?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it that much.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Maybe my answer was lackluster because Mako becomes quiet. She did tell me her dreams and I feel bad that I wasn’t able to give her a concrete answer.

“Hmm, hmm. I think having a dream or a goal is good so you should really think about it.”

“Ok.”

“Just start with something small like mastering metal magic or even beating me in a sparring match. Yeah, that’s good, from now on your goal is to defeat me in a sparring match. If you win then I’ll do you one favor and for every 10 times I beat you, you have to treat me to a meal.”

Neither of those goals sounded easy but it made me feel better. All my worries about dreams and goals lessened as I have something I need to accomplish now.

“Ok, deal. I’ll make it my goal to beat you.”

“Hahaha, that’s the spirit, but I’m not going to make it easy for you. Currently, you owe me 3 meals.”

“I’ll treat you once we get back to Hope City.”

“Hehe, you better remember. I’m sure Gorou and the others would be happy to hear you going out to dinner with us.”

Is that what she was after? I guess I haven’t really been spending much time with the others back in Hope City. 

“Is something going on in the village?”

Walking along the dirt path we could see that the town was lit up with bright lights. Sounds of musical instruments and merry laughter were resounding all over.

“For our friends who made it back and for our friends who weren’t able to. I offer them the first toast. Now enjoy the night, CHEERS!!!”

“CHEERS!!!”

We came in time to hear Kayla finish her speech. She chugs down the drink in her hand and almost everyone else does the same. There were tables filled with familiar and unfamiliar foods. Some of them looked strange but the smell in the air was irresistible. Almost everyone in the town had gathered to enjoy the feast.

“Mommy, can I try some?”

“No, this is only for adults.”

I wonder if Kayla had planned all of this to cheer everyone up. The men and women we saved were able to enjoy themselves by indulging in food and alcohol. Under the influence of alcohol, they were able to vent out their feelings and even interact with the frogmen freely. The fears and barriers they had set up towards the frogmen had washed away, and now they were only drinking buddies.

“Oh, there you are, Jude.”

“Mako’s with you too. Come on and enjoy the food.”

Gorou and Jill drag both of us towards a table. On it was foods that I’ve never seen before but they all look delicious. I could even hear Fifi gulping as she smelled the food.

“Go ahead. Eat.”

Brisben sits next to me and like a red signal light turning green, we begin gorging on the food. The others had joined us and I could tell that they were enjoying everything just as much as Fifi and I was. Even the serious William and Gareth were having a good time.

“Do you think they miss me Gareth? Should I go visit them next time? I hope Timmy hasn’t forgotten me. What should I do if Marla has a boyfriend now? AAAaahhh, I miss them!!!!”

“I get it, William. Drink some water, you’re drunk.”

“Ahaha, he hasn’t changed at all.”

“Help me deal with this drunkard, Kayla.”

“MARLA!!! TIMMY!!! DADDY MISSES YOU!!!”

Everyone laughs at William’s outburst and the merry atmosphere continues. During this time I learned a bit more about the girl I saved in the lizardman village. Her name was Ruka and her mother’s name was Masako, they seemed like nice people. Ruka pesters Mako about something and it seems like they were good friends already.

“Ah, someone get some water, Jude’s choking.”

“Ahaha, you’re still too weak to compete with the greatest fairy, Fifila Phhilora. Whaa!”

Fifi slips off of my head and falls inside of someone’s cup. I grab the cup by Gorou’s plate and chug it down. There was a strong bitter taste but it washes the food that was stuck in my throat.

“Ah, Jude. You just drank my alcohol.”

“Why did you let him, Gorou!? He’s still underage.”

“Ahaha, he should be fine. I had my first drink when I was younger.”

My head was starting to feel fuzzy.