Daniel was waiting on the doorstep again. But this time, he had four little boys for company. They were nice not speaking and letting him be, but their silent support was welcome.

It all happen because of that letter.

Mister Hollow,

As you are a warrior and have destroyed your liver by yourself, we are sorry to say we cannot approve you for a transplant. We hope you live out the rest of your days comfortably.

Kind regards,

The rest was torn off. Daniel had wanted to tear the entire letter to shreds, but Ben had snatched it from him and had given it to Hadrian. The same Hadrian who was now practicing a grand speech to convince Edwin that they should go to the black market before Daniel lives out the rest of his days comfortably.

What was wrong with healers, darn it? Edwin was the only one of the bunch that took his vows to heal seriously, and he hadn’t even taken them officially. What if he said no?

Then Daniel would leave and go back to the charlatans that nearly turned him into a tree, he guessed. He still had that infected kidney inside him. Or was it not infected anymore? What had that demoness done to him?

He heard someone coming up the stairs, and he perked up. When he saw Edwin, covered in dirt and with a slightly tilted head, he wanted to snicker. Except that would end with him being chased off from here. The healer’s patience has already gone out the door long ago when it came to Daniel.

“I got rejected for a liver transplant,” blurted out Daniel. Edwin got an evil glint in his crimson orbs.

“Well, we’ll have to do this the hard way, then,” Daniel was happy that there would still be a transplant, but he didn’t like the look in Edwin’s eyes. “I am putting you on a liver healing diet.”

“I am not eating rabbit fodder,” tried to argue Daniel as meekly and yet as insistently as he could.

“You won’t eat it, no,” Daniel’s hopes rose. “You will drink it. Twice a day or so, help me!”

“Why didn’t that succubus heal my liver too? I am missing quite a bit of scars,” that had irked Daniel to no end. It could have been easy for her, surely. And yet, she had left him sick.

“She healed tree bark syndrome, something that doesn’t have a cure — yet. Why are the children sleeping on the stairs in the cold?” Edwin sounded like he was blaming him for this. The children had their cloaks on and blankets moreover. They weren’t cold.

“They are fine. Eventually, they will need to learn to rough it up, won’t they?” Daniel patted Ben on the head, who stirred and, when he saw Edwin, began to speak rapid-fire.

“Eddy, you have to heal Dany. He is not a bad man. He can be a bit annoying and demanding, but if he dies, this family won’t ever be the same. So, please, heal him!” The boy took in a big gulp of breath and wanted to speak again when Edwin held his hand up.

“I’ll heal him, but he won’t like the method,” Edwin had a gentle smile on his face at the concern that the boy was displaying. It was good that he could form bonds. What with what he had gone through.

“Good enough,” said the boy, and Daniel turned to look at him, betrayed.

“Good enough? Kiddo, I will be made to drink rabbit fodder!” Ben snorted and Edwin got thoughtful.

“Well, all of you will benefit from a smoothie added to your meals, I guess. Now, you are children, so I won’t put you dieting, but you can support Daniel by drinking something fruity with him.”

Ben nodded and Rael stirred next to him. He, too, tried to speak as soon as he saw Edwin, but Ben nudged him between the ribs.

“Dany will be fine, don’t worry,” Ben had to explain to the boys why Daniel was staring at a letter and murmuring curses earlier that day. The ten-year-old had learned new curses from the warrior, and he was going to use them when he grew up. Edwin would probably wash his mouth with soap if he tried to utter them now.

“Lucy, Eli, wake up,” Edwin gently shook the two boys, leaving dirty prints on their blankets. The two hit him with a pair of puppy dog eyes, and Edwin resisted the urge to pet them.

“I’ll heal Daniel, if he can control himself. More, I can’t promise,” The two boys nodded and stood up. They were a bit stiff from sitting on the doorstep, but didn’t appear cold.

“What happened to you?” Asked Daniel once the boys were inside.

“Nothing much. Played with a man named Sebastian Black. He sent a wraith to clubber me on the head and bury me alive. Ever heard of him?” Edwin hadn’t, but he guessed that this must be a new necromancer on the stage.

“Well, I have heard the name before. He was rumored to resurrect dragons and make armies out of them. But that happened centuries ago. Plus, he had a final showdown with Karl Lambert and lost,” well, this was news for Edwin. But, if he had fought Lambert, he would be in the Boliarin’s autobiography. That was quite the boon.

“Do you think it is someone who got reincarnated?” That sounded silly even to Daniel’s own ears, and his ears colored red as he spoke.

“You believe in reincarnations?” Edwin had heard about people who were so afraid of death that they believed in an afterlife, even. But the undead was the only form of life after death there was. Unfortunately. He had seen more than one ghost to know that they lingered here and disappeared when the last of their mana left their bones.

“What? No! I mean, …a little,” mumbled Daniel, and he too entered the apartment. What a strange man this Daniel Hollow turns out to be, thought Edwin to himself. To believe in something so hopeful as a second chance in life.