"Alright, it's a long story though, so get a chair. We stopped at a town near the Mordrigan Peaks when Nassandra…" Some time later, she continued, "There were these big bugs. Like this big." She used her hands. "They had a bunch of legs and spat silk! The silk was super, super fast!" Even later, "Boom! Bang! That huge monster wouldn't budge! It felt unbeatable, you know? Then wham! The whole floor broke underneath us!" More than half an hour later, "Water flooded the cavern and almost washed everyone away! It was really bad…" Finally, she concluded, "And that's everything that happened."
Their mother had returned at some point with food, and she had been eating throughout her narration. It was surprisingly easy to work up an appetite, she thought. Her family was silent. Although Robert was still nestled in her arms, he stopped crying. Her mother looked troubled and unsure of what to say. Charles, however, knew exactly what to say.
He quipped, "Your storytelling sucks."
"Huh?"
"It sucks so bad that I didn't feel any tension."
"What? How could you say that? It was great!" Shirley was appalled.
Charles stared at her with pitiful eyes. "It's okay. You don't have to say anymore."
"…"
"Are we going to be okay? So many monsters are nearby," Robert mumbled.
"I heard the kingdom's going to send the army to secure the mountains," Charles answered.
"But… if our sister can't handle it, how can they?"
"It should be fine. We have Protector Avin and the Conquestian here. Not to mention, there's the Featherwind Sect too," he tried to reassure.
"Shirley, I want you to quit being a Royal Guard," their mother suddenly interrupted.
"Wha-What do you mean?" Shirley was taken aback.
Adel reached up and caressed her cheeks, as if she wanted to make sure Shirley was really there, alive and breathing. A motherly warmth reflected on her face, tinged by a deep sadness. It stabbed into Shirley's heart like a knife. The woman slowly explained, "Last time, I let you join the war, because I thought you would be fine, that you could handle it, but… when we heard about the Battle of Liguang, and how everyone died there, I…" Her eyes turned red as she choked on her words. "I thought we lost you. I kept telling myself that I shouldn't have let you go, that it was my mistake that killed you. And now, just when you finally came back to us, less than a month later, you're almost dead again. Do you know how I feel?"
Shirley said nothing, but her chest burned. It was hard to breathe. A large amount of guilt built up inside her. To see her mother on the verge of tears pained her more than all of her injuries combined.
"I don't want to see you like this," Adel resumed with a firm tone. "So, I want you to quit. As for money, I've been talking to the ladies at the market. They've offered me a job that I'll be starting tomorrow. Your brother can help with money too."
"I'm still an apprentice blacksmith though." Charles scratched his head.
She nodded. "You've inherited our family's technique, so I know you'll do well. It'll be hard to fund Robert's schooling, but we'll manage somehow."
"Wait a minute, I never said I would-" Shirley started to say, when she was cut off.
"What?" Adel snapped back. "Are you saying you want to keep getting hurt?"
"No, I…"
"I thought about it. Tomorrow, after I finish work, I'll ask Princess Elizabeth to remove you from the Royal Guards. After that, I'll help you find work. I know that you're unhappy, because you're a Perception Realm and whatnot, but it's better for you. Trust your mother on this. Of course, if you find someone to marry, I won't say no. Your father proposed to me early too. As for children… we can discuss that when you're older."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Shirley pleaded. "You're not listening to me!"
Her mother crossed her arms. "Go on then."
"I'm not going to quit being a Royal Guard."
"And your reason being?"
"I-"
She started speaking, when she broke into a violent coughing fit. A huge migraine hit her, making her sick and dizzy. She was on the verge of vomiting. Robert jumped to his feet and grabbed a glass of water. Since Shirley's arms were broken, he helped pour it into her mouth, while massaging her back. He was studying to become a physician, after all. This much was expected from him.
"How are you feeling?" Charles asked.
"I think I need some more rest. Can everyone leave?"
"Alright. If you need anything, call for us."
The two boys exited the room. Their mother lingered, as she gently tucked Shirley into bed. Seeing how defenseless her daughter was, it felt like she was transported to the past, when Shirley was a young little girl. It broke her heart. She vowed to protect Shirley in her own way. That was the dignity of a mother!
At a similar time, Freon found himself in an unfamiliar room. The comfortable bed, the grand room, and the opulent furniture… Everything clearly belonged to a wealthy family. In the Zino Kingdom, that meant a Hochlaegen, or maybe an Engelsheft Family. He immediately thought of the Arkfell Family after the events last year, but Ten Dawn Rosemary perished in the war. The new patriarch, Lord Denno Arkfell, was a stranger. In that case, where was he? He had no idea. But forget about that, the more pressing matter was Elizabeth, Nassandra, and the others. The second he tried to move, a scorching pain attacked him from every angle and paralyzed him. Cold sweat rolled down his back, as he hissed. He decided to stop fidgeting. His body was in very poor condition. Coincidentally, someone opened the door at that moment. Freon tensed until he saw who it was.
"You're awake," his uncle said.
"Where is this?"
The man furrowed his brow. "That's the first thing you say? No thanks for saving you? I see you're as rude as always."
Freon was dazed. "Uh…"
"Forget it. This is our home for now."
"Huh? What about Nassandra, and-"
"Your sister is resting next door. As for your other friends, they're safe as well."
"That's good." He relaxed his shoulders, only to wince.
"I didn't fully heal your injuries. Let that be a lesson. If I hadn't come, you and your sister would have died."
"There was no other choice. Nassandra went missing, and we-"
"I heard from Lord Fredrick. I'll be talking with Nassandra later. Regardless, that doesn't excuse your foolishness. You were in over your head. You should have thought things out properly. In the worst case scenario, you should have retreated and asked for help. It wasn't something you should have attempted alone!" Protector Avin scolded fiercely.
Freon awkwardly lowered his gaze, because his uncle was right. There was nothing he could say.
"This is the third time. First was the Whispering Shadow, second was Yongtein, and now this. Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Huh?"
His uncle chuckled quietly, though there was no humor in his eyes. "A normal person wouldn't go through half the problems that you do in their lifetime. I don't know what you're trying to do, whether it's plain stupidity, a grudge against me, or you just want to kill yourself, but spit it out. I want to know why you're doing this."
"What? I'm not doing this because I want to!"
"It doesn't seem like that to me. Either way, this is the last time I will be saving you. From now on, if you choose to up and die, that's your decision to make. I won't intervene anymore."
Freon grinded his teeth as his anger swelled. He had no idea what came over him. Perhaps it was due to his injuries or what his uncle said, but he eventually dryly laughed. "You're only saving me, because you need me for the Arcellius Family, right? Because I awakened the family's Bloodline Ability, right? You don't actually care about me or my sister!"
"So that's what this is about?" Protector Avin grimaced.
"From the very beginning, you kept going on and on about the Arcellius Family. You never asked us how we've been, how we survived, or how we felt about it. You never took our feelings into consideration. Even when you saved me from the Whispering Shadow, you did it because I awakened my Bloodline Ability! If it wasn't for that, you wouldn't have given a damn about me! Well, do you know what I think? Fuck your Arcellius Family!"