Her eyes were glowing like a gem. Her eye color was the same as her name. Her long hair was wavy and fluttering with the wind, moving like a flickering flame.
When Brand's eye met with hers, he couldn't help but flinch.
Her demeanour was calm, but her eyes could instil fear in people. As if looking at the flame itself.
"R.. Ru..by?" Brand stuttered. Did everyone in the tribe have this habit of looking at people at such close distance?
He could feel Ruby's heat as their body almost touched each other.
"I'm just wondering, your eyes looked different from before." She replied while stepping back to open up some space.
This time, Brand was surprised for real. Was she suspecting his disguise?
'Just by looking at the eye?'
If it were the eyes, amnesia couldn't explain shit for the appearance difference.
"You ditched shield for sword?" Ruby looked at him with doubtful eyes.
"Not saying anything?" She asked.
'Seraphine?'
He tried to call Seraphine for an alibi, but she's not here. She would at least tell him to reply that he learn to deflect with a sword.
Instead, Brand wanted to tell her that he forgot. It would sound ridiculous that the amnesia made him forget how to use a shield.
She grabbed his hand and moved it closer to her. He would make inappropriate touch if she moved them closer than now.
But she stopped and let go of his hand, as if she had looked enough, and went back to his eyes, staring right at him.
"I…" Brand stuttered again.
He was supposed to tell her that he had forgotten how to use the shield and that his amnesia was too serious.
But he forgot about it, panicked.
Seeing that he didn't continue his sentence, Ruby spoke instead.
"Well, that was what my brother told me." She said.
"Brand, the amazing shield bearer of the Essen Clan."
"He would sometimes ramble on about the experience of duelling with you, or hunting for monsters together."
'So, Essen was using a shield as a weapon? But wait… I need to say something.'
He tried to get a hold of the conversation, but…
"Did you forget him as well?" Ruby glared at him.
Brand found her harder to deal with, compared to Karl. Was that why Karl quickly left?
But he now realised why she always looked at him with such fierce eyes, since arriving at the tribe village.
Her brother was along with Essen in the cursed expedition where everyone died, except Essen, who went missing. The tribe was unable to declare his death because they couldn't find his corpse.
This was also one of their custom, and they would call the missing person a wanderer. Deep inside, they hoped those who went missing weren't devoured by some beasts and would return.
But the next thing she said was what shocked him the most.
"Did you forget even our promise?" Her eyes looked like they were about to pierce him.
'What promise?'
Ruby left after saying that, leaving Brand standing at the training ground.
***
"You're still standing there?" Lena asked. She had already settled down her baggage and even had a bath.
Before this, she had left the training facility after Brand and Karl's battle concluded, and didn't stay to hear their conversation.
She thought Brand would be following after her shortly, but he was still not checked in to the inn yet.
It was not that she was worried about him, but she decided to go back to check on him.
After a while, she found him at the training facility, standing still at the training ground. She went up to him and nudged him. But he did not move or respond at all.
"Stun locked mentally." Seraphine giggled.
Lena retreated a few steps, decided to let him be, maybe he was meditating?.
"You continue your meditation, okay?" Lena whispered. She then proceeded to step into the facility. She had something to look for, after all.
It was then that Brand came back to his senses.
"Sera, Brand Essen was full of secrets," Brand whispered to Seraphine, even though there was no one at the training ground. All the warriors have already gone for lunch.
Brand decided to investigate Essen's background as his priority.
Where did he live?
Why did Elder Camila not let him stay where Essen used to live?
What's his relationship with others?
Let's start with Essen's house. Brand opened up the map function for navigation.
***
As Brand followed the navigation of the map, he found himself walking further away from the villager settlement. The sands, which were supposed to be dry due to long-term exposure to the sun, were damp instead.
He couldn't help but grow vigilant. It looked like monsters or bandits would appear out of nowhere. His hut was too secluded from the main tribe.
However, Brand noticed that it was not only the Essen's family hut. There were other huts as well, but they were abandoned.
"No wonder Elder Camila asked me to stay in the inn," He spoke to Seraphine, who was following him while flying.
It had been a long time since they could openly talk, without Brand feeling awkward, as it looked like he was talking with himself.
Seraphine was just humming a melody while flying beside Brand as if they were taking a stroll.
"It did seem like a stroll, as there was no life signal shown on the map." Brand monologued. "No life signal means no monsters."
Then he looked at Seraphine.
"Hey, Sera. Listening?" He asked.
"Yes~"
"Come to think of it. There must be a reason you chose Essen, right?" Brand asked the joyful angel. "The target to impersonate."
Seraphine stopped humming, and Brand looked at her. She suddenly looked serious, unlike her usual self.
She then ruffled Brand's hair.
"That's for you to find out!" She smiled widely, like a kid when praised.
"I will, but I had no one to share my thoughts besides you."
"Lately, I have been wondering what kind of person Essen was."
The elder was sentimental when talking to him. She seemed genuinely happy to see him.
Then, some villagers were surprised to see him, and the young warriors did not outrightly show hostility toward him.
The duel with Karl was clean and honorable. Although he did use some tricks…
"I wondered how my family was doing… were they missing me as well?"
"I'm sure they're doing fine," Seraphine reassured him.
Brand swore he would complete this task forced onto him and return to his world for the ones who missed him.