Eden and Expat walked to the town located to the right of the main castle. They followed Expat's guide, Pixie, to the place where the NPC's would go after their duties were complete. It was like a whole new experience for Eden because she hadn't ventured into this part of her own castle. Each NPC had their own assigned living space, but they could socialize. There was a common area for them to gather and small markets for their necessities. Something that Eden noticed was that there were no children NPCs. It was either teens or adults that ranged from their 20's to a little over retired age 65.
They got to a building and walked up the stairs to the 3rd floor. Expat didn't knock, he just opened the door and walked in. Eden didn't know how to feel about that since it's customary to knock before entering and this is Expat's domain. She walked in after him and saw Menky sitting in a rocking chair facing the window. The place seemed normal for an apartment of the era the game was projected to be. Eden had asked her Generals to stay outside until they were done talking to Menky. As she sat on a rocking chair opposite of Menky, she noticed he was crying. Eden looked around for a napkin and saw a towel hanging in the kitchen. Then rushed over to grab it and began to dry his tears. Menky stopped crying when he finally looked away from the window. His personality suddenly changed. He smiled and greeted them with a cheery tone, "my liege, how may I be of service, forgive me for not responding to your summons. My home is much too small for company." Menky had raised to stand and then bowed his head. Eden's lips pressed in a thin line for a moment and then took in a deep breath. "Menky, why have you been hiding in Expat's castle?" Menky's body began to shake in fear as he replied, "I am but a mere butcher that works in the market and makes deliveries." Eden continued, "Menky, what happened to you? You were just crying." Menky kept bowing and said, "I apologize for not responding to your summonings, what can I help you with." Eden looked at Expat for help. Expat didn't understand why Eden was interested in the NPC's behavior but he decided to help. "I command you to answer Eden honestly without the script you were given." Menky froze and he began to sweat. Eden asked, "are you Menky?" Menky trembled and answered shakenly " Ye Ye Ye Yes." The room went dark and troops entered the apt. They grabbed Menky and announced, "we are the knights of the Admin to execute the consequences for breaking game rules. User Menky will be held in the dungeon under the throne castle to serve his sentence." Eden tried to stop them, "wait! I'm not done talking to him, he did nothing wrong!" She looked at Expats who also tried to stop them by saying, "this is my domain, I make the rules here." They kept walking towards a wagon with a cell. "Stop them!," Eden yelled at her generals. Eden's generals began to move and then a sudden shock traveled through them that made them fall to their knees. The same happened to Expat's guards. Eden ran to prevent them from getting on their horses, but a forcefield stopped her from getting close and blew her away. Then with a bright light they vanished.
Unsure of what to say, Expat walked to stand next to Eden who was still on the ground. She was on her knees trying to process what just happened. She then asked Expat, "You don't recall Menky or ever coming across him?" Expat tried to remember, "I don't but maybe Pixie can locate a record of my interaction with him." Looked at Pixie who was sitting on his shoulder and said, "Pixie, find a report or mail that has username Menky." Pixie disappeared and reappeared with a battle report and a few letters with Menky's seal stamped on and unopened. Eden grabbed the report and reviewed it. There were no troops, just resources and goods attained from Menky's castle. Then she scrolled down more, It stated Menky, dead. She looked at the time and date. Eden then called Erza to show herself. Erza uncloaked and appeared near the Generals. Eden had the habit of having her cloaked to be out of sight and because other's guides couldn't be near her, she ordered Erza to stay at a distance with the generals.
Eden looked at Erza," What is the time and date when I was appointed leader?" Erza pulled out a scroll from inside her robe and read out loud the time stamp. It was 4 hours prior to Expats battle report. Erza walked closer to Eden to hand her the scroll. Pixie flew behind Expat and sat a few feet away from them on a stud from a porch. Expat followed Pixie with his eyes in confusement. Eden then opened the letter from Menky to Expat and read the contents. They were requests to join the DRK alliance, requests to stop plundering members and the final letter was the promise to not fight back if he decided to remove his protective shield over the castle.
Eden crumbled the last letter and started at her feet to ask Expat, "Why didn't you open the letters or remember you once attacked this man?" Expat inhaled deeply and exhaled, "When I was with FTG all we did was plunder and take what we could to improve our own strength. It's part of the game. I don't recall Menky because he was one of many I took from. They all write and say unnecessary things. If they die, then they can return and rebuild. That is what I understood the game to be." Eden released the paper in her hand and it tumbled away with the wind. She felt her chest swell a little thinking of what caused Menky to give up and become an NPC in someone else's castle. Another mystery she didn't have an explanation for. She just felt like it was not what Menky had in mind when he did what he did. Then she suddenly thought of all the ones she killed in the process with the same reasoning. She felt just as disturbed with the thought. Eden got up and began walking to Thunder without looking at Expat. She felt shame for her own actions. How can she look anyone in the eyes after having come to a realization that she was responsible for others just like Menky. Then Expat said from behind, "you can't blame yourself for the things you didn't know." Eden looked at Expat and said, "if you plan on attacking anyone, just try to remember their face and their name. Perhaps they could live on knowing they aren't forgotten."
Eden wanted to return to her own castle and visit her own town to see if there were others she recognized, but how to face them. What would she say and what if they ended the same way Menky ended as. How would she get Menky out was her next question.
Eden decided to continue her original plan and test out Erza's limitations. To Eden, it was still important to get stronger to get the throne and see if she can visit the dungeon. Erza had a sword now but it wasn't utilized. In battle she wants Erza to serve as an aid and in meetings she wants Erza to serve as a substitute. They arrived at the location Eden marked on the map. It was full of bosses and other smaller monsters to practice on. Eden began to instruct Erza how to swing the sword and with every new move she named it. Then she named the combination. Eventually there were enough combinations for Erza to battle alone. After a few monsters, the test was for Erza to battle alone with help of the Generals. Erza defeated a few more bosses before they got to some advanced ones. It was there that Eden noticed Erza didn't respond without a command during a fight. Then Eden said, "Erza, you are to respond to any attack against you with whatever combination or single strike you see more advantageous." With that, it changed the way of Erza's fighting style. She didn't look like a stumbling baby anymore, she seemed like a natural warrior. One that has mastered all forms of strikes and attacks. Eden was mesmerized. The Generals seemed like helpless puppies in her presence. Eden then got the idea to have Erza train her generals to improve their XP points which would upgrade them in battle formations and tactics.
The day was almost over and Eden had returned to the castle tired, but she still forced herself to stay up and walk to the town. She looked around and paused at every face she came across. Each one would greet Eden with cheer and kindness when they would realize she was staring. Eden got to well where a lady with long hair was humming and making a crown made of flowers. The lady jumped up as she saw Eden approach her. Before Eden was able to say anything, the lady had reached to her pile and planted a crown on Eden's head. She smiled and said, "thank you my liege for keeping us safe." Eden's cheeks turned pink and then a flash of memory crossed her mind. It was the same lady wearing armor and her hair was in a braided pony tail. She has heavy eyeliner on a dark burgundy lipstick on. She had her sword pointed to Eden. She smiled and said, "I'm glad it was you." Then in Eden's memory, she swiftly went past her and cut her down with one strike. Eden shook her head and saw that the lady was still smiling at her. Eden quickly thanked her and walked away.
As Eden tried to recall the name of the lady, she bumped into a man. The man apologized and bowed his head. Another flash of memory ran through Eden's mind. The same man was bowing down on his knees as he said, "please, I'm already weaker than you. It was my mistake to attack your member. I won't do it again." In her memory, Eden said, "you definitely won't do it again. This is the price you pay." Eden took a step back and her blood drained from her face as another memory emerged. This was of another man who she had slain for pillaging one of her members. She turned around at the second man she bumped on. Eden then began to walk back to her castle. With every person she bumped along the way, a new memory emerged.
Back in Eden's room, she was shaken up by the sudden memories. She had asked the servant girl to leave her hot chocolate on the table for her to pick up. She didn't want anymore memories emerging from contact with them. She stared into space and finally asked Erza, "what are these memories?" Erza uncloaked to answer, "some are your memories and some are the memories of their last battle with someone else." Eden then asked, "are you able to tell me more in detail about this?" Erza shook her head, "No, since you have discovered this on your own, I can only confirm your suspicions or explain the phenomenon you are experiencing. That is what I am allowed to do at the moment." "Can you confirm that they are all previous users, not NPCs?" Eden asked as she took a sip of her drink. Erza nodded, "I can distinguish who are humans. They are mixed in to blend in the background." Eden then asked, "can I talk to them without them being in trouble?" "You can talk to them as you please without inquiring about their past," answered Erza. "What about their consciousness, is it restricted?" asked Eden as her eyes began to collect water. "I advise you not to ask them to step outside the role they have been assigned." Eden lowered her head in a bit of defeat. "Your heart is in a good place," added Erza.