CHAPTER 23

When my first dad was alive, he always went overseas. Me and third mom would visit dad at the airport before he went on a business trip. He always brought presents for me and mum. He never forgot those. One day, there was an accident. I didn’t remember where he went back then, but all I can remember is that people said he was cut into two. His corpse was in one piece. As far as I know, embalmers disguised the corpse a bit in order to make it presentable for the family. Maybe that’s why I never saw his body in two pieces. I don’t know where the body was separated, but I’m thankful that I don’t have to see it.

My second father married my third mom years after that. He was nice to me. He treated me like her own daughter. He was the one that financed mom’s bakery. He never explicitly told us what he did for a living. All we knew is that the money keep coming and our lives continue to be better. One day, it was revealed that he was in some sort of gang. He extorted protection money from people that we didn’t know. Due to greed, he raised the payment more than what people could afford. A couple killed him with a knife and a gun. Mom and I were lucky that we never caught the attention of my second father’s enemies. We laid low for as long as we can. We remained as tax-paying citizens that obeyed the law, and we were rewarded with peace.

When my stalker began causing trouble in the bakery, we thought that he was my second father’s enemy. We were very cautious and anxious that he would aim for our lives. It turned out that he was simply aiming for me. He wants me for himself without asking me. He wants me to be his prized possession, a doll that he can admire on his whim. This doll isn’t going down without a fight! Come to me! I’ll break your head wide open!

The first thing I see is a dancing wall. It is orange in color and it has no predetermine shape. Once in a while, a piece of it breaks then disappears. It’s a flame. A bonfire.

I activate Dwarvel and Steam Sapien. I’m in a house. I would say that it’s a living room, but the wall is not man-made. It is natural. A cave. It reminds me of the cave I slept before. If I had been in there for years, I would’ve turned it into a home too. Maybe I would bring the…

Where are they?! Are they here? It doesn’t seem that way. I’m the only one lying down in the living room. If Timothy, Salty Ray, or Wanda was found, surely my host would bring them here too.

What happened back then? Wanda’s baseball bat saved her life, but it did nothing in a fight. Salty Ray’s knuckledusters didn’t help when we’re up against better equipments. We’re underequipped and underprepared. We didn’t know what we’re up against but we marched through it anyway. This is all my fault! I was the one that suggested them to go to Bread Village! If I didn’t, maybe they would still be by my side right now!

For now, there is the question whether the Ambrous Knights got me right now. They want my Keyward Stone. It is still in my metallic arm. If they can beat my entire party, then surely they can take this stone away from me. The fact that I still have it means that they’re not my host.

Second possibility is that my stalker is the host. This house could be his way of making a home for us. Adding to the fact that the rest of my party isn’t here, he could’ve eliminated them so that no one can disrupt his insane fantasy. If it’s really him, then I’ll need to pretend to be friendly before I can stab his back!

Could Nostrazeus be a candidate? In fiction, the caretaker of the injured main character is usually someone that’ll train them. Nostrazeus can certainly teach me a thing or two. But I don’t think that it’s him. He didn’t have any access into the sealed area before I broke it. He couldn’t made this house in a day or two. It has to be someone else.

Someone is coming! I turn off my abilities except for the arm that has the Keyward Stone. Let’s see who it is!

It is a pair of white-haired men. Both are younger than Nostrazeus, but they have the same facial characteristic as him. One is taller while the one is broader. His brothers?

“Ah! You’re awake?” said the taller one.

“Of course she’s awake,” said the broader one. “Everyone can see that.”

“I have to start my sentence with something, you know?”

“We’re beyond starting now. Let’s say hi to her.”

“Hi. I’m Nostrades. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Nostreidon. Nice to meet you too.”

Wait a minute. Nostrazeus is Nostradamus plus Zeus. Does Nostrades equals Nostradamus plus Hades? Then, Nostreidon equals Nostradamus plus Poseidon? Who made this terrible name?

I can complain later. I need to introduce myself first.

“Hi, I’m Suzanna. I’m new here.”

“An Adventurer?” asks Nostrades. “Did you come from inside or outside of Keyward Stone?”

Should I tell them the truth? If I did, they could be trying to kill me the way Nostrazeus did. Let’s see their reaction.

“I think I’m from inside.”

“You must be trapped too, huh?” asks Nostreidon. “I hope that you like your stay here because we’ve been here for years.”

Wait. They didn’t realize that I have a Keyward Stone! That means that they don’t know that I’m from World Number 1. I should find out what else they know.

“What’s going on? I remember being chased by some knights.”

“Ah! That must be Ambrous Knights!” says Nostrades. “They chased us out of Bread Village when the Fey portal appeared.”

“They called it Low Leyline Point. I called it problems.”

Wait what?! Are you saying that I’ve been chasing a Fey portal all this time? If I go there, I would go to the Fey’s world? Thank goodness I didn’t succeed! I can barely survive against one Fey! Let alone an entirely world full of them!

“Big bro tried to claim it back but he never came back,” says Nostreidon.

That might be Nostrazeus. Let’s poke it a bit.

“Big brother?”

“His name is Nostrazeus,” says Nostrades. “He has white hair like us. It’s our trademark appearance in the village.”

“He managed to get to the Sorcerous Lake but he never came back with Adventurers,” says Nostreidon.

Wait. Nostrazues wants to find Adventurers? As in, he wants to be in a party to beat Ambrous Knights? Are you serious? The same Nostrazeus that tried to kill me? Something must’ve turned him into an anti-Adventurer. Let’s see what else I can dig out of them.

“What is Sorcerous Lake?”

“It’s a lake here in the sealed area,” says Nostrades. “If you bathe in it, it’ll give you a new species. The problem is, everyone else besides Adventurers would have a chance to die if they tried.”

“Our brother succeeded. I don’t remember what he got, but it’s as good as a class to me.”

Okay. That sounds like a good place for a power up in case I need one. What am I talking about. Of course I need one! I got beaten! Next question.

“Where can I find it?”

“Oh, it’s east from here. You won’t miss it.”

“Careful not to mess with the Ladies of the Lake. They’re more cagey since Ambrous Knights came.”

We’re in Arthurian territory now. Charming. Nostrazeus made it, so there should be some sort of trials that he passed. Wait a minute. Did he get the sledgehammer from the lake? Next lore drop please.

“Can I get a weapon if I go there?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Not that I know of either.”

Okay. Sledgehammer unconfirmed. Let’s focus more on the ladies.

“Who’s the Ladies of the Lake?”

“They were once villagers like us. Like everyone else, they wanted to see what would happen if they enter the water. They never returned to the village after that.”

“We don’t know what changed them. Some of the Ladies claimed that they never even drrink the water.”

Okay. Let’s break it down. The name Ladies imply that they’re female. If some of them never drink it, it means that being near the lake can change them mentally. That would explain why Nostrazeus went from looking for Adventurers to killing them. They never mentioned that anything bad would happen to an Adventurer. Let’s ask anyway.

“Is there any Adventurers among the Ladies of the Lake?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Adventurers turn out fine after drinking it.”

Okay. Less risk for me. Next lore dump.

“I’ve seen that Ambrous Knight made an obsidian wall. Why?”

“That wall? I heard that the Feys are weak to them.”

“Some said that it slowed the spread of Contractuary.”

Okay. That makes sense. I have to destroy the wall then. Just in case.

“I heard that there’s Demons and Feys around here.”

Both of them raise their shoulders.

Okay. I got everything I need to know out of them. I should be going out, but I do need to recover. No matter. I was given hospitality, therefore, I should accept them. The struggle can wait.