Vol.4 Ch.78 - We Were Once Again Reminded

“Yaaawn! G’morning…”“Ugh, mornin’.”“What’s wrong Anna? Didn’t sleep well last night?”“Ugh, not a wink! I kept twisting and turning in the damned bed, but no matterwhat I just couldn’t find a comfortable sleeping position. Do nobles alwayssleep in these beds? They’re way too soft, I practically sunk through!”“Hahah, yeah, I guess they are a bit different from the ones we have at home,but I certainly didn’t mind them.”“Geez, you get accustomed to these things way too easily! Whatever, let’sjust go get something to eat and get out of here. I ain’t spending another nightin this castle, plus we need to get that plant for Gramps as soon as possible.”As such, we got dressed back into our own clothes and went out into thecastle. It took no more than a minute before we met up with the maid,Mariabelle, as she carried the spare sheets I jokingly requested last night.Did she actually take my words seriously? This is hilarious...!“Good morning, dear guests.”“Morning, Mariabelle!” Anna answered her with a naïve tone.“Did you have a good sleep last night?”“Ugh, don’t mention it. I couldn’t get a wink of sleep…”At these slightly vague and misleading words, Mariebelle twitched for amoment and did a double take at Anna. Oh God, this is too good…!“O-Oh, i-is that so, Miss Anna?”“Yeah, I can barely walk straight after last night (because of my sore back).”Mariabelle immediately turned to me with a mixed expression. I went to readher mind just to see exactly what her thoughts on this were, but looks likeeven she was overwhelmed and at a loss for words. She sheepishly gave methe spares, suggesting that she wanted me to change the sheets myself whileshe pulled Anna aside.“Hey! Where are we going?!” Anna inquired.“We need to have a talk about your relationship…”“Our relationship?! Ed!? Hey!!”I don’t even mind her giving me her share of the job, this was definitelyworth it (lol).“Ed? What are you still doing in your room?” Adam came up behind mewhile I was making the bed.“Oh, Mariabelle was too lazy to do her job, so she told me to do it.”“What!? That damn maid, does she not care for Sol?”“So who is that Sol guy, anyway? I’ve heard his name mentioned everywherearound this castle.”“Come, I’ll tell you over breakfast. You must be starving.”Adam ushered me through the halls and seated me next to him in this bigempty dining room, where the other maids gave us our food. Honestly, it sortof felt like the dining hall back in ARA, just a lot emptier, since no one elsewas present besides us.“Hey Adam, where is everyone?”“Oh, they’re all out and about in the world. We Gryses have a lot of peoplewho rely on us, we’re known as a charitable and kind bunch after all, so itisn’t too rare to see the castle this empty. Honestly, you kind of lucked outwith having me be here when you came to visit.”“Huh. Well, you were saying something about that Sol guy, right? Whoexactly is he?”“To tell you the truth,” Adam sighed, “I don’t really know myself. I’veactually never met the guy myself, Mariabelle’s the only person in the castleto have ever seen him.”“Whoa, really?”“Yeah, he’s an extremely antisocial individual. There are even a handful ofrumors suggesting she made him up just so she could get this job, hoping wewould feel bad for her and give her a decent salary, but then that wouldn’texplain the inventions.”“Inventions?”“You haven’t noticed? Even with that AFP stuffed in your holster?”I looked to where he was pointing and took out my pistol, only to inspect thename of the manufacturer more closely. Sure enough, the name SOL wasetched on the handle. It was unmistakably him.“He created this thing?!”“Yup, and many other things apart from it, but that particular one was madeages ago. See, he’s put me in a bit of a pinch recently. He completely stoppedinventing new types of weaponry, and instead is trying out some sort ofpacifist act, inventing only things that you’d use in your day to day life, likeflashlights and utensils and stuff.”After stating this, he pointed to the very utensil that I was using to eat myplate. At first I thought what I was holding was just a weirdly shaped, foreignfork or something, but apparently not.“That there’s a spork. Another one of his inventions. It can be used as both aspoon and a fork.”“Whoa! That’s amazing! But… why would him not making weapons beproblematic for you? Isn’t it better that way?”“Ed, there’s no easy way to tell you this, but peace just doesn’t sell well.Weapons are an extremely profitable market, especially down south, incontinents like Sulfury and such.”I was taken aback from his very real comment, and frowned while eating myfood. I didn’t want to accept that this is the way the world worked, much lessthat the Royal Family is funding weapons used in wars, but then again I’mjust a traveler who doesn’t understand even a bit of the rest of the world. Forall I knew, this could be the norm for every country apart from the ones I’vevisited, and I could just be playing ignorant to that fact.“Hey Ed?”“Yeah?”“You gonna finish that?” Adam said as he pointed his spork towards myplate.***“You guys sure you don’t wanna stay a bit longer?” Adam asked us at thefront gates.“Nah, it was never our intention to crash here. We just needed to exchangeour money somehow, but you went above and beyond and gave us a ride toUmoris too. We couldn’t ask for more.”“Right!” Said Anna, “Thank you very much!”“Don’t worry about it.”While we were busy talking, Mariabelle was busy putting our stuff in thetransport wagon (and not enjoying doing so one bit). She was murmuringsome pretty harsh words directed at both me and Adam, but thankfully only Icould hear them because of my Analyze ability (if Adam heard her, then whoknows what would become of her…)“Well, that’s all of it. Also, here you go, guys! A gift from Sol!” Mariabellesaid as she gave us a package.“Whoa?! What’s this?!”“Like I said, a gift from Sol. After I told him you guys came here, he didn’twant you to leave empty handed, so he gave you a parting gift. Well, aren’tyou gonna open it and see what it is?”“Huh, what’s this?” Anna said.“Wait, are those… sporks?” I figured, “That’s so thoughtful of him! Gifting usa batch of his very own inventions, I wish I could thank him personally!”“Hehe, I’ll tell him you were happy to receive them.”“No kidding, these are gonna be wonderful for the restaurant!”“Hold on, there’s something else in here…” Anna rummaged through the boxa bit more, “Ed, it has your name on it.”It does? So were all these sporks meant for Anna? That kind of makes mesad… and a tad bit jealous. Seriously, who is this Sol punk? He already hasMariabelle, does he want to start a harem or something? I ain’t letting him getto my Annie that easily!“Wait, is this…?” I said while Anna put it in my hands.“What is it?” Adam asked.It’s… a star shaped necklace. The craftsmanship is impeccable, and thematerial feels weighty as well. Certainly, it’s made of high tier materials, butwhy a star of all things? The fact that it also has my name etched in the centerof it is also a bit concerning… I mean, yeah, it’s a nice gift and all, butdoesn’t this feel way too sentimental to give to someone you’ve never evenmet before?“Mariabelle, thanks so much for this, and thank Sol as well. Next time wecome here, please introduce me to him.”“Of course,” She smiled, “you’ll surely get along well. I just know it.”And with that, we hopped into the wagon and headed to Umoris. The roadfrom Centralis to there was actually quite developed, and there were hardlyany bumps on the way there.“Hey Ed?” Anna stopped looking out from the window to ask me something,“Mariabelle told me something this morning…”Ah, so Mariabelle took her away to tell her about my prank. Looks like Ifinally get my due diligence, now Anna’s probably gonna get all mad at mefor suggesting to the maid that we were fooling around.“M-Mariabelle and that Sol are in a… physical relationship.” She said shyly.“Yeah, so I’ve heard.”“R-Right, but, she said they’re not a couple. They’re just doing… it,casually.”“I don’t see where you’re going with this.”“I’m saying!!” Her voice quivered while she raised her volume, “I-Is itreally okay to do that? L-Like, just… sleep together, even when you’re not acouple?”What has this maid been teaching her?“Well, who knows? Maybe it’s alright, maybe it isn’t, but the way I see it, itisn’t any of our business to judge them-”Just then, I noticed how close our faces were to each other’s. Since we weresitting next to one another, and the wagon was a bit tight, it really only tookthe both of us turning to each other to get this close. Goddammit, since theconversation is all naughty, I can’t think of anything but that!“Hey, Ed…” She inched her face closer to mine without breaking eyecontact.W-Whoa, what’s gotten into her!? Oh God, she smells so good! N-Nevermind that! H-Her lips! Her lips are getting close! I-Is she planning on goingin for a kiss?!“How about we also…-”Just then, a loud thump could be heard as the transport wagon bumped up anddown. Looks like we hit something, but I can’t help but feel a bitdisappointed with the timing…“You alright?” I made sure Anna wasn’t hurt before peeking out of thewindow to ask the driver what happened, “Hey, driver! What the hell is-!”In that very moment, I saw death staring right at me. The driver’s body wasgetting brutally munched on by a pack of Stray Wolves, and they werecertainly not gonna be satisfied with just him. My shouting immediately gottheir attention, and a couple of them immediately jumped at me.I closed the window at the last second, barely avoiding death by a hair’sbreadth. Anna asked me what was going on, but I was too shaken up toanswer her. I couldn’t think, the situation was just too dire. Maybe if we run?But we wouldn’t make it far… Gah, fuck!!!“Ed, what’s going on?”With tears falling to my cheeks, I turned to a confused Anna who didn’t evenknow the situation that was unfolding around us. The cart was being attackedfrom all angles, and no one was gonna come save us. I silently gulped, wipedaway my tears, and recalled Grim’s words about keeping her safe. I triedsmiling to her, as if to tell her Everything’s gonna be alright! but I’m not likeGrim! I can’t do it…“Anna… I’m not Grim.”“…I know.”“I’m not strong, I’m not brave, and I’m certainly not able to protect youwithout a hint of fear showing.”“…”“We’re being attacked by a pack of Stray Wolves. The same ones Grimfought all those years ago. There’s at least a dozen of them waiting justoutside that door.”“!!!” Anna raised her eyebrows in surprise.“But even still...” I reached into my holster and grabbed my pistol, ”I’mEdward Saint. I promised Arthur I’ll keep you safe on this trip, and I intendto follow through with that until the bitter end. I can’t guarantee you we’llmake it out of this, though. Just… be prepared to run if things get dicey.”“Ed,” Anna gripped the hand that was holding the pistol firmly, “You are notLune, and that’s okay. Lune would never be this honest with me about thesituation, and he’d never have made this trip as fun as you did. You are you,and that’s just how I like it.”I felt as if I had heard the words of a Goddess right then and there. All thedoubts I’ve been thinking about endlessly suddenly washed away by just afew of her words. She values me, and I value her, which is exactly why Igotta calm down and give it my all in defending her.“And another thing,” She said as she stood behind me, “I’m not gonna run.Even if they eat me alive, I’m not leaving your side.”After that, the doors to the wagon were starting to give in to the force, and thehinges started to come undone. It was only a matter of time before these StrayWolves entered, but I had a plan.The door was narrow, and the wagon was small. If I just aimed properly, Icould shoot all of them the moment they came in, since they’d be coming insingle file. Now the only question is how fast I can reload…“Here we go.”Just like that, the doors opened. And I shot. The force sent me flying back, butI quickly recovered to reload. Another Stray Wolf came rushing in. I fired offanother round. It hit it straight in the face. And another one, and another one.It felt like a never ending loop, and just as I was beginning to run out ofammo.“…”“…Is it over?”I checked if Anna was okay, then slowly creeped up on the door to stick myhead out and check.“RAAAAWR!!!” The last Stray Wolf lunged at me, ready to chomp my entirehead in one bite.This was it! I can’t dodge it in time…!“Take this!!” Anna stabbed its neck with one of the sporks that were lying onthe ground, “Now Ed! Shoot it while it’s down!”“Right!” I shouted as I gripped my pistol tightly, “You ain’t getting us thateasily you fucker!”Bang!“…”It’s over. It’s finally, without a doubt, over. The adrenaline had finally wornout, leading to me falling to my knees from all the shock and fear thatgradually built up over time. But I couldn’t rest now, we were in the middleof nowhere still, and if we were to stay here any longer, I’m sure more ofthese fucks would come.I silently got up, hugged Anna with all my might, and then went to the driver’sseat. I pushed his dead body off onto the ground and sat in his place as Irevved the engine up. Silently, without a word, we escaped this deadlypredicament without a single wound, and drove all the way to Umoris.