The next day, Violet and I headed towards Valren Island, as promised, to meet Erik.
"This... doesn't look good," she commented, staring at the half-destroyed buildings and the poorly patched streets.
"I think among the islands, this was the unluckiest one, since a Grade 4 monster appeared. The fact that there are still people alive is already a miracle."
"Are you serious? A Grade 4 monster?" she asked, shocked.
"Yes."
"You're not lying, right?"
"Not when I almost died because of that thing."
"..."
We kept walking as I checked the state of the island. It looked like, during the days I had been away, the repairs had continued at a steady pace, but it was clear it would still take some time before returning to its former state.
I turned to Violet and sighed. Walking by her side was not easy at all. Not when her whole body was radiating tension. Her tail, poorly hidden under the cloak, was twitching nervously, and her ears, pressed under the hood, flickered at every little noise.
"Just curious, when was the last time you went out during the day?"
"...I forgot."
Hearing her apathetic tone, I frowned. I knew Violet's situation wasn't easy. Ever since she was a child, she had attracted unwanted attention for being a beastkin, a race highly sought after in the archipelago, so it was natural to see her constantly on guard. And yet, seeing her so bent under fear… it bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
"Do you remember I told you that I would make sure you could finally take your fate back into your own hands?"
"Yes... why are you bringing it up now?" she asked, oddly.
"Nothing special, it just feels like now is the right moment to help you take that extra step."
Before she could react, I ripped the cloak off her. Immediately, her eyes widened as she quickly covered her ears and tried to hide her tail under her shirt, looking around in panic.
"A-Are you crazy?!"
She looked furious, glaring at me with resentment, but from my point of view, she was nothing more than a terrified child.
Violet's outburst seemed to catch the attention of some passersby, which only made her condition worse.
"You're hyperventilating, Violet."
"I-I! Y-You—"
"Focus only on me and breathe deeply."
Her pupils darted left and right, looking for exits that didn't exist. I grabbed her face firmly, forcing her to look into my eyes.
"Focus only on me and breathe. Ignore what's around you and don't let people's eyes chain you down, or do you want to keep living in fear like the child you once were?"
Sometimes, for stubborn people, pushing on their pride was the best way to motivate them.
I saw Violet grit her teeth, glaring at me with anger, but I noticed how her eyes regained clarity and her breath became calm again.
"Better?"
"...I hate you," she said bitterly, but instead of being offended, I smiled with satisfaction.
"Good. It's better to hate someone with all your heart than to live in fear."
I kept walking, and she followed just behind me like a shadow, her body slightly bent, head lowered. It was already a step forward that she could bear people's stares, but I wanted more from her.
"Walk straight and don't try to hide what you are."
"Easy for you to say," she muttered through clenched teeth. "My whole life I've been hunted like some kind of rare animal, what do you know about that?!"
"Absolutely nothing. But that doesn't mean you should think of yourself as inferior to others. On the contrary, from my point of view, you are worth much more than most of the people in this archipelago. Besides, you're forgetting something."
"...What?"
"You're not a child anymore. Your race won't give you great strength, but your agility is far above that of many new awakeners."
"And what about the others?"
"Did you forget who you have by your side?"
"You're telling me you'd protect me against Grade 1 and above?" she asked with irony.
"Yes."
Without adding anything more, I kept walking, while she stood momentarily frozen.
"What are we to you?... what am I to you?"
Turning around, I could see her unease, but also a trace of curiosity. Maybe she and many others would never understand me, even think I was strange, but it didn't matter. If I could make amends for what I had caused them, that would be more than enough.
"Someone worth saving," I answered honestly.
"What—"
"We've arrived."
She looked at the building and then back at me.
"You're trying to change the subject."
"Exactly. Now, if you will."
I motioned her to follow me.
As I moved inside, some people glanced at me and then at the person following me, but no one said anything. Almost everyone already knew my position there, so nobody thought of stopping me, and Violet seemed to have noticed that, too.
"Exactly... what is your position here?"
"External assistant."
"And what does that even mean?"
I ignored her whisper when I heard someone calling me.
"Adel!"
Right after, I was wrapped in a hug, and I returned the gesture, since it was Lena.
"I'm back."
"You could have told me, I could have prepared something nice."
She ruffled my hair with a smile.
After our last argument, Lena had become more tolerant of my way of living, but it was clear she still worried about me a lot.
"Unfortunately, I won't stay long. I need to talk to Erik."
"That's a pity," she said, looking down. Then her gaze shifted to Violet.
"And who is she?"
"Lena, this is Violet, a friend of mine. Violet, this is Lena, my sister."
"...It's amazing how two people can be so similar yet so different."
I noticed the hidden insult in her tone, but pretended not to.
"She's so... adorable!"
Not even Violet could escape Lena's embrace, who held her tight.
"NYAAA!"
Violet's cry only fueled Lena's cuteness overdose.
"Sister, if you keep that up, you'll make her uncomfortable."
"Oh! Right."
As soon as Lena released her, Violet hid behind me. She must have been traumatized enough to see me as someone trustworthy.
"Forgive her. She didn't mean to scare you, but she can't resist cute things."
"C-Cute?"
I noticed her cheeks redden and gave her a strange look.
"You're nineteen and you get embarrassed when someone calls you cute? What are you, ten?"
"Die!"
Her embarrassment quickly turned to anger, and she tried to punch me, but I blocked it easily.
Slap!
What I didn't expect was for my sister to smack me on the head. I looked at her, speechless.
"Why?"
"Learn to respect girls." Then she turned to Violet with a resigned look. "As you can see, in some ways he's a lost cause."
Magically, I had become the focus of the conversation.
"Now that I think about it, she's not bad," Violet muttered with a satisfied smile, seeing I couldn't do anything against Lena.
"Well, we're leaving."
"Bye~"
As we passed her, I saw her wink at me with a mischievous smile. Just as I expected, she had definitely gotten the wrong idea.
It will be hard to change her mind...
We kept walking until we reached Erik's office. One of the guards tried to say something, but I ignored him and stepped in, finding Erik and Alfred discussing in front of a large map.
"Ever heard of the concept of knocking?"
"What? Worried I might catch you in an embarrassing moment?"
I saw him rub his forehead, then both of their eyes fell on Violet, who froze, feeling the presence of two Grade 2s on her.
"Who is she and what is she doing here?" Erik asked coldly.
"A friend," I said, stepping in front of her, shielding her from their presence. "She and her group are necessary to me, and one of the deals I made with her was to introduce her to the last prince of the kingdom of Agorath."
Erik stood up at once, his eyes blazing with fury, and Alfred was no different.
"What. The. Hell. Did. You. Just. Say?!" he hissed every word.
He looks pretty angry. Well, I'd be too if someone broke one of the promises he/she had made.
"TELL ME?! Besides her, who else knows?!"
"From her group, only her."
"Good!"
I saw him about to draw his sword, but I stopped his hand. Normally, I wouldn't have the strength to hold him back, but I had a positional advantage over him as he tried to unsheathe his weapon.
"Calm down."
"You dare tell me to calm down?! You, who broke my trust?! No, the fool was me!"
Putting more strength, he knocked my hand away and almost drew his sword completely, but just then, I released part of my bloodlust, which froze him in place.
"Think carefully about what you're about to do," I said, locking eyes with him. "The moment you pull it out, it means you're ready to give up your life. The same goes for you, Alfred."
Still staring at Erik, I pointed at Alfred, and he froze too.
In that silence filled with tension, I spoke slowly.
"Erik Gridley, last of the royal family of Gridley, rightful heir of the fallen kingdom of Agorath, I ask you this. Do you see me as an enemy?"
I saw Erik's eyes widen. Alfred also seemed surprised, since I had called Erik by his true title.
"No," he replied.
"As your subject?"
"...No."
"As your ally?"
"Yes." But then his voice grew cold. "But you betrayed my trust."
"And if I told you that I completely trust her group?"
Everyone looked shocked, especially Erik and Alfred.
"Can you swear on your life?" Erik asked seriously.
"My life means little. I swear on my sister's life that these people are worthy of trust."
Erik let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes and releasing his grip on the sword. When he opened them again, they were calmer.
"At least, I have the right to an explanation, don't I?"