Ellie was lying on her tummy on her bed, swaying her legs up and down while reading a book. She was wearing a pink, frilly sundress.
Her mom came into the room for a moment, carrying some tea. She set it on a small, round wooden table right next to the bed. Ellie got up and hugged her mom.
"I love you, mommy," she said with a wide, genuine smile. "And daddy too!"
Her mom, moved, stroked her hair.
"Make sure to hug him and tell him when he gets home, okay?"
"Yesss, I will!"
They both heard the sound of the front door opening and went downstairs. Ellie ran to Rai, hugged him tightly, and said:
"I love you, daddy!"
Rai picked her up and kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you too, sunshine," he said with a warm smile.
"Really, I don't know how we'll ever repay Sir Zetto," Rai's wife said, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Yeah," Rai agreed, then grew serious. He remembered what he had seen on the return from one of the most important missions of his life.
*
One month ago, while the hero teams were fighting on the front lines, one of the royal spies found out that the Tiriga were planning to start a full-scale uprising soon, targeting Hiames and a few nearby farming villages to easily take food supplies.
By decree of King Harata VII, not only Hiames and its surroundings but all the southern farming villages were to be subjected to a scorched-earth strategy. Since Rai had still maintained a good reputation after saving Zetto, the king assigned him to destroy the houses and fields of Hiames and safely escort the people to the capital.
Besides Rai, three other delegates headed south, each accompanied by a fire mage. Aulora, an eighteen-year-old fire mage at level 17, was assigned to go with Rai.
They set off to Hiames shortly after the army left, riding a single horse.
"I can't believe they picked a nobody like me for such an important task," Aulora said as soon as they left the capital. Her long red hair fluttered in the wind along with her black cloak. Her amber eyes gazed thoughtfully into the distance. Aulora straightened her pointed hat and skirt, both the same color as her cloak.
"Don't be silly," Rai said, smiling and glancing at her for a moment. "You're incredibly talented. I think they picked you on purpose so you could prove yourself. A lot of people are counting on you."
"Thanks, Rai, that means a lot," she replied, her sad expression softening a little. Aulora went quiet for a moment, then grew serious again. "Rai, do you think they'll hate me? After all, I'll be destroying everything they have."
"Don't worry. I'll explain it to them the best I can."
"I know you can do this. You're very empathetic."
"Thanks."
*
Rai and Aulora arrived there after twelve days. Rai asked someone from the village to call the leaders and gather people from the surrounding areas. Soon, a crowd of over a hundred people stood before them, and Rai read the royal decree aloud. The crowd's anger was rising; some picked up stones and started throwing them, but Aulora surrounded herself and Rai with a barrier of flames.
"I know you're furious, and it'll be hard to leave your homes, but please try to understand what the king intended with this," Rai said. "We'll escort you safely to the capital, where you'll stay for at least a while. If we don't do this, our enemies might kill you and destroy everything anyway. At least this way, we save your lives. I understand your frustration, I'd be mad too if I were in your place, but please, be brave and hold on. We'll get through this together. I promise you'll come back here sooner or later, and everything will be like it used to be."
The crowd calmed down. Aulora looked at the knight, smiling with pride.
You can tell he really means it and truly sympathizes with them. No acting skills could fake this, even if you were amazing at it. Rai, I'm glad the king chose you for this. Only you can give these people hope.
"Please, everyone move over there," Aulora said, pointing to a small hill about a hundred meters from the village. "It's probably the only rise without fields or houses. Unfortunately, I was assigned to… you know what. I don't want to do it, but I have no choice, so please understand. I really feel sorry for you. I can only promise to control the fire so it won't destroy the beautiful nature around here or the nearby forest."
The crowd started talking among themselves. Someone spoke to Rai, saying that the whole thing is happening too fast and asking if they could at least take a few of their most valuable things. Rai agreed, which only delayed them leaving Hiames.
*
After two days, Rai and Aulora led all the villagers out, and their homes and fields were completely burned down. People carried whatever they could: in their hands, backpacks, small carts, and even wheelbarrows. Rai and Aulora rode at the front, a few meters ahead of the rest. From time to time, she apologized to the villagers for what she had done. Despite their first outrage, the people turned out to be understanding.
Not even half a day into the march, they suddenly heard an inhuman, demonic scream and the sounds of a fight from the distance.
"W-w-what was that?" Aulora asked, terrified, holding her wand tighter.
"Stay here," Rai said, turning to the villagers. "I'll check if it's safe to go further. Aulora, please also wait here. I don't want anything to happen to you. You're young and have almost your whole life ahead of you."
"And you?" she asked, getting off the horse. "You have a little daughter!"
"I'll be fine," Rai smiled, putting on his helmet, which had been strapped to his saddlebags the whole time. "Well, it won't help much, but it's some extra protection," he laughed, pulling on the reins.
"Take care!" Aulora called out after him.
Rai rode up to the top of the hill, the only one in the area and, from their perspective, the last obstacle on this highland terrain. From there, they could make their way more easily through the meadows and valleys. That's when he saw Zetto killing Asaki, then looking straight at him. Their eyes met for a brief moment.
A chill ran down Rai's spine.
Zetto?! Why would he do that? Did he have some personal grudge against her? Impossible, he's a good, kind man! Maybe he's hypnotized…
Rai watched the exchange between Yua and Zetto, hoping Yua would break the spell and that he was right about the hypnosis. But when Yua fell to the ground, he already knew what had happened.
I can't watch this. It can't be him. I must got it wrong.
Filled with disappointment and disbelief, Rai returned to the villagers he was escorting with Aulora. The knight helped the young mage get onto the horse with him, then said:
"Let's take the long way around. It'll only add a few hours to the trip." He handed the decree to the mage for a moment, then took off his helmet, strapped it back to the saddlebags, and picked the decree back up.
"Why can't we go that way?" someone in the crowd asked.
"Yeah, what's happening there?"
I can't break their spirits. I can't tell them that one of the heroes is killing the others, it would just cause unnecessary panic.
"It's a monster, of a species I don't recognize. It's some kind of strange hybrid, right now eating its captured prey, which explains the noises. Looks like it likes the taste."
Voices of surprise rose among the villagers:
"A monster? And a hybrid?"
"Thank goodness Sir Rai is in charge, he's so reasonable."
"Geez, I wouldn't want to see that thing, I'd probably have nightmares, let alone the kids."
"If no one's against it, we should keep moving." Rai spoke up after a while.
"Yes!" Everyone in the crowd answered at once.
*
After Rai and Aulora safely escorted the people to the capital, Rai said goodbye to Aulora, thanking her for her work. But the day he witnessed Zetto murdering Asaki and Yua was far from the end of the unpleasant surprises awaiting him. When he returned to the king to give his report, the king was shaken. With disbelief and fury, he stared at the crystal replaying the images from Varlen.
"Rai, I truly sympathize with you," the king spoke as he entered. "You are a good man who was deceived by Zetto."
"Your Majesty, forgive me, but… I don't understand," the knight replied, confused.
"Come closer and look at this crystal. We've examined it properly, it's authentic."
When Rai left the room, he clenched his fists and stared down at the floor with deep sorrow. He gritted his teeth, his lips trembling on the verge of tears.
I don't understand any of this. Zetto has to be a good person, otherwise he wouldn't have helped my daughter out of pure kindness. But why did he do all these terrible things?
I need to talk to him when I see him.
Damn it.
Rai felt anger toward himself, toward Zetto, but at the same time frustration. The man who had lied to him and killed other heroes was the same man who had saved the greatest joy of his life - his only, beloved daughter.
*
"Dad, let me down," Ellie said, but Rai didn't hear her. He drifted somewhere into his thoughts.
"Daaad!"
"Honey! Your daughter is asking for something."
"Oh, right, sorry," he said, then set her down on the floor. Ellie ran to the bathroom.
"Are you okay, darling?" his worried wife asked. "You've seemed a bit down lately."
"Yes, my dear Elira. I've just… been thinking about a lot of things recently."
Rai felt the gentle touch of her hand as Elira kissed him on the cheek.
"You know you can always share it with me. We love each other, and we should support each other in these difficult moments."
"You're right," he replied, then kissed her on the lips. Even though Elira didn't say much, Rai felt much better, as if a piece of the weight he carried in his heart had softened and fallen away into the unknown.
"I'll tell you about it, but after Ellie goes to bed."
"Okay."
"I'm back!" Ellie said as she walked out of the bathroom "I'll go back upstairs to read my book. "Oh no! My tea's getting cold!" she exclaimed, then ran at full speed back to her room.
Rai looked in her direction with a soft, caring, and hopeful smile.
*
Zetto and his team spent half a day in the shopping district, with Yarick leading the way. The carpenter showed them stores where his friends worked, so Zetto got some discounts. At the end, they went to a clothing store for Varii and bought a few outfits for Maghra. The dog-woman really liked one-piece dresses. When they left the store, she put on a short-sleeved burgundy dress that came down to her knees. Zetto got his coat back, which still had a few hairs and bits of Maghra's fur on it.
His coat probably still smells like her, Tae thought jealously as they left the shopping district, heading toward the city. It should be me. Suddenly her face flushed bright. Wait… what am I even thinking? I don't think about him that way! No, stop lying to yourself. Deep down, I want the only woman's scent on him to be mine and no one else's.
"Okay, here's what we've got so far," Alice said, ticking things off in her head. "Materials, check. Custom-made carriages, done in record time, check. Delivery date and place set for the day after tomorrow on the city outskirts, check. All that's left are the food and drinks, then we'll be good to go!" She smiled, humming happily.
"Our budget disappearing faster than we can blink – check. ," Zetto added sadly. "At this rate, I'll have to go see Elise soon and ask her for an extra job," he sighed.
"Come on, the important thing is that we'll be ready and together!"
"I like your optimism," Maghra said, "but don't you think you're taking this a bit too lightly? We're heading into exile, not a fun little trip."
"Hmpf! If my excitement bothers you, that's not my fault!" Alice replied, a little offended.
"Please, don't fight. Right now we should stick together more than ever, don't you think, Tae?" Zetto looked back. The tigress was staying behind, staring off into the distance. "Tae?"
Just as the messenger asked, Tae was thinking again that she should be the only woman to leave her scent on him.
"Huh?" she said, blushing. "Ah, yeah! Right! We can't fight at a time like this."
"Are you okay?" he asked, turning back to her and stepping closer. "Your face is kinda red, is it the heat? You haven't caught a cold or anything?" He put his hand on her forehead. Tae's heart skipped a beat. Maghra puffed out her cheek, glaring at them, annoyed.
Oh my god, his lips are so near! What does he think he's doing, leaning in like that? And since when does he even care about me like this?!
Zetto pulled his hand away from her forehead.
"Your temperature's normal. Huh, weird."
Tae panicked, not knowing what to do, so she went with instinct. When Zetto was still close, she bit him hard on the ear.
"Ouch! What was that for?"
"For doing stuff like that in the middle of the street!" she blurted out, blushing even more. "Please, let's keep moving."
"Ah, right."
Zetto slightly thrown off, went back to the front. Just then, Rai was coming from the opposite direction. Zetto tried to pass by, pretending not to see him.
I can't look him in the eye. I'm sorry I lied to you, but I warned you about this day. I just didn't think it would come so soon.
Rai placed a hand on the messenger's shoulder.
"Zetto, explain this to me."
"Huh? Explain what?" Zetto replied, genuinely surprised, partly pretending to be clueless.
"Everything! Why did you do all of this?!" Rai shouted, losing control. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes "What were you thinking?!"
Zetto let out a slow breath through his nose. He answered in a calm tone, though there was no hatred or harshness in it. The sound of his voice carried genuine compassion.
"I already told you that, the day I saved Ellie," he said, "Don't think too highly of me, because one day it might turn out that I'm not the person you met back then. Look how quickly that turned out to be true."
"Then why did you even agree to heal her?!" Rai yelled even louder, drawing the attention of people around. Yarick gave him an intrigued look. Alice and Tae watched him with sympathy, while Maghra looked confused, not really knowing what was going on.
"Because, despite my flaws and unforgivable things I've done, I try to save at least a few people from the pointless suffering I went through. I'm sorry, Rai. I didn't mean to lie to you, but I had to. Maybe under different circumstances, we could have been friends."
"Zetto, that doesn't explain anything! I…" Rai's voice softened. He looked at the ground, clearly upset "Never mind. I've already caused enough trouble anyway," he said, clenching his fists and walking away.
Zetto sighed.
It's better this way.
"Hm, interesting," Yarick commented briefly.
"I couldn't watch it," Alice said. "Or say anything to him. He really is a good person, it's just a shame everything went the way it did," she added, truly sad.
"Yeah," Tae agreed. "I don't even know what I'd do if I were in his shoes."
"Can someone explain exactly what just happened?" a confused Maghra asked.
"I'll tell you everything later," Zetto said. "For now, let's keep moving. We still have a few things to take care of."
"Right," Tae said, matching her pace with the group.
She walked as close to Zetto as she could.