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“Bieeeen!! Are you…...are you Velvet?!!” exclaimed an annoying voice.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Il7b7h2AM
“Huh?!” Velvet turned back her head and shocked as someone recognized her, she thought there will not be one to know her except Maotelus.
They get completely silent but staring at each other.
“Old face, huh? Guess you two wanna talk, we will go to buy the latest Celestial Record which I guess you won’t be interested in.” Edna suggested.
“Eh? Well, yeah.” Velvet can’t make an immediate full response to the sudden suggestion to talk with the normin in front of him. She didn’t really have a thought to talk with him, she can hardly think of the things to talk between them, but yes, she agreed with that she is not interested in viewing the latest Celestial Record.
“Let’s go to the book stores for your book, Sorey. And Attak, mind coming with us?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcd9uZdXrg
“I don’t mind, see you later, you two,” Attak said for their temporary separation.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9HrGBgLcZ
“Great, see you later then, Velvet,” Sorey said.
“See you later, Sorey, Edna, Attak,” Velvet said.
Then Edna walked with Sorey and Attak just sitting on Sorey’s shoulder. Edna is somehow familiar with the place for sometimes she will come and walk around Marlind so she is leading the way.
“Edna? We just passed a bookstore.” Sorey doubted.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvBddfMspA
“We are not entering that one.” Edna noticed the small bookstore Sorey just talked about.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDraxNgJ5R
“Huh? Why? If the book is famous, then most of the bookstore shall have it.” Sorey said as he doesn’t get the point.
“When you found it, you read, right?” Edna asked as snappily.
“Yes, I may just stand and read it.” Sorey still doesn’t get the point.
“But I don’t want to stand next to you all the time when you are reading the book,” Edna complained, she knew Sorey will forget about time when he is reading books, particularly for the Celestial Record. Mikleo has mentioned that he had to force Sorey to eat when Sorey was forgetting the time in reading.
“Oh…..got it…..Then, where would we go?” Sorey now had a wry smile that he finally gets the point.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMdscG7S7x
“The big one with a cafe in it.” Edna continued to lead the way.
They then find a building with a similar eave design as other ancient building as if it is imitating the style and not to ruin the regular and natural feeling in the cityscape. Still, there are modern elements being used when looking from the exterior, instead of the traditional window, it is using window walls to lead natural lighting to the interior and increase the connection between indoor and outdoor environment, the transparency in design lead the feeling of openness to it.
Soon they entered the bookstore, they can see the Coffee bar already at the foyer. With the steel frame modular around to place books and plants surrounding the seating areas, it enlightened the area with the feeling of relaxation and knowledge. The frame modular as transparent and lightsome iron bookshelves also integrated the functions, transportation, equipment, and illumination and put green plants in the stores to make their internal space more continuous and open as well as full of vitality. (*1)
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQR23bd4IMT
“The book should be around here, I will go to occupy seats for us, and wait for you there.” Edna left after leaving the message to Sorey.
“Ok!”
With the aids from Attak, Sorey gets the books quickly and go to meet Edna, but they finds another old face at the same time.
“Rohan!” Sorey called as he sees Rohan is talking with Edna.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngjopZloQj
“Hello, Shepherd Sorey.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6s0lKX6akS
“Now is only Sorey.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8oqBWI3Di
“Nice to meet you here, Sorey. There is something I have to tell you about.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YAqKPt3NE
“Maybe we talk later? Cause I have another companion in another place talking with her friend”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeLn0HNDN5
“Very well.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNfUp3ed91
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After Sorey, Edna and Attak leaving the place, Velvet and Bienfu still keep the silence between them.
“So, it’s been quite some time. Shall we talk in the park?” Velvet eventually broke the awkward silence with a sigh and talked.
“Yeah…...it has been …….long. Maybe we could buy a drink there. I heard that there are new choices, lets try together.” He slowly turns around and leaves the place while adjusting his hat, no one sees his face. Guess he doesn’t know what face should be used either. He wanted to change the atmosphere too, so he suggested to buy a drink when pointing at the nearby drink shop.
It has been a long time, pretty long time that he can’t call himself young anymore, cause he is already 1650 years old now, and many people he knew has died and he expected Velvet was dead. To be more accurate, Velvet is alive but like she is dead back then. If one cannot sense things happened in the world, that is not really living, she was in a Living death condition.
“Sure.” Velvet accepted the suggestion and bought drinks from the nearby drink shop, then she gave the smaller one for Bienfu.
They stopped at a bench under a tree. Now Sorey and Edna already left them there and go to bookstores which Sorey really wants to go, all for the Celestial Record. Edna facepalmed as she knows no one could ever story the boy’s ruin maniac to the Celestial Record. Meanwhile, it is already a while between Velvet and Bienfu, still, the atmosphere between doesn’t improve much.
“......What should I start with, there is so, so, so many questions!!”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUZAhMgTaq
“Same here.” Velvet agreed.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBH1LmrFs8
“Let say I almost forget about you, we didn’t talk much even we were together at that time.” Velvet knew seraphim can be long-life and she expected Laphicet may be alive in the beginning but she forgot about the normin in her team who is also a seraph. Now she tried to start the conversation with a little taunt between friends.
“Bieen…..That hurt my heart……….though I should agree with you. I mean...you are brooding and taciturn…...surely not the type of people that good to have a conversation, but I could say it had been better in later.” Bienfu is still the ‘brave’ Bienfu in that time, he has the nerve to taunt back one who may get angry easily, and he is doing this in front of the person, without even thinking of being beaten up.
“.....You have a point…..but well….you are the only one I knew apart from Laphicet now. How have you been anyway.” Velvet tried to lower her temper, it is not like the time in Asgard Unification Period when everybody is able to see Seraphim, most of the people in the world can’t see Seraphim, she doesn’t want to act like crazy in public, and she doesn’t want to end the conversation so quick.
“How should I say…….I think things get better now. After your disappearance, Madam Eleanor passed away, Miss Magilou passed too after several hundreds of years. Before she died, she was discussing something with Maotelus but they are keeping it from me. I have not seen Rokurou and Eizen after Magilou passed away. And Laphicet…….he became an Empyrean just after your left and he corrupted after a thousand of years. Fortunately, he got purified by a Shepherd. The time after that Shepherd is relatively peaceful, people started communicating with us seraphim gradually. Still, I can’t find another partner like Magilou. How about you?” Bienfu briefly stated the latest status of the companions he knew.
“Well, Magilou is indeed a unique witch, seems that you miss her. Aren’t you a cat type normin?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyzhUWnjtg
Velvet thought of Bienfu once said that he and Grimoirh are the cat-normin who stick around places and objects but not like being around human.
“Well, I have served her a while…… It is not a short time that I can get used to it quickly, but I am still a cat type. I live in the ruins to pass my time now.”
“Fine, but I see Attak maybe a dog-type, and you seem completely fine with him.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8BSuWbkyp
“No, he is a cat-type too. He sticks around artworks and the museum. Anyway, it is not like there is a huge gap between Phoenix and me….Hmm?......Anyway, what about you?” Bienfu felt that he missed something he saw before Sorey, Edna and Attak leaving but then he lets it be that.
“ For me, I woke up with the Shepherd you mentioned. He saved me and we later met Laphicet, better known as Maotelus now. The Shepherd convinced me to live, so do Laphicet, although I didn’t really have an aim, I end up following the Shepherd to travel around the world now.” Velvet briefly told him what happened after her awakening.
“Umph? He? Looks quite young…..but how about Innominat?”
“He seems….disappeared, Phi told me that he is a part of him now.”
“Well, then good to see you are not sealed inside the world…...wait….You mentioned meeting Maotelus and traveling with the Shepherd?! You are fine with that?” Bienfu just noticed the noticeable part in Velvet’s story. He just can’t believe himself noticed that such late.
“Yes. I have spent some days with him, I know him as a better Shepherd than Artorius, what’s more, he saved my life. For Phi….I actually feel sorry to him, he would not be tainted by the malevolence like that if I had not requested him to save people…... Glad that he is saved. One thing to declare, the boy said he is no longer a Shepherd now and I heard there is another Shepherd who looks like Artorius…...But now he is missing” Velvet is sure that she can trust Sorey and actually, there are too many words to say but she cannot express them well.
“Well, I see……..Don’t worry, Laphicet really have grown up, he won’t let himself be tainted easily again! For the new Shepherd, I am not sure as I haven’t seen him.” Bienfu nodded.
“And perhaps it is too late, you look pretty girly in this dress. Could It bE tHaT YoU FelL iN LoVe….” Bienfu said with a wretched expression but he zoon receive a punch from the former Lord of Calamity.
“Bieeeen---! What is that for? I think it is a compliment?” Bienfu cried miserably. Velvet can’t really agree that it is a compliment, especially for the wicked face Bienfu expressed, more like mocking her.
“Ha, I miss that noise, you should really learn how to praise people then. It is not the love issue. Just Edna forced me to wear it.” Velvet laughed.
“Edna? That girl? What a familiar name…”
“Eizen’s sister.” Velvet tried to answer in an indifferent tone.
“Bieen! You met Eizen’s sister!? How is Eizen then?!” Bienfu is surprised that Velvet met Eizen’s family, now then he remembered he just saw Phoenix being hung on the Umbrella.
“He……...died.”Velvet's voice was softened and shaking, her voice fade fast for how short the sentence is. She is looking at the ground broody, she tried to hide her expression.
Although Velvet tried to hide, Bienfu noticed the change of the girl. For who he previously served, a witch, one usually hide her emotion with smiles and jokes, saying everything doesn’t matter to her, he has mastered to notice the change in emotion even for a subtle tiny change. He thought that maybe Eizen is important to Velvet. Back in the Journey, they all like a family, for Eizen and Velvet, they are like the role of father and mother in the team taking care of a bunch of problematic children, and they had deep enough realization to each other that even in tacit situations. It is not surprising if Velvet had grown feeling on Eizen.
He is not really the type of seraph to comfort someone, apart from blowing on someone cheeks, and he clearly knows the blowing-on-one-cheeks behavior is not going to work on Velvet. He is likely to get another punch if he blows her tears. He has to find another way.
“Bien……..I am sorry to bring this up, but I think his sister did the right thing, you look beautiful in this dress.” Bienfu stopped a while and try to change the focus.
Then he got another punch.
“Bieeeenn!! What is that for again?! I think it is the correct way to praise!?” Completely unexpected, he thought he was acting like a gentleman.
“I will devour you if I still have the claw!”
“Why is that?!” Bienfu then sees her reddened face. Oh, he forgot that Velvet is somehow a shy girl. Despite being the Lord of Calamity in the past and shout to declare herself ‘I am corruption made flesh! Velvet, the lord of calamity’ in the city Meirchio to scare out people, she can’t even talk loud in front of many people when it comes to Magilou’s show.
“You are just being shy aren’t you?.....Bieeeeen!” Bienfu got the third punch from Velvet in a day.
“Well, thanks for the stress releasing, Bienfu, I feel comfortable now.” Velvet smiled, Bienfu felt the evil behind the smile.
“It’s a hard time for me…..Bieeeeen……..” Bienfu cried, he decided to search a way to make joke without getting a punch from Velvet.
Edna and Sorey went back with a book, it is the latest Celestial Record. They approach Velvet and Bienfu then asked, “ Did something happened? You seem to be in a good mood. Velvet.”
“Nothing specifically, just got another praise.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wzWyjtiKG
“Great for that, I met Rohan in the bookstore. He said something is important for me to know. Would you listen to it together?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5XnxzLoV9
“Is it fine for me to know too?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05BbSDka98
“sure, I think it should not be a secret to you”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUCuwjaIjm
Velvet agreed and follow Sorey to the great tree of the town.
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A.N.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkrm38IXHM
A short chapter of conversations. For the part to reunion Bienfu, there is some reference from ‘Tales of a Crossover’, interesting but very slow update……
*1: search “Rong Bao Zhai Coffee Bookstore / ARCHSTUDIO” in Archdaily if you are interested in for it looks like.
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