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Velvet pov
There is two types of traveler, the one with home and homeless. The former have their final place to back and stay, so they have less worry to travel and they are enjoying the journey out of curiosity. The latter one has no attribution, so they must go, keep going and learn to smile with their journey. Even the shepherd doesn’t mind to be friend with me, I know we are too different in everything.
Passing through the Mt. Mabinnogio Ruins, we leave the Artorius’s Throne.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkjpHz5PIu
We saw a giant gap between two ends of a broken bridge, but Sorey told me to pass it normally.
“How?! There only air.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDkYRN6QPv
“Nope. Look again, the dust.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07jtSZbbqK
I watched more carefully and see the dust from the broken bridge on the upper level that on top of the gap dropped dust on the air. The dust floats on top of something and remains stationary. I see, there is something. I try to walk on it and it really works, it is an invisible bridge.
Sorey was watching a status longingly and sadly, there are few chances to see him like that, maybe I should give him a moment.
We then walk through a place like the West Laban Tunnel I had traveled, but the geographic seems to have a great change. It used to be a place full of flora and fauna, covered with natural rock, it was a long cave lit by fluorite. It is completely different now, the natural coverage is gone, sunlight reaches the ground and trees grown over here now.
A group of goat assembled next to a giant stone and there is also some Prickle Boars appear too. The place is just like Aball where next to a hunting ground of animals. We have a similar hometown, still, we are different people.
As a travel companion who will walk together in the future, it is better to know more about it. After all, it is no longer the relationship ended only after seeing Laphicet. He was a Shepherd, presumably, he will have the opposite mind to me. Let’s know him more now, to avoid he will hinder me in the future. I initiated a question, no matter what it is about, even if I am not interested, I will ask. First of all, from his sword.
“I haven’t seen your sword in the village.” I pointed at his red sword with feathers.
“It doesn’t seem useful in daily life so I didn’t show it.”
“ Is it the sword you used to kill the Lord of Calamity?”
“.....No, the sword left in the throne, this one is the first one I had, I found it in ruin.” His expression became a bit difficult, I guess the question is too sensitive, but he still answered. And it is related to ruin again, why am I not surprised.
“When I was a kid, I explored ruin with Mikleo and found lots of ceremonial swords on the shelf. It is the ceremonial sword of ancient Shepherd to hold the ceremony, I took one to protect myself, although it has no sharp blade.” Sorey is happy whenever he says about Mikleo, he must be someone so important to him like his family.
“You must be strong to be the Shepherd…...Do you learn sword from someone?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkbM2zOlfY
“No one, but initially I trained my sword by hunting Prickle Boars, they may be kind of my teacher and sometimes Mikleo will train with me with his staff too. Later, I developed further in the journey. What about you?”
“Similar to you, I develop my sword from hunting and fighting the journey, but my brother taught me the basics of the sword.”
When I was a kid, I asked Arthur to train me to become a hunter so that I may hunt and earn money for Laphicet’s medicine. Arthur was a strict teacher when coming to battle strategies which he said a mistake could lead a fatal result but he allows my free fighting style to develop. He said his teacher used to be similar to me that he would fight irregularly. He is one of the reasons for the strength that support me until now, he taught me the sword to kill him.
“That’s the first time I hear of you talking your brother. Is he nice?” Sorey shows the surprised expression that he didn’t know I have a brother since I always avoid to talk about myself and don’t want to talk about him.
“He was nice......I don’t want to talk about him.”
“O...Okay, sorry.”
“It is fine….ah... Sorey, you don’t have the last name huh?” I just noticed the fact that he has no last name when I think about family.
“Yeah, I was raised by seraphim.” He said normally with a smile of proud, I can’t imagine what will it like as I could not see or sense seraphim in my childhood, even Seres was actually there all the time after Celica death.
“And I grew up with a water seraphim, Mikleo, he is my best friend. We always explored ruins together by then.” He started introducing his childhood with dancing like body language.
“We competed with each other for the shortest time to explore the whole ruin and find the treasures.”
“Like the sword and your earrings.”
“Yes, they are from the same ruin, I found the sword and he found the earrings. We would keep all the treasures ourselves but that time he gave it to me since he thought it was more suitable to me.”
“He is right, it suits your warm color. Is your fingerless-glove also the trophy from a ruin?” I observed that both the sword and earrings have tied with feathers but he didn’t mention the glove.
“Oh, yes. This one is from a ruin about Shepherd, I guess it was the glove of a Shepherd. We fell down the broken floor slab when we were exploring it. He saved me with his seraphic arte and we then discovered the deeper ruin in it.”
“Wait. You said you two explore ruins when you guys were just children, haven’t you been dangerous in the ruins?” I thought of the dangerous situations when he just told an incident.
“Yeah, there were several times we triggered the wrong gear and got trapped into a chamber. Gramps had to go find us with the whole village and we were blamed seriously for that.”
“....But still not going to stop you two explore the ruin, huh.”
“Yes!”
I see this friend is important to him, as he keeps talking about him on our way to the next place. I didn’t stop him to tell any story related to the ruin this time, because the only way to start knowing him is through the world of ruins.
“Here it is, this was where I grew up, Elysia, the village of seraphim,” Sorey spoke with a slightly joyful tone. He seems very proud of his hometown and I used to be like that too, people become relax in their home because it is a place to allow abandoning the pressure of identity and responsibility for a moment.
The place Elysia is highlighted with stone-made ruins like the giant gate, there are single-storey but mainly made by stone. No, the stone is the main body, but the decoration was attached to it for recognizing. The beauty is naturally adapted and connected with nature, truly like a place for seraphim living together. They are a species born from the natural mana, so their home should be very near to nature. There are not much people in the village, that made the place seems broad and empty, it is like a spring version of my village. My village is surrounded by autumn trees and here is surrounded by a view of endless clouds and blue sky. Although there are no other life in the village but seraphim, I feel an aura of life in the village.
As Sorey said all the villagers are seraphim, I suppose the villagers in Sorey’s time are all alive, except his gramps. It is good to have a friend or family when you know nothing about the world, they are the one who teaches you life in the beginning and they will always wait for their family in the home. It is how I perceived the term of the family that when I was not a Lord of Calamity, I was the one cooking and waiting at home for Arthur’s returning and I said family forgives each other.
We approach the gate entrance of the village and sensed an invisible barrier near it.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xLMbKo7A0
However, Sorey isn't minded of it, he greets to one of the villagers.
“Sorey?! Is that really you?!” The village noticed Sorey and walked towards us. The name of Sorey seems also raise the notice from other villagers.
“Yeah, Kyme. It has been a long time!” Sorey exclaimed excitingly.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XiaCuDeTQ
“It really is, glad to have you back again and who is this pretty lady?...... You don’t forget our rules right?” The seraph stated in kind of serious tone about the rules in the village. I felt his hesitance in question, as seraph doesn’t age like a human, I can’t ensure that if he ever met me, but I will say it’s a hesitance for meeting another human, this village is pretty enclosed from the human world. And being able to see Seraphim still not that common now.
“Hello, I am Velvet Crowe.” Considering all of the things, I think it is harmless to introduce myself truly.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5MRN0kyyo
“Nice to meet you, miss Crowe, I am Kyme, so you may see me?” The seraph tried to show a nice gesture when he knows I may perceive them.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SKCf6Dtxc
“Likewise, call me Velvet is fine and yes, I am able to see Seraphim.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXzVLRVwNh
“You are Sorey’s friend?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaPkuzx7Zv
“...I think so?” I answered him hesitantly, I doubt if I an ex-lord of Calamity can call an ex-shepherd as a friend. I saw Sorey smiled as I said we are friends. He is not defensive around me, so he may have treated me as a friend already. He is much pure than the shepherd in my time, and his personality is like Phi, I can’t say I hate him but feel comfortable.
“Oh, is Mikleo here now?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5vZkWNzoF
“Nah, he is a ruin maniac like you, so he is traveling around the world for ruins, but he may be back some time.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUlJWWr4Zc
‘Haha, thanks, I am going to stay a few days.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOftvJDPWvD
“ You are welcome, here is always your home.” Kyme smiled warmly.
Sorey leads me to his house, his house is a dome space consisted of stone wall and floor without chair but some utensils for daily life are available. It is much smaller than my house as it is only for a single person living, but space is enough to serve one or two guests. More importantly, the house just as clean as currently using condition, I believe there is someone taking care of this to welcome Sorey at any time. This is also a great thing, really, he has a good family.
“I want to go to a place alone, would you……..” Sorey asked to leave him alone with concern on me.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3zT14gi41
“I am fine if you need the time, besides, I have my staffs too.” I smiled while raising Eleanor’s letters.
“Thank you.” He nodded his head.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2Dqsm8aPQ
“You are welcome.” I nodded back politely.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwNPeIZKx7
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Dear Velvet,
How are you now, Velvet? It has been 3 months ago from my first letter. I guess I would have to try accepting your disappearance. I am now focusing on the revivification of towns and villages. With the strong spirit of humanity, things restored smoothly and gradually, apart from some empty village. I am sorry that I really can’t have much do with Aball, all there left was silence, the only thing I did was building graves for the villagers. However, the place left by the old Abbey was restored after the purification of Laphicet. The new Abbey is revived gradually too, although there is no trace of marak, people who were in Abbey truly want to save the world and help people. The chaos didn’t change their mind, these people now are assembling again despite the fact that the leader was once a traitor. Thanks to the prince…..the king Percival, he helped me to regain the name of good exorcist so that I may continue to serve the people without hiding. All will be good in the end……...I guess.
Apart from this, I got letters from Eizen and Rokurou. Eizen is still traveling with those pirates, I heard that they have just discovered a new island. And guess what, Eizen asked me to accompany him to visit his sister for the sake of the communication between the pirates and him. Since people barely able to see marak after Innominat is defeated. His sister, Edna is nice, she introduces her seraph friend Lailah to me. This helps me a lot in the restoring works. Although there is one concern, Lailah looks very familiar, just looks like ...your sister, she clearly has no memory about any of the past incident. Edna said she is introduced from Laphicet, so maybe she is related to him.
Rokurou is still on his way of finding rivals, sometime they may just gather for strong and…...wine. Still, there is little chance to meet them. You know, but this is them, never stop their journey. They are living just like themselves, you don’t need to worry.
For Magilou, I have no clue of her but I have the sense that she is staying somewhere near me. Sometimes I feel sight from my back, I wonder if someone is watching me. Though, there is nothing for me to worry about her. After all, she is a witch.
It is short this time, I will write you a longer one once I got my spare time.
Best wishes,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQuq770Tu8
Eleanor Hume18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SeTtKcMZj
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I sigh after reading the letter, thinking that she is as strong as ever, I somehow feel less guilty for my leaving. And I just taken out another letter, a voice stopped me.
“Lord of Calamity, what’s your plan here.” It is Kyme’s voice, my trepidation is correct, he met me before. I don’t want to make any interference and enemy in this place, so I should think about a proper reason to answer.
The silver-hair seraph still waits for my answer, then here just come with heavy dead air.
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I hope I didn’t write it an Awkward chat.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPHMrmYvYu
I tend to arrange the location in a reciprocal manner in TOZ, so it will be Elysia, I am surprised that there is wiki telling every line Elysia Seraphim has said. This helped a lot, and in my setting, Kyme is the village head here.
