LIGHTNOVELONLINE C8
Looking around, we seemed to be in a lounge area just above the main room we passed through. Directly opposite the stairwell was the door to the Guild Master’s office. With some strange sheen to them, a large set of mahogany wood doors stood, with a rather imposing presence. They looked as if they were the prime point of the room itself. When we reached the door, Hatsumi knocked, and we stood in silence for a few moments. She patted herself down briefly and exhaled, trying to make herself seem presentable.
Looking back over to me, she tilted her head and squinted. Bringing her thumb to her tongue, she took the finger and used it to brush one of my bangs to the side as if she were grooming a child. Having gone from someone difficult to approach to being fawned over was a welcome change. But I’d only been in someone’s presence since waking up maybe half an hour earlier. It made me feel overwhelmed to the point all I could do was listen and follow along. It was a strange feeling, as if my body was limp and my mind was sluggish compared to how it was before I had gotten in my truck. As if something placing a fog just out of sight. Not to hinder me, but to keep something out of sight.
Just as Hatsumi was standing straight again, an audible click coming from the doors, immediately one of them slowly swung inward. Greeting us was a human woman just about Hatsumi’s height, roughly a hundred seventy-five centimeters. At first glance, she had on what looked like some form of maid uniform. However, it lacked the stereotypical black base with white accents to its secondary features. It was colored a vibrant red, with the accents from the stitching as well as her apron and other articles of clothing being cream in color. For her shoes, instead of heels, she had on what looked like leather riding boots that had been stained a faded red to bring them in close in hue to the dress’s red as possible. Looking to her head, she lacked any form of dressing other than a metallic object that held her auburn hair back, leading into a fairly large French braid. The only exception was her glasses and a singular bang that sat in front of them. After she had finished pulling the door open, she bowed and greeted us.
“Hello, Mistress Hatsumi, you have arrived just in time. I have finished setting the table for the three of you to dine.”-???
After finishing her greeting with Hatsumi, she looked over to me.
“Madame Kiyomi, I am Maria. It is a relief to see you in good health now. We had been given quite a shock when the Revenants brought you in. I pray that you accept whatever help the guild may render unto you~.”- Maria
When she finished her greeting, she bowed, then smiled at me before turning around and beckoning us to enter.
The show of sincere care was strange to me. I had spent the last six years dealing with people being deathly serious and pessimistic to the point of being a parody. The upbeat, casual care was almost foreign now.
When we had entered, we were greeted by a scene not too dissimilar to the living area with the hunting trophies. The room had no windows except for the entire far wall, comprised of glass with a doorway leading out to another quite large balcony. The wall to the left had a fair amount of weapons and what appeared to be strange stones and various pieces of headgear that resembled helmets, circlets, crowns, mail coif’s and hoods, all surrounding a small fireplace. Directly opposite was a wall absolutely covered with trophies similar to before. The only exception being a rather sizable skull with its side to the wall, its snout pointed towards the front of the room. It looked similar to a rather large bipedal, predatory dinosaur. Aside from the walls, the floor was polished wood and littered with numerous pelts and hides from wall to wall. Atop them was two rather luxurious couches facing each other with a coffee table between them. Past them, there was a rather standard round dining table with three chairs and a set of plates that were already adorned with food. And at the far seat, looking at us as we approached, was a rather mature female elf. She had a scar just above her right brow, and the eye underneath was slightly faded in color compared to the other. Her hair was a platinum blond with just a streak of white to it. The color fading from place to place being the only clear hint to her age. Her expression seemed to be calm, a hint of color and life blooming in it the moment the two of us walked in behind Maria.
“Hatsumi, Kiyomi, good morning! Thank you for joining me for breakfast!”- Guild Master
“Good morning to you too, Lorn; seems like you’re quite lively this morning! Did you by chance get a new shipment of coffee while we were gone?”- Hatsumi
Her name is Lorn? Maybe I should address her like Hatsumi? Or should I just add Miss? Yeah, let's go with Miss.
“Ah yes, I was actually enjoying it yesterday evening, so I was able to stay awake till you all returned. But enough of me~. On to our guest! Hello, my name is Lorn. Nice to meet you.”- Lorn
After introducing herself, she smiled at me and motioned to the seats on either side of her at the table.
“H-hello, Miss Lorn, thank you for the food.”
“Think nothing of it; knowing what’s happened to you in the last day, I’d say you deserve it. Speaking of which, I hope it is an appreciable meal. While it may seem fairly modest, Maria is quite the wholesome cook.”- Lorn
Taking my seat, I looked down to the plate and got a better look at the meal that was prepared. It was surprisingly familiar to the point it was almost like what I’d eaten for breakfast the entire last six years already. Two eggs, scrambled and seasoned, a few slices of bacon, some rice, a biscuit with gravy, and a few orange slices placed to the side. Accompanying the plate of food was a glass of what looked like milk and another of water. It was a surprisingly normal breakfast…..I guess something NOT terrifying was a welcome change.
When I looked back from the plate, Hatsumi and Lorn were looking at me quite strangely. As if they’d seen something strange. I could see Maria from the corner of my eye standing a meter or so to my side for a second before walking off somewhere…..
“U-uhm….is…something wrong?” I asked in a sort of meek tone. It sounded pathetic if I dwelled on it, but I would rather break this awkward silence. I do not enjoy being gawked at, especially if I’m about to eat.
Letting out a sigh, Lorn waved it off as her expression relaxed once more, and Hatsumi shrugged before cutting at her food some.
“It’s fine, Kiyomi; we just expected you to begin ravaging the meal. It’s rare to see a child with such manners after having not eaten for such a span of time. You may start eating whenever you wish.”- Lorn
Now that I realized it, I did feel slightly nauseous as I woke. Usually, that feeling was just before or after severe hunger pains for me in the past. I wonder if that was still true for me now?
After she said to go ahead, I found myself actively eating. Let's start with the biscuit~!
Watching me dig in, Lorn smirked and began eating slowly as well herself before Hatsumi spoke up.
“So, Kiyomi. We are eating together specifically away from others because whilst we can eat, we can try and piece together what happened to you. If It is not too painful, could you explain what led to the Church of Orion pursuing you?”- Hatsumi
*chew chew chew*” Uhm-ah” Manners you overgrown imp.
*Gulp*” My apologies, uhm….I don’t…seem to remember…” Of course, the first thing they asked I couldn’t answer at all. I found myself stammering again, and my tail nervously swaying from side to side low to the ground.
Hatsumi raised her brow in surprise.
“You don’t remember why they were pursuing you?”
“N-no….I don’t remember….anything…”
After my reply, she brought one of her hands to her chin and held it, propping on the table some while looking back down at her plate. She tapped the table, and almost immediately, Lorn spoke up after placing her cutlery down.
“Kiyomi…you mean to say you remember….nothing? As in nothing at all before we encountered you?”-Lorn
She looked at me with a sense of concern. As I nodded in return, she closed her eyes for a moment then looked back at me.
“I apologize, Kiyomi, but we have to keep asking to piece together what we can. Can you put up with it for us?”
“Mhmm!” Huh, that was a rather eager-to-please response I gave her. At least I didn’t hesitate.
In response, she breathed out and smiled as she continued.
“Haaah, thank you…so, on to what you do remember. How far back can you remember? Do you remember anything past meeting Hatsumi and her team?”
“I would say the farthest back I can remember was yesterday around late morning? Perhaps noon? I woke up in a clearing. There was a river nearby….oh and some empty dock.”
“Hmm? Ah so she woke at traders river!”- Hatsumi
Hatsumi spoke up once more when I mentioned the dock.
“Traders…river?”
“Yes, the dock you mentioned is one of the only routes from the surrounding territories that don’t require them to pass through Morus.”
Hatsumi’s explanation flowed immediately at my question….the problem was-
“Mo-rus?” I ended up stumped, I didn’t know anything about geography yet so if they pressed past this I might be useless.
“Ah…right”-Hatsumi
What do you mean “Ah right.”?! Was I already setting a low expectation for myself at the first chance I got to ask one of my questions?!
“Kiyomi, what happened from there?” -Lorn
Lorn had retaken the lead.
“From there... I found my sword and satchel and- wait, where are they?!”
Electricity shot down my back, and panic set in for a moment before lorn motioned for me to calm down.
“Calm down, and we have your sword. Our friend Callum should be taking care of it by refurbishing it right now, he’ll have it back to us by the afternoon fresh and new for you….but your diary was nearly destroyed by your blood when you were shot…. I apologize.”
I managed to calm down, but a pit opened in my stomach at the loss of the diary….that was probably my only explanation other than the sword as to what was going on or who exactly I was right now other than name alone.
“N-no, it's fine….I should have expected that...you said I'll be getting my sword back?”
“Yes, I’ll keep it simple for now. Your sword is bonded to you; when a bonded weapon is away from its owner, it becomes nearly un-usable. It would burn or fatigue anyone other than you. With that, if we were to also keep it from you, it would harm you by draining your own energy to maintain the bond. And that can only be undone by the user when they’ve learned to. And well… you don’t know how to.”
That was a mouthful, but at least I knew that I still had some tie to my current origin. So that’s what “Bonded” meant as the condition attached to the thing when I picked it up. With that, I sighed in relief, sinking into my chair some before I felt a sudden issue come up.
While I was thinking to myself, Lorn and Hatsumi had already been talking about something. But I needed help with this... like now…
“We should talk to the couriers updating us on the information regarding Morus and our sister territory just on the other side of them.”- Hatsumi
“We already received a couriers bag just before breakfast, it will take some time, but we can at least get a better feel fo-“ – Lorn
“E-excuse me….”
I seemed to cut into their conversation, and both of them looked to me suddenly, I almost flinched, but Hatsumi seemed to react right after.
“What’s wrong, Kiyomi?”- Hatsumi
Oh, thank god she actually asked.
“I…. ah… Uhm, I need….. to… pee.”
“Wh-what?"
“I need to pee...”
“Oh, there’s a chamber. Maria can take you. We needed to talk in private anywho.”- Lorn
“No…uh…”
Oh god, I can feel my face flushing, I’ve been subconsciously clenching my fists in my lap, and I can't bring myself to look at them now. Damnit, do I need to say it?!
“I…. don’t know… how… to clean... myself...”
There was a long strange silence between the three of us for a bit before I heard Lorn, Hatsumi, and Maria all respond at once.
“Ah.”-Lorn, Hatsumi, and Maria