16 Time to go

"The Merchants Union is the one that's going to war?"

"Yes. They're like the owner of this country, overlooking everything, financing everything... damned rich bastards," Mom commented, and gradually decreased her voice word after word.

"As if we didn't have this land because of them..." Aunt followed and crossed her hands, and also frowned.

"Initially I'd want you to enter their Union but things happen."

What's with all the weird reactions regarding the Merchants Union? Are they bad fellows?

Now that I thought about it, I don't really have any information about them besides them being overly rich, and that they had a leader that was somewhat as strong as a god.

"You might be curious, but they hate the Merchants for one thing," Grandfather spoke up, and he scratched the back of his head.

"They always try to bu----hire the beautiful women, and sis Arc here got her fair share of troubles regarding them."

"You think only I had a few problems with them? If you probably didn't have Kaff then..."

Looks like that legendary figure was quite the woman collector if that's what I'll call him?

"Then what?"

Dad's voice resounded through the room and I felt a similar aura like that of Grandmother's, but I felt like thousands of needles were going to launch themselves towards me.

"Oops. Sorry about that."

"Eh, you're just like that when Pisa sis is involved. How about me, your blood sister!?"

And with that, the foul mood from before dispersed as if it never happened.

***

Meanwhile somewhere uncharted off the map.....

A lone boy around the age of ten was alone on his two-story bamboo house napping while suddenly there were running footsteps that gradually neared and went away. Curious, he took a peek outside the window, and he saw the owner of the footsteps---two boys already running and far away.

Moments later, he could hear loud snapping or crackling sounds, which resembled fireworks. Before he could even take a glance in the certain direction, He felt a loud bang on the back of his house.

"Look for them over the road. I'll check this house."

Alarmed, the boy ran upstairs while holding his slippers. This clever move saved him as it made him silent along the way before he heard a loud bang, thereafter realizing the wall has been blown off crumbling to pieces.

"Come out, come out~" The voice seemed to be enjoying this game of cat and mouse, and he slowly took his time wandering the ground floor before looking upwards the ladder.

"I know someone's here, you should just come out already~"

Knowing that he might get discovered, he quietly looked over the window to climb out, but was unable to do so as there were a lot of unknown people on the ground. The men were all topless with all sorts of different tattoos embedded on their bodies, while the women wore clothing that were just enough to barely say it was clothing.

'Why are they here?' the boy thought to himself.

Seeing as he can't escape, he carefully took a charm from somewhere hidden in his garments, and blue light could be seen flowing from his hands and into the charm.

The charm then glowed as if filled with that light, and he immediately whispered 'help' and threw it in the air, and somehow the charm went flying off on its own.

Few seconds later, a blue light flashed from a distance, and that speck of dot slowly became a person. It was a man with long black hair that extended towards the back of his knees, and it was tied like a tail. He had white long robes that covered each of his limbs, and there were outlines of red that were patterned in a wave design.

"I just left and there's already trouble?"

"Big brother, these people..."

"I can see why you've called me immediately after leaving. Let me take care of these thugs before finally leaving this place. Seeing as this happened as soon as I went away, this favor won't be counted so I'll be giving you another one of those charms earlier."

After he gave the boy another piece of charm that was identical to the one from earlier, he went down and with a series of flashes, corpses already littered the whole town along with screams of death. He finished killing every single one of the men and women that invaded the town the boy was in, and it all took about a few minutes.

Instead of being scared, the people were happy instead and knew that the man had been their savior.

Strangely, he just glanced for a while and didn't even bother to talk to the people that wished to give him thanks and left with a blue flash.

Within seconds, he came back in the middle of the people and threw a person on the ground.

"I spared their leader; deal with your own problems. The only person I'm really helping here is the boy who also helped me."

Everyone became quiet and made distance as the man rose up again and flew away in a flash of blue like nothing happened.

After that, the townspeople ran towards the man that seemed to be the leader of the mob that invaded their town. He tried to beg for his life by kneeling and kissing the ground but after the people saw this, it only angered them further and lynched him.

A few minutes later the man had a lot of physical injuries, with even a few stabs. Bruises, cuts, and all sorts of damages were scattered throughout his body. Blood was dripping from him as he was tied to a large stake before the people gathered on the town center, making him a show before burning him alive.

During that event, no one even noticed that the boy that called for help earlier was already gone and nowhere to be found. It was only discovered later that his relatives got implicated by the assault, and a few people checked his house only to find no one there.

---One week later at Kaff's place---

***

I woke up feeling refreshed as I knew that this was the final day I'll be staying at home.

I smelled the fragrance of wood that always give me good vibes every morning, and hearing the birds chirp out the window just made my mood better. After yawning and stretching for a bit, my slightly opened eyes saw an enclosed letter on the side of my bed.

Wondering from whom could it be, I opened it and my heart started to beat heavily as I read each word. The handwriting was very poor, as if the one that wrote this letter only recently learned how to write.

Why?

I rushed downwards without even fixing my sheets and only wore half a slipper in my hurry, only to find Mom sitting on a chair and Aunt beside her as if waiting for me. Mom's eyes looked very alarmed, and Aunt had a slight worry on her face.

"It's El, right? It's your Dad, right? I can't believe it. He left. Just left. You and me."

My heart felt heavy upon hearing Mom.

"But sis, he's not just heading there to die, right? He's the best sword user back then."

"He is! But there was a curse placed on him. It was put on by that bitch Void Demon when we were about to leave Phione! He even went to visit our old friend Gandr just to see if the curse could be removed. His injuries were just about to be healed by then..... Why?"

So that's why he went missing that day? Then Gandr is the one who gave me that loaf of bread.

No, that's not important right now.

"Mom... Let me find dad, and---"

"No. We'll leave for my place before we find him. We were supposed to leave to go to Kandria after a few days but the horde made a visit. We'll go there and... Use whatever method to help him."

Mom's serious, her eyes are all dark, as if she's not seeing what's in front of her. But what could we do there that could help Dad which is now... somewhere within this world, his location unknown?

Aunt's expression was surprised, and she had this hesitant expression all about her and just sighed in the end. What was that about?

"What's at Kandria, Aunt Arc?" so I asked.

"It's not where the Merchant Union's main branch, but it's where one of the few other Master level sword user is."

"That's right, if there's someone who could help him, and even lift the curse, then it's going to be another person on his level."

"There's this friend we know that specializes in curses, and that he always hangs around with this Master sword user."

"It's just he's always finding a good woman for the Merchant Union, married or not. That f*cker."

"No! That can't happen. I won't allow it!" Does she plan to sell herself just to get rid of Dad's curse?

But... how would I be able to help Dad?

Would going along with him dispel his curse?

Can my Origin do something about it?

Is Mom going really the only choice?

I have to be able to do something!

I unknowingly clutched my hands very tight, and only realized when Mom came close and held my hands in hers.

"Kaff, I love both you and Dad."

She then embraced me, then I greeted darkness.

"Sorry for doing this."

I could feel the sadness behind her words and it was the last thing I heard before I passed out.

Seriously Mom, why.....

...

...

***

I'm once again thrown into this white space which I'm already overly familiar with.

Last thing I knew was that both my parents left, and here I am.

I'm really helpless right now am I.

Got transferred to this world, yet still ordinary.

I just tried to acquire power for my own interests, because magic is cool and stuff, I get it.

But now that both my parents are gone, I feel really downed right now.

I could only sigh repeatedly as I recollected what happened through my life.

.....

***

I hear a voice calling my name, but it's very faint.

Kaff...

Oh, it's aunt.

"Kaff!"

I got back to reality and as soon as lifted my face, I saw Aunt nearly on tears. Sorry Aunt, I'm such a heavy baggage.

"Why are you like this? Aren't you very strong? You could one-shot those beasts and not break a sweat yet you're here moping!"

"But I can't even dispel Dad's curse. He left because... I dunno."

"Brother left because he has hopes in you! To protect your Mom!"

"But Mom also left because she wants to lift Dad's curse... And left me too."

"That's..."

"Enough of that, I'll just sleep in my room."

*PA*

A loud slap resounded through the room, waking me up further. I lost the mood to go up and sleep and instead looked at Aunt Arc. She was crying already.

"You... You're the strongest... of..., yet you... don't do anything..."

I just looked at her eyes and I started to feel bad for seeing my beautiful Aunt cry.

"Why won't you go and help them your own way, son?" I didn't notice him, but Grandfather was on the other side of the room, delicately punching holes through a vase using a small hammer and a thick nail.

"How are curses lifted?" he continued. "They are either lifted by the caster, or a counter curse, or you could just lift the curse with another curse. I'm no magic or sword user, but that fact I know for a bit. Your grandmother was once a victim and I was also helpless back then."

"How did you help her then?"

He just chuckled said something that surprised me. 'I didn't help!' he then continued to a laugh and stopped after a bit.

"But you..." He stood, dropped what he was doing and went near me, patting Aunt on the head.

"Meltor told me you had potential. Where's that boy he mentioned now? I don't see him anywhere."

Grandfather's words hit the head like a bell, and I had a sudden realization. My heart suddenly trembled. Then I also looked at Aunt and she was wiping her tears and hugged me. The tears I kept in started to escape inside her embrace, and also hugged her back. Now I had a new purpose.

There were three goals that I've listed in check back then, and now that a few of them are fulfilled, it's time again to add another goal.

Acquire a sort of power; check.

Acquire a source of income; still ongoing.

Acquire a way to get the thing outside of me; dashed out.

Become strong enough to not be bulled? Or should I just say strong enough to protect everyone I love?

Acquire a strength to protect everyone I love;

But before I could be able to do that... I must have first an abundance of power.

I'll be needing more of Origin.

"Thank you, Aunt Arc. Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you too, Grandma. I know you're there too. I'm better now, I just have to make a plan for a bit before dinner."

I took off from Aunt's tight embrace but it looks like she's also back to her jolly self and was smiling while doing as she likes.

"Meltor, you're very lucky with your wife and son. I just hope you don't die first before they're able to do anything."

I heard my grandfather talk to himself as I scaled the staircase.