Chapter 09: After

Sobbing. A mother's heartbreaking, pitiful sobs. Arthur had fallen off the cliff a few minutes before. Alice sobbed in Helen and Angel's embrace. She was releasing all of her pain in the form of droplets that slipped from her eyes and landed on the earthen floor. Even the dirt and scrapes on her skin didn't matter in the face of her son's death. Anyone who saw her with her face wrinkled in pain was heartbroken.

"Durden! Are you sure it's impossible to get there using earth magic?" Reynolds inquired for the hundredth time.

The battle was over, but there was no celebration or festive atmosphere. Just an air of disbelief and sadness. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Arthur fell off the cliff. A fall that would have resulted in death. When Alice realized what had happened, her hoarse scream was especially disturbing. It surprised me, considering how strange the human body was, that a woman of slender build could achieve so many decibels.

Reynolds and Adam both stared helplessly at the cliff. Reynolds, in particular, appeared to want to dive for his son, his fist clenched to the point of marking his veins, the only thing stopping him being Alice and me.

Adam put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Both men exchanged glances, and after a brief moment of silence, Adam's gaze shifted slightly between Alice and I, as if to remind him that now was not the time to wallow in helplessness.

For a brief moment, Reyndols' blue eyes shone with understanding. His gaze was drawn to Alice and then to me. The simple tearful glint and heartbreaking expression on his face told me he felt enormous guilt for Arthur's death. Despite the fact that I did not believe it was his fault, he made the correct decision after all. It was simply an unlucky coincidence.

Reynolds' lips twisted into a grimace, stifling a whimper. I knew he was working hard to be the pillar of this situation, but he still had to wipe away the tears that threatened to spill with the back of his hand.

Finally, he drew himself together and approached Alice, tenderly embracing her, his copious feelings manifested by such a simple action. I couldn't help but admire the oddity of the human being, even though I was a little removed from all the commotion. But as I did so, I touched my little face with my hand. Shouldn't I be crying? However, my skin was extremely dry and rough, with no tears.

In this rocky wasteland, the contrast of apathy, death, and sadness created an amalgam of sensations. The pitiful sobs were mingled with the corpses of bandits strewn across the mountain. In the midst of it all, I stood there with the same old expression. I couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation.

The twin horns and my parents were in a group hug, and Reyndols motioned for me to approach them, but I didn't. Instead, I observed them from a slight distance. While going to comfort my new mother would be a good idea, I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. After all, I couldn't cry, which was a significant disadvantage. Perhaps if I had practiced my tears, I wouldn't have needed to be so far away from them to hide my apathy.

My solitude, however, did not last long. When Jasmine noticed that something was missing from the depressing gathering, she broke away. As she approached, I averted my gaze to the bluish horizon. I didn't want her to see my emotionless face when I should have been frightened and sad.

Jasmine stood quietly next to me, my small stature barely reaching her waist. I realized she was looking in the same direction I was, at the sky's horizon. After a brief moment, I felt a firm but delicate hand resting protectively and comfortingly on my shoulder.

I'm sorry." Her words, though brief, contained a massive sense of helplessness, as evidenced by the slight tremor in her voice. Her grip on my shoulder became slightly tighter. "If only I'd been a little faster."

I did not respond. I couldn't say anything at this point. Any words that came out of my mouth would be counterproductive.

Again another person stood beside me. "You shouldn't be here alone " It was Helen's voice.

"She's right." There is a third voice. Angela's figure crouched in front of me, her eyes red from crying. She drew me in for a hug. "There's no need to act tough."

Although I appreciated the comments, there was nothing I could do but let them pamper me. My loneliness seemed to be over as the twin horns and my parents approached me slowly, coming out of their sphere of sadness. All in one sad and pitiful group hug.

Kiyo..." my mother sobbed when she finally reached me. The trauma of losing a child left her trembling and weak. "My baby..." she sobbed pitifully.

It took about fifteen minutes, but we had no choice but to move. Helen and Angela drove Alice and me to the carriage. My new mother was still sobbing now and then, but I tried to hug and comfort her. Even though I couldn't feel her pain, I tried to be a good pillar to help her get through it. It seemed to be working, since She hugged me tightly, as if she was afraid I would vanish.

We had no choice but to move after about fifteen minutes. Alice and I were driven to the carriage by Helen and Angela. My new mother was still crying now and then, but I hugged and comforted her. Even though I couldn't feel her pain, I tried to be a good pillar to help her get through it. It appeared to be working because she hugged me tightly, as if she was afraid I would disappear.

My father, along with Adam and Durden, was in charge of the bandits' bodies. I was very curious about what they would do with the bodies, because I don't think such a professional adventures party would leave corpses all over a busy road. If the books were true, this area didn't have a high density of monsters, but there could be an exception, and the smell of a freshly killed group of bandits could elicit an attack from a monster.

I would have burned them instead of burying them because burying them would have been too difficult. The smell of burning flesh may attract something, but fire generally scares animals away. - I'm not sure if that applies here. - Everything went much more smoothly with magic, however. Durden cast a spell, and the mountain earth shifted and swallowed the bodies, burying them. Another viable option that demonstrates how useful mana is.

I felt two arms tighten around my waist as a wet nose sniffed my neck with faint sobs as I watched the post-battle cleanup. I reached out a comforting hand and stroked Alice's hair. While it wasn't pleasant for me to be used as a cuddle pillow, I recognized that my mother was in a vulnerable state and allowed her to treat me as she saw fit.

When I caressed her, her grip tightened even more, briefly stopping my breathing. To be more comfortable, I had to reinforce my body with mana.

'At least I can train in the meantime'

(***)

The days went by quickly. Nothing noteworthy occurred. Jasmine had become more attached to me, almost like a babysitter. My mother cried herself to sleep, using me as a pillow. Despite his playfulness, my father acted maturely, and while the members of the twin horns tried to be cheerful as usual, there was still a heavy layer of sadness floating around us.

It was late at night when we decided to set up camp. We'd be at the Grand Mountains' designated teleportation gates in two days, ready to enter the city. I was actually curious to see a floating city with my own eyes, but it would take months to reach the gates below Xyrus if we wanted a better view.

I walked a little away from the camp looking for a suitable place to train after finishing dinner and relieving the worries of an overprotective and overly attached to me mother. I brought my wooden sword and the knife Jasmine had given me. I also didn't go too far. I knew this world was dangerous. I'd have to be strong first, and then I'd be able to relax.

I was cutting through the leafy trees looking for a place to train. The moonlight provided adequate illumination for me. However, as I was about to reach a clearing, I heard the unusual sound of leaves moving. Because there was no air, that was strange. Someone or an animal was following me. I knew which one was correct.