Chapter 43: One Last Dinner.
"So... what do you think?" Aiden asked.
"Sigh... Well, it’s not like we can do anything else, can we?" Cedric said.
Damn. "...Alright, then. Fog Island it is," Aldrus joined in, rubbing his brow. "Alice, are you in?"
The blonde girl closed her eyes in acceptance. "Yeah... I guess that’s our only real shot. I’m in," she said. "Also, now that we know where we are, I think we should talk about the threats wandering these lands. I might not know this specific region, but I do know the types of beasts that roam the south, so I have an idea of what we might run into."
Well, at least we’re not completely in the dark.
"Uh, I can also give a more in-depth breakdown of this place—its weather and geographical dangers, too," Aiden added.
"Ugh, I feel kind of useless... But hey, I can make up for my lack of knowledge with manual labor. I should start helping with the preparations now; my bones are feeling much better." Aldrus said.
"Eh...?" Cedric raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Aldrus? You should probably rest a bit more."
"No. I’ve rested enough. Besides, our training sessions made me realize something: physical activity is just as important for a full recovery as rest is."
The blond boy wore a complicated expression, but then simply sighed and said, "Well, if you say so... In any case, your help would be much appreciated. I’ve got a few ideas, so I’ll need you to help me craft some basic equipment before we set off."
"Of course," Aldrus replied, feeling a little better about himself.
"Alright! Then Aiden and I will handle the shelter and write down all the essentials somewhere... Cedric, do you happen to know how to make a map? Or a book?" Alice asked.
The boy smiled and crossed his arms. "Of course! It won’t be fancy, but I’ll handle it."
How do you even know so much about this stuff?
"...Hey, Cedric," Aldrus asked. "Are you perhaps aiming to become a master craftsman?"
The blond boy stiffened.
Aldrus had come to that conclusion pretty easily; Cedric had taken a particular interest in the third-rank artifact and seemed genuinely passionate about building things. It really wasn’t much of a mystery.
"Hehe... Yeah, I am. It’s been my dream ever since I was a kid. Kind of ambitious, isn’t it?" Cedric said, scratching the back of his neck.
Everyone smiled. Each of them had a dream of their own, after all.
The black-haired boy went silent for a moment, then huffed through his smile. "Not at all, Cedric."
Not at all.
***
*Smack!*
*Smack!*
Agh...
Three days later, Aldrus found himself endlessly swinging a stone axe Cedric had made for him, though his target didn’t seem to even flinch.
*Smack!*
"Huff... Jeez, this is way more exhausting than I thought," he mumbled.
"Aghh... Huff... Well, hahh... o-of course it is. You’ve been chopping wood for five straight hours, dude," Cedric said, equally out of breath.
I’m starting to regret helping you out...
The blond boy and Aldrus had been busy gathering materials around the area. It was part of the ’manual labor’ the milky-eyed boy had promised to help with.
Cedric had also been teaching him essential skills for basic camping and survival: turning leather into rustic backpacks, polishing stone and wood into useful weaponry, and the optimal ways to preserve meat and water.
As of right now, they were getting ready to craft a final backup set of handmade swords and daggers, as well as heavier clothes for the chilly nights.
*Smack!*
"Hahh... You know, Cedric... When you told me you wanted to be a master craftsman... I thought it was cool, b-but... aghh... I—huff... didn’t expect... you to be... so damn picky!"
*Smack!*
"Hey! Uff... S—Shut up! This log is no good! Gahh... T-The wood needs to be seasoned; these young trees are weaklings!"
This fucking guy!
"Ghhrhrghh!!"
*CRACK!*
In the next second, the massive tree they’d been hacking away at finally yielded to the pressure, crashing to the ground in a shower of leaves and mud.
As a result, both boys were now caked in brown from head to toe.
"..."
"..."
"...Cedric."
"Yeah..."
"Never ask me to do this without my powers again."
"...Got it."
"Hey, guys! Head back soon, it’s getting late! Aiden’s done making dinner!" Suddenly, a melodic voice reached them from afar.
"...Let’s go wash off."
"Yeah..."
***
"Hmm, mmm~ Man! This is amazing! Aiden, how are you so good at cooking?!" the blond boy asked.
Aiden froze for a second, then slowly explained, "Well, uh... M-My sister taught me..."
"Is that so? She’d make a damn good wife!" Cedric said, his mouth full.
What are you saying...
"S-She’d kill you for that!" The silver-haired boy shuddered.
As the topic slowly shifted to Aiden’s sister, Aldrus, who had been eating in silence, suddenly chimed in. "Oh, that’s right, Den. Do you mind telling us why you fear Seris so much? She struck me as a pretty kind girl."
Just a little teasing, though...
"Uhm... Well, she’s not a bad person; she just... hates me," Aiden replied. "I don’t really know why. We were very close when we were younger, but ever since we got a fragment, she changed. She constantly ignores me, brushes me off, or shuts me down. I really don’t understand her at all..." he said, a sad smile forming on his lips.
"Well, don’t stress over it too much. I don’t know the reason either, but she did ask me to look after you," Aldrus said casually.
"S-She did?!"
"Yes, you can take my word for it. The day I met her, she asked me if I was your friend and told me to treat you well," he explained.
The silver-haired boy’s smile brightened. "Hmm." He nodded.
"Yeah..."
A thick silence hung over the cave. The conversation simply tapered off there, keeping the mood light. No one dared to ask or tell—not about the horrors that would come.
That brief moment, those simple, humble days. Living like cavemen, lost and hurt far away from the embrace of the street lights. It somehow felt like home. It was a time when, separated from their families, four young friends slowly grew to care for and love one another. A bond forged through survival, idle banter, and perhaps, a thread of destiny itself.
No one knew exactly how things would eventually play out, but they chose to ignore the uncertainty for now. They wanted to keep that memory. To keep that last dinner etched forever in their hearts.
***
Four days later—Morning.
Where is it, where is it?? Ah, there it is!
Aldrus grabbed his bag from behind a rock and stood up.
Hmm... I think that’s everything.
"Hey, Aldrus! Hurry up, it’s time!" Alice called from outside the cave.
The black-haired boy took a deep breath.
"I’m coming!"
Two whole weeks had passed since they first arrived in that place. They had built a shelter, hunted wild game, and learned to live with absolutely nothing. But they couldn’t stay there forever.
The time had come. Everything was ready, prepared to the absolute best of their abilities, and now, the day was upon them.
Sigh... Time to dive into The Paradise, huh.
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