KENSHI
Not minding the wondering look I got from the crowd, I ran at my utmost speed towards Grosi's shop. In a month of waiting, the day had finally come. We were looking forward to this moment. I'd been eagerly and impatiently waiting for this moment. My bottle of worry that had been threatening to break and overflow had finally found its rest... though not fully.
Because there were still lingering questions in my head that could only be answered once I saw him. A question that may be fully or impartially answered.
But at least the agonizing thought of him not waking up was finally over.
Daku finally woke up.
I was not using Haste, yet the way I was running now felt like I was using one. I was in the middle of recovering my swordsmanship after two weeks of resting when I received news about Daku's awakening. Without a doubt and wasting time, I rushed and ran my way towards the shop.
And it seemed like I was not the only one hearing the news, as I saw a royal carriage parked in front of the shop. I bet the King and the Pillars of Thorn were present.
I slowed down my pace when I was a few meters away from the shop until it became a walk. Upon reaching the shop's entrance, the two royal guards, stationed on the shop's doorstep, blocked me, stopping me in my tracks. This earned them a pissed and annoyed look from me.
"His Royal Highness is currently inside. No one is allowed to go in unless permitted."
"I need to go inside."
"Didn't you hear me? No one is allowed to go in unless permitted," the guard repeated, intensifying my boiling emotions.
"Didn't you hear me as well? I need to go inside. I need to see my partner," I persisted.
The other guard threatened, "Push any further and your actions will be perceived as insubordination, which is punishable by law."
"No need to tell me. If going inside and seeing my partner is a crime, then I'd be more than willing to be guilty of it."
"What's with the commotion?" a manly voice roared from the shop, alerting the two guards. It was the King, and behind them were a few members of the Pillars of Thorn, including The Great Mage, Marika.
"Sorry for disturbing your peaceful day, Your Highness, but this man insisted on coming in despite our warnings," one of the guards informed.
The King looked in my direction, and his face lit up upon seeing me. He then returned his gaze back to the guards, wearing a fearsome look.
"The man you're referring to is a son of a known swordsman in the kingdom who, unfortunately, lost his life in the recent battle. This man fought alongside me while the rest of you fended off the monsters elsewhere. If this man wants to go in, then let him. After all, his friend is waiting for him." The King looked back at me in a more relaxed and calm demeanor. "Sorry for the incompetence of these two. I'll make sure to give them a proper scolding."
I could see a hint of worry and fear on the guards' faces when the King lectured them. I kind of felt bad for them. I understood that they were just doing their job.
"Thank you, Your Highness, but I don't think they did their job wrong. They just did what they were told to do, so I understand. It was a fault on my part as well that I let my emotions control me. If it wasn't for your arrival, much worse could've happened."
The King nodded his head as a sign of approval before speaking, "You should go see him, though you might want to prepare yourself a bit."
"Don't worry, Kenshi. I will do my part to bring back Daku," Marika added, and at first, I didn't understand what she meant by it.
But their words came like a warning to me, and it somehow reactivated the anxiety that once enveloped me earlier until it was masked by anger because of the two guards. This was the reason why all I could do was nod my head because my throat seemed to have lost its function due to the intense emotion.
Scared, I entered the shop and took the stairs up to the second floor, where Daku was. Each step on the staircase sent a more powerful wave of nervousness. Although I had already convinced myself that Daku was fine because he finally woke up, parts of me were scared of what I might see.
Will he be the same Daku that I know? Can he remember me?
Deep in those thoughts, I failed to notice that I was already standing in front of Daku's bedroom door. I stared at my trembling hands as they reached the handle of the door. When my hand touched it, it mysteriously sent a chilling cold to my entire body, as if telling me of a bad omen. This worried me more.
But I knew for myself that worrying over something without actually witnessing it would be stupid. So I mustered the remaining strength and courage I had within me in this very moment and shoved the door open, revealing four people inside. But among them, one figure instantly caught my eye.
His black hair was longer compared to the last time. Despite being unconscious in bed for a month, his body remained unchanged. Just by looking at him, I could tell that he was Daku.
And yet, why did I feel a sense of unfamiliarity towards him as if we were strangers to one another? Is this what the King and Marika were referring to?
I thought I was just overthinking it, but his eyes supported my claim. It was empty. Like a vessel without a soul. A space void of nothing. A blank canvas. A lifeless being.
"We had the same reaction as you," Grosi mumbled, but my eyes were still fixed on Daku. "Shiro and Kana didn't even notice him getting up. He's in the same position as when the two woke up."
"We tried calling him, but he's unresponsive," Shiro added.
'He didn't even look at us," said Kana.
"Even in His Majesty's presence?" I asked, and Grosi nodded. "Why is he like this?"
"I have no idea," Grosi confessed. "Marika thought it was a result of using Rupture Magic, which is probably the truth because if I'm not mistaken, using Rupture Magic blocks the user's emotions, which is Daku's current condition: emotionless and stoic, as if his right to feel was removed from him. Without these emotions that make us humans, he is nothing but an empty and soulless vessel."
So my assumptions were right. A void is inside him.
"Is there any way to reverse this?"
"We have yet to search for remedies for his case, but if you're planning to, the library is your first stop."
"We'll help you, Mister Kenshi," Kana offered.
"I'll try asking my friends as well," Grosis continued and heaved a deep sigh. "On the bright side, at least we don't have to worry about him risking his life again as an adventurer because, from the looks of him, I don't think he would leave this room."
"Just when my curse is finally gone, now something like this happened," I mumbled, and I unconsciously turned both of my hands into a fist.
"Don't blame yourself, Kenshi. It was never your fault in the first place. He just wanted to save all of us without thinking the consequence. In fact, we can't blame him as well. No one was at fault here. No one wants this to happen."
He didn't have to use Rupture Magic if I was strong enough to defeat Hirako. I promised to protect him but I failed. And I would make sure it would never happen again.