(Joshua_Goose: I hope you like this chapter, I have two simple things to tell you: First, the next chapter will come out next week, so stay tuned :)
Second, volume 2 will end at chapter 36, and there will be a special chapter (36.5) just like at the end of the previous volume, where more of the nature of this gigantic world will be shown.)
Drake Helkar's point of view
"And what will you two do once this festival is over?"
"Haha, if you had asked me that a few weeks ago I wouldn't have known what to tell you, but after talking it over with Jael, we decided to go to Bucker, on the Central Continent, since they say that more rare monsters have been appearing in its surroundings lately. If we're lucky, I'm sure we can make a small fortune there." Kaito shared with a laugh, before downing a large glass of red beer in one go.
"I hope so…" Jael added in a low voice, before looking at me for a second with a smile. "Because I'll need the money… for my family."
Huh? Could it be that she decided to go back? I concluded upon hearing her.
"For my part, I'll continue on my way to the capital, going along the central border with Dunumese to take advantage of the noble transport that will be available for the Kingdom's upcoming anniversary." Markus commented, before looking at us with a smile, causing the rest to look at us too.
"Well… we…" I said in a low voice, falling silent not knowing what to say, since the goal of our trip was to come to this city to get more information about the Bernal Fragments, but, now that I was here, I didn't know what to expect exactly….
What will we do after this? Haha, I don't even know if we'll get out of this place in one piece. I thought, my mind sinking into itself as I ignored everyone's gazes. If everything goes well, I'll be able to discover the reason for the vision, and the person behind the voice that knows what I am exactly.
"Cough, w-we will go north, to return to our homeland, in the Northwest of the Kingdom of Mitian." My sister answered after coughing when she noticed the silence that had formed. "Y-yes, that's right." I ended up saying, realizing that the others were still waiting for an answer.
Markus smiled. "Well, if that's the case, I'll accompany you to the border with the Kingdom of Dunumese. It's the least I can do for my friends."
"What? no, no, don't worry Markus." I replied before showing a slight smile. "Because without Kaito watching your ass, I'm not sure Zoe and I can protect you all the way to the border."
The joke made everyone at the table laugh, including Markus.
That night, we continued talking for hours, sharing stories and plans for the future. Kaito told us, between thunderous laughs, about the time Markus was swallowed whole by a giant Sand Worm, and how we had to cut a hole in the monster's stomach to pull Markus out covered in crap after several minutes. The joy and laughter of that moment were the perfect memory, a farewell to the stage of the journey that was ending.
The dinner stretched late into the night, mainly due to the jugs of beer that kept arriving, courtesy of Kaito and Markus. Everyone drank, except me, of course, because apparently being 36 years old disqualified you, or so my sister said.
I can't believe that for 4 years they don't consider me an adult…. I thought as I watched them have fun. It's not like I wanted to drink anyway.
…
The next day, I woke up with the surroundings still a bit dark with a strange sensation in my chest, feeling as if someone were watching me.
With my instincts at their peak, I slowly opened my eyes only for the strange sensation to disappear and be replaced by a feeling of calm and peace.
Again…. I said to myself, clenching my fists as I carefully got out of bed. This feeling again.
Ever since we entered this city, a strange sensation of being watched by someone had been invading me from time to time, something that would always disappear after I tried to investigate its origin.
I think this is the fifth time it's happened, or maybe the sixth? Well, I don't remember, the best thing to do is to be alert at all times. I said to myself, seeing how the room was a complete disaster, with a lamp knocked over, some battered furniture, and clothes scattered everywhere.
Getting completely to my feet, I looked at the only bed in the room and let out a sigh after remembering what had happened a few hours ago.
"It's true, all of this… Zoe caused it." I said in a low voice.
The memory of the previous night came to my mind clearly. After helping Jael carry Kaito to his room after he had fallen asleep on the floor, I returned to the first floor where we were all talking, but upon doing so, I found that Zoe had also fallen asleep leaning on the table.
When I tried to carry her to bed after saying goodbye to Markus and Jael, she woke up, or at least a very drunk version of her did. Going up the stairs she began to babble embarrassing things about me being the "best little brother in the world" and that she "loved me very much," all while trying to hug me.
When I tried to get inside the room, she resisted with the stubbornness of a small child, flailing her arms and legs, which caused her to knock over the lamp and other things, claiming she didn't want to sleep yet. In fact, I clearly remembered how the argument to get her into her pajamas was an all-out battle, which ended with me forcing her to change so she wouldn't stain the bed with the dirty clothes she was wearing after the party, something that in the end filled me with embarrassment.
Looking at my sister now, fast asleep and half-covered by the sheets, I could only shake my head. I'd never seen her like this. I thought. I guess alcohol really brings out a side of people we don't know.
Taking a quick bath and changing, I noticed that Zoe was still sleeping like a rock. Not wanting to wake her, I left the room as carefully as possible, closing the door without making any noise.
Perfect. I thought, already in the hallway. It's still very early, so I guess everyone must be sleeping given how they were a few hours ago. I suppose this is the ideal opportunity to take a walk and continue investigating on my own.
Upon leaving the inn, I walked through the streets of Skipton, which were still being enveloped by an intense reddish hue, a product of the sun that was beginning to peek over the sea's horizon. At this hour there weren't many people, other than some drunks staggering back to their rooms and a few businesses that were already setting up their stalls. While others, of a more nocturnal aspect, were just closing their doors to rest with a smell of rancid alcohol and roasted meat that still floated in the air near them.
With a clear objective in mind, I went down the stone and wood stairs to the lowest level one could reach. Exploring the linear and strange city while keeping Perception active at all times, several thoughts began to cross my mind as the minutes passed, thoughts that helped me reach a strange but rational conclusion.
The voice of the person who called me Dragon God at the end of my dream was a woman's, that voice… until this moment I hadn't heard it, so… It has to be someone I'll meet in this place. I said as I descended to the lowest possible level.
From the things I remember, the girl who throws herself off the cliff is also someone I don't know yet, so… Will she have something to do with it? Because I can't find a reason to want to save someone I don't know with as much determination as I did in my dream.
Being at the lowest point, I noticed that there were very few houses. Curious about the thoughts going through my head, I looked more closely at the cliff walls, noticing the dark marks that were all over the rock.
Wait, if there are marks here, how strong is the storm for the waves to reach this high? I thought, diverting my focus for a moment.
I turned towards the abyss, observing how the calm morning waves hit some rocks hundreds of meters from where I was. I-I guess pretty… pretty… pretty strong for it to be the perfect place to die….
Right, if the girl jumps at the time of the storm, that means she doesn't plan to survive… but, why? to hide information? Why is she being controlled? Ahh!! I can't think of anything….
Without knowing the reason for her motivation, the hours passed as I searched for some clue that would lead me to the exact place from my dream. After some time, I let out a sigh of exhaustion, which made me lean on a wooden railing that was there.
A couple of hours have already passed, What do I do? should I go back? Because it seems that I won't find anything today either. I said to myself, looking at the calm blue sea as I decided to focus Perception on the inn one last time before deactivating it, because being on alert at all times had brought my mana down to 40% of its total.
"What? Zoe is still asleep? Haha, I think she really overdid it yesterday." I said in a low voice after confirming how the others were splitting up as they left the inn.
How strange, Markus and Jael are separating from Kaito, I wonder why. I thought finally, before deciding to meet up with them once I ate something.
Walking for a couple more minutes, I decided to go up to get something to eat. When I reached the upper levels, the sun was already high and the city was a hive of activity. The center was so crowded that it was impossible to find available seats at any food stall. Moving away a bit, I found a small coffee shop with a free table on a very high-level terrace.
Alright, time to eat. I thought, calmer now as I took a bite of garlic bread before starting to plan the rest of the day in detail. So, what I have to do is investigate the west district, so it would be good to take advantage of the fact that I'm already at this height to come back this way.
Once I return to the inn, I'll go out with Zoe to meet up with Jael and Markus, who, knowing him, will surely want to do something, so I'll probably spend the afternoon and night with them if Kaito comes back quickly, which would be great. I confessed with a smile. Oh, right, I mustn't forget to pass by the fair we saw yesterday with Zoe, because if not she'll get angry and blame me even though she was the one who proposed it.
Finishing my bread, I was happy with the plan I had just established, until, as I went to take a sip of my drink, my pleasant tranquility was stabbed by a middle-aged man who entered the place where I was in a total state of agitation, with panic clearly drawn on his face.
"THE STORM! IT'S COMING!" He shouted with all his might.
What? Just at that moment, after his loud shout that caught the attention of the dozens of people in the place, a sharp and deafening beep began to sound throughout the city, echoing against the cliff. At the alert, the people in the coffee shop began to get agitated, running towards the establishment's balcony that faced the sea.
Taking one last bite of my bread I followed the crowd, wanting to see with my own eyes what they were paying so much attention to.
Upon going out, I saw an incredible scene. Hundreds of thousands of people, on every bridge, on every platform, and on every balcony were looking in the same direction: the sea.
And there, on the horizon, a wall of absolute and threatening darkness that contrasted violently with the bright blue of the sky was advancing rapidly towards us.
Wha-what the hell is that… I thought, completely stunned by the scale of the phenomenon I was seeing with my own eyes, before smiling out of a bad habit I had when I was in a tense moment.
"haha, certainly the people of Skipton are very strange, because despite being very close to danger they do nothing to leave or hide—" I whispered, before stopping myself because of a strange memory that came to me. Wait, these words….
The initial excitement of the crowd turned into a deafening roar of cheers and shouts, all mixed with the incessant beep of the alarm that began to die down. The clamor, the agitated atmosphere, and the memories of the dream that suddenly invaded me confused me, making me dizzy for a few moments until the same feeling of being watched invaded me again, a sensation that brought me back to reality.
I quickly activated Perception as I looked around me, but in doing so, I only saw people in a state of euphoria, celebrating and pointing at the approaching storm. I turned my head to the other side and saw others with paler faces, scared and nervous. A certainly strange mix.
What's wrong? Why do I feel scared?
I was confused, frustrated with myself, when suddenly, in all that chaos, for the first time since I had been in the city, I could feel something strange with Perception.
The beep of the alarm that was still going, the shouts of the euphoric people, the music that was starting to play at a loud volume… everything vanished. My mind fell into absolute silence, as if my entire being had magically focused on that single sensation I had detected not too far from me.
Feeling that time seemed to stretch, becoming dense and heavy, I turned in the direction of the sensation, and for a mere instant, I saw her. It was the woman from my dreams, the one who threw herself from the cliff.
She was leaning near the exit of the place, covered with a hood that hid her face, and other features, but, despite not being able to see her directly, I knew it was her, as clearly as the sensation I felt emanating from her thanks to Perception.
A chill ran down my spine. My throat suddenly went dry, partly from panic and partly from the piece of bread I hadn't finished swallowing yet. As I moved a muscle to go after her, a group of burly men ran right past, completely blocking her from view.
Without blinking, I kept my concentration on the exact spot, but when the men passed, she was no longer there. She had disappeared.
It can't be… I thought, maximizing Perception and confirming that her presence had vanished. It was her… HER!!
Without thinking twice, I filled my body with mana and shot towards the exit, not before hearing how the owner of the place shouted something about paying the bill, but by the time he finished his sentence, I was no longer there.
Being outside, on the main street of that level, I once again felt a faint trace of her presence going to the right.
But how strange… I can't feel her if I'm too far from her, even though my ability is at its maximum. I thought as I ran, pushing people to make my way through as I tried not to lose sight of her even as she tried to blend in among the thousands of people crowding the street.
Fearing I would lose her trail because of the people surrounding me, I jumped onto a wooden stall and from there propelled myself to a nearby roof to get a better view. But once up there, I couldn't find her, cursing as I moved across the rooftops towards the last place I had seen her.
Shit!
But it was useless, even from above, I couldn't find her or sense her, losing her trail completely.
"Damn it!" I shouted in a low voice, punching the roof with my fist. Who the hell was that woman? And how could she disappear so quickly? It was as if the earth itself had swallowed her up.
I deactivated Perception to save what little mana I had left after having spent it so recklessly. Touching my head, I covered my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to process everything that had just happened.
She avoided me! So she really does know who I am!? YES!! IT'S REALLY TRUE!!
Losing my mind not understanding exactly why all this was happening, I felt a hand rest on my back.
My body reacted before my mind. Fear and adrenaline shot up and, in a single movement, I drew Belarus from its sheath and turned ready to attack, an attack that I stopped immediately upon realizing who the person next to me was.
"D-Drake?" Zoe asked, confused, with my sword inches from her throat.
She looked at me with her eyes wide as saucers, completely frightened.
Damn it! Nervous and with cold sweat running down my forehead from the emotions consuming me, I sheathed my sword with a clumsy movement as I cursed myself looking at the ground.
"Drake… What's wrong?" She asked, her voice trembling from my actions. "Why are you like this?"
Trying to calm my ragged breathing. The sound of the first thunderclaps began to rumble in the distance, and the sky above us began to darken as I raised my gaze to answer her.
"I saw her, Zoe." I said, in a low, slow voice. "I saw the woman."