"Oh, fine, I'm tired of this wailing. I approached her stealthily and took the medal from her hand, telling her that I would take care of the problem that I caused and made her pour all her anger on me.
It was only seconds before she jumped onto my back, trying to take the medal from my hand. "No, wait… it's mine…"
Alright, Eva… be serious. This journey began because of your parents' murder, so save those tears so you don't forget how to cry for them. It's certainly a painful memory, but if you can hold on to them, they might give you a sense of strength…
The time will inevitably come when you forget them… so don't make me feel like I'm the one who hired you to take my revenge, not the other way around…
"Shut up!"
Hey! Repeat what you just said, you insolent one!
She turned her face and said, "I won't repeat what I said again. You said I look like her, right?… I mean your younger sister. It's not fair that only I cry all the time… If you're still so attached to her, let me see you cry for her just once, Brando."
Ha ha ha, I cry! I'm not a spoiled child who whines like you! Close the door behind you and let me get some sleep.
She lowered her head and replied, "I'm sorry."
Before she left, I wanted her to know that my sister always called me her respectable brother!
As she was leaving, I heard her say, "Alright then… shut up, my respectable brother."
__________________________________________________________________
The adventure continues after we leave the inn…
A poke in my back. "Hey! Brando! Let's stop here for a moment."
Eva wanted to stop at one of the stalls offering snacks, with tables scattered across a green area…
I thought you were the one who said we should be mindful of our expenses; you objected to my drinking sake before, remember?
"Hmmm! Alright, I'll make it up to you now."
Eva was holding a handmade map in her hand… she had utilized the last day at the inn to sketch out a plan regarding the tourist clubs where we might find Karl, based on the information provided to her by Mr. Gaucho…
"If you please! We'd like two pieces of domashi sweets and some barley tea, and could you direct me to the restroom?"
Ah! You said the restroom; just admit it's your menstrual period.
"None of your damn words!"
Eva went to take care of her business, leaving the map on her chair. I began to examine it… damn, she really made all those marks and signs. Well, I see it's a good thing—trying tirelessly and without relent… but will it be enough to find Karl?
Under the scorching sun, which was about to set the map on fire, I flipped through the marks Eva had pointed out on the map. Suddenly, a shadow blocked the sunlight on the map. At first, I didn't pay it any mind, but after some time, I became aware of it. I turned my face to the right to discover what was blocking the rays from reaching the map…
A wandering monk concealed his entire face under a long cylindrical hat, etched with horizontal openings at the mouth. He held in his right hand a long sacred staff, topped with a circular ring and a sharp spear—a symbol of balance between tranquility and danger.
He wore a long, sleeveless robe adorned with a beaded necklace, and a belt that cinched his waist. In his left hand, he held a closed umbrella to shield himself from the storms of fate.
"Hey! You! I didn't ask you to cast a shadow over my head; you're blocking my damned light! You have two choices, no third option! Either pull up a chair and sit down, or get your backside out of my way and disappear from my sight, monk!"
The monk pulled up a chair and sat beside me. Despite the hat he wore obscuring where his gaze was directed, I felt that he was staring at the map based on the position of his head.
"It seems what you're reading is quite intriguing, young man."
And what's it to you about a damned sketch?
"Ah! True… but those marks! The red marks indicate the locations of the Sword Gangs in the city of Himura… and all those gangs were destroyed by someone."
Hah! You're embellishing that belt quite a lot.
"Heh heh heh, there's still much more… young man! I know about the man you two are searching for."
"You'll never find him following that method, even if you walked that way for many years! I can help you find Karl… but that depends on how you answer me…"
"Who the hell are you? How do you know all this?"
"Don't rush; you can get a cup of tea for me."
A suspicious person like him, I didn't know if he truly had information about Karl, but I went along with him and gave him Eva's order since she hadn't arrived yet…
So… I'm listening to you… how did you know about this?
The monk placed his hand on the map. "These marks on your map indicating the locations of these gangs… anyone who knows this, and most of them are among Karl's ranks…"
"The Golden Hawk Squad has many enemies due to their violent actions, and their most significant enemies are those loyal to the emperor, including the emperor himself. As for the unknown ones, there are many, each with their reasons. It seems you are one of them."
Hmm! My mind got stuck on a sentence he said a moment ago, making me lose focus on what he said afterward. "I know about the man you're searching for!" He spoke in the plural! This indicates that he has been tracking us for some time and knows about Eva…
Without looking at him, I quickly grabbed Ares's sword to point it at his neck.
"One more question! You spoke in the plural a moment ago; how did you know I wasn't alone? Let me hear about that!"
The monk reached for his long hat to remove it…
Hmm! I understood why you wear that strange hat. What happened to your face? Your features are erased! What's with all these burns?
"The burns on my face are from Karl some time ago, and I don't want to mention why! I know who you are… I've heard about you, Brando! I'm a swordsman affiliated with the Golden Hawk Squad… I'm called Tarkus, as you can see, I'm unarmed."
Ha ha! Damn it! I knew that; I realized you weren't a monk the moment you stood in front of me… hmm! Your body, man! It reeks of blood!
Up until now, I've killed many; I even stopped counting them a while ago… Just a guess! I think you surpass me by a lot in the number of kills by your hand, don't you?
Tarkus drew a slight smile on his face, mixed with flattery and a sense of superiority.
What the hell! Don't tell me you just mocked me! You've been rambling so much before you took off that hat… now I see you calm and tight-lipped!
"I don't share your opinion on that… apparently, all I told you was his name… If you want to know more! As I said before… give me a clear answer without any manipulation, and I'll tell you everything I know about the Golden Hawk Squad."
I was starting to lose my mind with this futile conversation with you! Stop talking just for the sake of talking and ask what you want!
Tarkus placed the palm of his hand on his chin and turned toward me. Seeing his face in that condition wasn't something I wanted to do—blurred features, a deformed nose, and cracked lips in the middle…
"Alright… tell me! Didn't you want a special partner before?"
I placed my hand on the back of my head, not comprehending what he was saying…
I put Kiseru in my mouth and responded, not understanding what he meant…
A partner?! What does that mean?
"Working as a team! Working together to kill Karl!"
I wasn't impressed with his idea—a partner! How would that work? I don't want to restrict my movements with a partner or even think about it. Besides, what if this is my fight! The signal I spoke about, the old witch said it was to return to being a normal human!