After Team Earth's outing with Guildmaster Charmeverson, where the group stopped six bandits from taking vegetables from one of the capital's farms. The same excursion where Fenrir killed his first person and was left mentally distraught.
In the dead of night, the group then walked with Charr and two of the bandits locked inside an invisible bubble created by the guildmaster.
After two hours they made it back to town, parted ways with Charr and the captives, then walked back to the "What Ales Ya?" inn where they are staying.
An awkward silence loomed over the group. The awkwardness was stemming from Fenrir Ironblood who was replaying the accidental kill over and over in his mind.
Fenrir's silent thoughts were starting to annoy Zena, intensifying the feeling looming over the group.
The thick air around the party stopped Coco and Alex from saying anything.
It was more bearable when they were walking with Charr, who had the kind of personality and charisma that he could just talk endlessly even if no one was listening.
With him gone however, there was nothing preventing this gloom from seeping into everyone's minds. In turn this amplified Zena's rage towards Fenrir.
It was now around two in the morning, so there was no polite tavern owner welcoming them back. There was no food left out either.
It felt like the world itself wanted the party to sit with this feeling of doom and gloom.
The group walked upstairs, and entered their parted ways.
Coco and Alex walked into their room.
Zena and Fenrir walked into theirs.
…
Once Coco and Alex closed and locked the door behind them. Alex and Coco both let out a hefty breath.
The duo could finally breathe after separating from the depressed Fenrir and the enraged Zena.
After a moment of fresh tavern air, Alex looked at Coco. "Will those two be ok?"
"Who knows, but I think talking it out will help them."
"What is your opinion on death? Personally I dislike it, but it's a necessary evil in the world. Life and death are two sides of the same coin. I only allow it under necessary circumstances."
"We were warned early on, before our births, that we would need to kill. To kill the demon king. Implying we need to kill his minions too, if he has any. I accepted that killing would be an integral part of my life, ever since I was a toddler."
"I hope Fenrir learns to accept it as well."
"Have a goodnight, Alex."
"Have a goodnight, Coco."
…
Coco and Alex were lucky enough to have a break once they entered their own room.
Zena and Fenrir did not get so lucky. They did not breathe that sigh of relief. Instead, what came out of their mouths was words, pent up sentences that have been stuck in their throats for over two hours now.
"I am sorry." "Who do you think you are?"
Fenrir's apology was soft. That "sorry" was to his party, to the man that he killed, to himself.
Zena's anger was harsh, said with the intention of telling Fenrir off for being so selfish.
"Who do I think I am?" Fenrir said, dropping his shoulders, head aimed to the floor. "What do you mean, Zena?"
Fenrir not getting the message was the tipping point for Zena. "How can you be so selfish?! I was raised by an assassin and was forced to kill someone at the age of seven. Alex and Coco didn't seem overly bothered by the bloodshed that occurred. Do you know why that is? Because we all accepted that death is commonplace in a world like this. For one reason or another, we all accepted killing and death as a natural part of the world. You? Where do you get off complaining when the rest of us have had to deal with that. You train. For what? Because we were told to kill the demon king. The God said kill. Did you think that you could go this entire journey without slaying anything? Stop living in a delusion and learn to accept the truth before you. Find a way to deal with killing and death!"
The normally quiet, cold, and calculating Zena blew up like a fury of blows against an opponent. It wasn't projecting, or thinking that Fenrir was privileged, but because the reason they all met was over the concept of killing.
"Kill the demon king."
The fact that each person: Coco, Alex, Zena, and Fenrir all followed orders and traveled to the capital by their fifteenth birthday meant that they signed the unseen contract.
Fenrir being scared of killing, was the same as him trying to back out of the contract with the God in Zena's eyes.
"You're right. I will work on it." Fenrir said with a soft smile but eyes still meeting with the floor.
"Thank you. Goodnight." Zena said flustered and annoyed before de-equipping and laid down.
…
The next morning Coco and Alex got up and ready then placed their ear to the door.
They waited to hear how Zena and Fenrir were going to act with one another. Would the two still be fighting? Did they make up? Did Zena kill Fenrir?!?
Thump, thump, thump.
Coco and Alex heard one pair of footsteps walking
Zena killed Fenrir Zena killed Fenrir!
Coco and Alex thought the same thing. Then the footsteps stopped. "Stop it you two." Zena said in a cold tone.
"EEEK!" Alex yelled out falling to the floor.
"How did you know?" Coco said, shocked.
"Assassin's secret. Now get out here."
Coco and Alex walked out of the room only to see Zena just outside the doorway and Fenrir behind her.
He's alive! He's alive!
"Coco, what is the plan for today?" Zena asked, still in a cold voice.
"We will do as Charr said, we do one another's morning routines, then we take on a job from the guild." Coco said not sure how Fenrir and Zena's relationship was going."
"Mmm, sounds good. Also, Fenrir and I are doing better now." Zena said as a quick passing remark before heading downstairs with the other party members following behind her.
…
Over the course of a full month, twenty eight days to be exact, Team Earth followed a set schedule.
They woke up in the morning and ate breakfast at the inn.
Stretched and did Fenrir and Zena's morning workout routine to wake up the body for the day.
After working out they mediated with Alex.
Once their minds and bodies were fully awakened, they headed to the local library, Curio's library, and read alongside Coco. Each person read separate books regarding their own interests.
Coco read about magic.
Zena read about anatomy.
Fenrir read on different weapons of various cultures.
Alex read about animals and nature.
After reading at the library for an hour a day they headed to the Sinful Hunters guildhall and picked up a quick quest. Flower picking, cutting lumber, moving boxes, and whatever else the guild needed help with.
After work they went back to the inn, ate dinner, and rested.
Over the course of twenty eight days, following Charr's advice of learning to breathe the same air as their other party members, they became a lot closer than they were.
This difference in closeness was not night and day. It wasn't even morning to afternoon. There was a noticeable difference in their teamwork though.
Zena's body went through a small transformation of being a little bigger. More muscle for faster and sharper movements.
Alex's training was climbing different terrains so her back and arms gained more muscle.
Coco remained as thin as ever, but her stamina did increase allowing her to run more and become more comfortable in running in a cloak.
Fenrir's body remained the same, but his mind went through a powerful transformation. Meditation and teamwork increased his trust and mental health a lot.
With it only being a month long, again, the difference in their minds and their bodies was not night and day, but noticeable from where they were before.
Everything during this month of training became better. Coco, Alex, Zena, and Fenrir's mental health, physical health, and teamwork all increased. The only thing that didn't increase was their finances.
At the start of the month they had forty one silver to their name. After inn expenses and grocery supplies. At the end of the month they had only one silver left.
After these brutal twenty eight days, the group ate breakfast, then headed over to the guild hall where the Greed Games would take place.