Matilda left the room, leaving Haise with his thoughts.
My destiny, slaying a world-ending dragon...
Haise thought to himself, a sudden bitter feeling welling up in his chest.
"Why couldn't they tell me about this? Why did they leave me with this responsibility without even telling me the truth?"
Haise groaned in frustration, placing his hand on his face. The weight of the situation was dawning on him.
"But if I confront this... maybe I could get revenge on Valerious."
His eyes narrowed as the thought of killing the king crossed his mind. Haise leaned back, pressing his hand against his face.
"I need to get out of here."
He muttered to himself, pushing himself up from his seat and heading straight for the door. He hesitated for a moment, looking back at the house—contemplating whether to tell the old man he was leaving.
Haise took a step back before deciding against it. Without a word, he moved forward, determined to leave without anyone knowing.
He walked through the streets of Blackreach, observing the different kinds of people who roamed the marketplace.
Humans. Elves. Dwarves. Reptilians.
Blackreach was a diverse place—so different from where he lived as a refugee.
.....
.....
.....
"Waaahhh!"
Haise cried as the ship they boarded to escape Kiyozumi finally docked at a harbor.
"Haise, please stop crying,"
his caretaker said gently as she wiped the tears from his cheeks.
"B-But my parents..."
Haise sniffed, the image of their deaths playing again and again in his mind.
"I know... but they would've wanted you to be strong right now."
His caretaker hugged him close, holding back tears of her own.
As they stood, the door creaked open.
CREAK
"Time to get out,"
a gruff voice said. A man with a thick beard stood in the doorway, arms crossed and a stern look on his face.
Haise's caretaker carried him as they stepped out of the room they'd been staying in aboard the ship. The sun greeted them as they emerged, the wind brushing their faces as they looked ahead at the new town where they'd begin their new lives.
"Where are we?"
Haise asked quietly, still sniffling as he stared at the unfamiliar town.
"Ishikari,"
his caretaker replied.
The two of them left the boat, glancing around the crowded docks. The place was filled with Kiyozumi refugees. Every face was marked with exhaustion, fear, and confusion. The cries of displaced families echoed in the air as they walked.
"Haise?!"
A familiar voice called out from the crowd.
Haise looked up, eyes widening as he recognized the man.
"Uncle Reiji!"
His caretaker's eyes widened in disbelief. They were lucky—so lucky—to see a familiar face. Reiji had been a guard at the Sasaki estate, only recently leaving before the attack.
"I'm so glad to see you're safe,"
Reiji said as he embraced Haise tightly.
"I heard what happened in Kiyozumi... how could this happen?"
he whispered, still in disbelief.
.....
.....
.....
.....
Haise was suddenly snapped back to the present by a loud commotion nearby.
"Give that back!"
a young man's voice shouted, desperate and panicked.
Haise moved through the crowd, trying to get a better look at what was going on.
"Why would I, peasant?!"
A tall, lanky man sneered as he shoved the young boy to the ground.
"That's mine! My mother gave it to me! Give it back!"
Haise squinted, eyes narrowing as he tried to make out what the man was holding.
A necklace...
The younger boy got up and threw a punch.
"Idiot!"
The tall man easily dodged, and the boy stumbled off balance.
THWACK!
"Urgh!"
The boy gasped as a hard kick landed in his stomach, sending him crashing backward.
Haise stood frozen for a moment, confused why no one was stepping in.
"Maybe you do deserve to get beat up!"
the tall man laughed cruelly.
Just as he reared back to throw another punch—
TCHK!
"What the?!"
The man stared in shock. Haise had grabbed his wrist, stopping the strike mid-air. His face was calm—but his eyes were ice.
"Give it back,"
Haise said coldly.
"What if I don't?!"
the man snapped, yanking his fist back and glaring.
"I break your hand."
The man burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA! I'd like to see you try!"
The tall man threw a right hook, completely catching Haise off guard.
WHAM!
Haise's face snapped back. He barely had time to react before another punch hit him square in the gut.
THWACK!
Haise collapsed, clutching his stomach as the tall man laughed.
"HAHAHA! Not so confident now, huh?"
The man sneered, standing over him.
"Shut up!"
As fast as lightning, Haise drove his fist straight into the man's face.
"Eurgh!"
The tall man stumbled backward, caught off guard by the sudden counterattack.
"You fool!"
The man lunged forward and tackled Haise, slamming him to the ground.
"You're gonna pay for that!"
He began pummeling Haise, who struggled beneath him, trying to escape.
WHAM!
SMACK!
THUD!
Blow after blow landed on Haise's face. His vision blurred as pain pulsed through his skull.
Then—
CRASH!
The tall man went flying across the street, crashing into a vendor's small cart.
"There you are!"
Haise turned his head, dazed, just in time to see Matilda rushing toward him.
"You idiot! We were so worried about you!"
she shouted, glaring at him. Despite the anger in her voice, concern was etched on her face.
"You're gonna pay for that, bitch!"
The tall man charged again, trying to catch her off guard.
"SOSENTO!"
A green hue burst from Matilda's hand. The man froze mid-charge, suspended in the air like a puppet on invisible strings.
"I'm gonna break every bone in your body,"
she said coldly.
CRACK!
"ARGHHH!"
The man screamed in agony as he collapsed onto the street, groaning in pain.
"Th-that was pretty brutal,"
Haise muttered as Matilda knelt down and helped him up.
"You should see what he did to your face."
Matilda said as she walked over to the tall man's body.
"Consider this as a warning"
The man could only stare, motionless. He couldn't feel his body anymore.
Matilda turned away from him and walked back toward Haise, signaling him to follow.
They moved through the streets in silence, the sound of the marketplace fading into the background. Haise could feel Matilda's gaze lingering on him.
"Did you ever learn how to fight?"
Matilda asked, curiosity laced in her voice. She found it hard to believe that someone from the Sasaki bloodline lacked combat training.
"I don't know... My uncle Reiji only taught me how to wield a sword."
Matilda nodded, not pressing the subject any further.
"You were pretty cool though,"
she said with a smirk playing on her lips.
"What's cool about getting beat up?"
Haise replied bitterly.
"You defended a kid, even when you knew you didn't stand a chance. As reckless as that may be... I still think you were cool."
Haise smiled lightly, warmth blooming in his chest despite the bruises.
"Then you should teach me how to fight properly,"
he joked.
"Oh, you're on!"
Matilda laughed, playfully throwing a light punch at his shoulder.
"When we face that cursed dragon, you'll be the one sending it into oblivion."
Haise let out a small laugh.
"Hahaha... Please don't remind me of that."
His voice trailed off as he slowed to a stop.
Then, more seriously, he added,
"But... defending someone earlier—
It felt good. If that's what it feels like to protect someone... then I accept my fate."
Haise clenched his fist, a determined look in his eyes as he turned to face Matilda.
She met his gaze, seeing a new fire beginning to take root in him.