"Looks like my work here is done," Boros muttered, cracking his neck as he stepped over Davis' lifeless body.
He paused, a crooked grin spreading across his face. "But before I leave, there's one last thing I gotta do."
...….
Boros stepped into the inn, the door creaking open as he exhaled hard.
"I'm back," he said flatly.
"S-Shiro!" Kinuko gasped, her voice breaking. "You're covered in blood…this–this is why I begged you not to go!" Tears welled in her eyes.
He moved towards her slowly as he leaned in and whispered, "It's not my blood." Then he straightened up.
"I'm hitting the shower. You should get some sleep."As he turned away, he paused, glancing over his shoulder.
"You were waiting for me right? That's why you haven't slept yet."He pulled her gently to his chest. "Don't worry, I'm here now."
...
"Ugh...where am I?" Akeno muttered, slowly sitting up, her head pounding.
"Yo, look who's finally awake," Boros said without turning, sitting at the edge of the bed.
From the corner of the room, Akeno heard soft sniffling.
She turned to see Kinuko watching her, eyes glossy with relief, "Kinuko….? Why are you crying?"
"Idiot," Kinuko whispered, rushing over to wrap her arms around Akeno. "I was scared. I thought you weren't gonna wake up."
Akeno blinked and suddenly clutched her arm. "My arm –!"
"Relax," Boros said coolly. "I fixed you up with 'sage healing'. You're good."
Silence settled over the room. After a moment, Akeno crawled over, and gently wrapped her arms around Boros from behind.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen….. and thank you. I really thought I was going to die." She said, her voice trembling.
He reached up and patted her head. "Don't worry, if you're ever in trouble just call me, I'll come save you."
"Thank you," she whispered, as her cheeks flushed pink.
Then, curiously, she asked, "But…. I didn't know sage healing could re-attach limbs."
"Sage healing can do way more than stick limbs back on. It all comes down to how deep your connection is with Nexus and how well you know how to use it." Boros explained.
"Nexus is the energy that flows through everything," Boros began.
"Without it, this planet wouldn't even exist. It's in the trees, the air we breathe – every living and non living thing gives off Nexus." He paused, then added with a half smile, "That's just the basic version, anyway." He tilted his head toward Akeno.
"You following so far?"
Silence.
"Akeno?" he asked again, one eye twitching open.
Kinuko jerked her thumb at the door. "She dipped the second you started going full professor." Boros stared for a beat, deadpan.
"That girl….." Kinuko sighed.
"I'll go bring her ba –" But before she could move, Boros caught her wrist and pulled her into a sudden embrace.
"I'll protect you too," he said quietly.
Kinuko froze, eyes wide. Then the tears started falling.
"I'm sorry about last night," he murmured, holding her tighter. "You were worried and I….. I brushed it off. I didn't even think about how you felt."
"It's okay," she said through tears. "You said sorry, That's enough for me." She hugged him back, clinging to his warmth.
"I'll protect both you and Akeno," he whispered. In his mind, a vow echoed silently. 'I at least owe that much to the Eraba clan.'
"Come on, let's head downstairs, Akeno's waiting," he said, resting his hands gently on Kinuko's shoulders.
"Alright, Shiro," she replied, cheeks glowing red as she clasped his hands with a soft smile.
"There you are, Akeno," Boros called out. "Not cool to bounce mid-convo, you know." (mid-convo as in 'mid conversation')
"You were talking to me?" Akeno raised a brow, flashing a sarcastic smirk."You literally asked ME the question!, dumbass!" Boros shot back, stepping up until they were practically butting heads.
Moments later, they all took their seats around the reception lounge, the mood shifting as they started planning their next move.
"Hmph," Boros exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That tournament was a total bust. Complete waste of time."
"Yeah, at this rate, we'll never find him," Kinuko muttered.
"Find?" Akeno tilted her head. "Find who?"Boros stared at her like she'd grown a second head.
"Find who? Seriously? You already forgot why we came to the Western Cardinal?" Kinuko nudged her, eyebrows raised. "Come on, Akeno. Think. Just a little."Akeno squinted, a vein twitching on her forehead.
"Uhhh….we're looking for….a long lost cousin?" Boros nearly exploded.
"Cousin?! I'm done with you!" He grabbed her by the collar and shook her like a soda bottle. "Kinuko, please. Save us."
"We came to the West to find the Fire Longinus user," Kinuko said, flashing an awkward smile.
"There. You hear that, Akeno? Not a cousin. The Fire Longinus user," Boros said, still holding her by the collar.
Akeno blinked. "Sooo...still a distant cousin?"Boros sighed releasing her with a glare. "Whatever rows your boat, Akeno. Whatever rows your damn boat."
"So any new leads?" Boros asked, glancing between them.
"Nope," they both answered in unison. Boros sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Great. So what now?"
"We're gonna need cash for clothes, the inn, and other stuff." Kinuko trailed off.
"Yeah, and we can't have someone keep 'borrowing' from strangers," Boros added as he threw a pointed look at Akeno.
A beat of silence passed.
Then Akeno perked up. "Okay, hear me out….what if we joined a guild?"
"A guild? What's that?" Boros asked, raising a brow."It's basically an organization that manages adventurers, quests, bounties and other stuff like that. It's a place where adventurers sign up to take jobs like fighting monsters, finding items or protecting people."
"So basically a job board with perks?" Boros asked. "Exactly, it helps connect people who need help with those who can do the work, Guilds also give rewards, ranking and sometimes a place to stay."
"So it'll help with our cash problems and sharpen our fighting skills," Boros said, nodding. "But I still don't see how that helps us find him." He glanced at Akeno.
Akeno crossed her arms with a smirk. "Think about it, if we are registered adventurers, we can take quests that send us all over the map. No more sneaking through Cardinal borders like we did in the West. We'd be moving legally and getting paid for it."
"She's got a point," Kinuko chimed in. "Adventurers are pretty much the only ones who can cross between the Cardinals without raising suspicion. And if we get into a high ranking guild and take on big jobs, we'll have the freedom and gold to go wherever we need. It's a win-win."
"I get it," Boros said, nodding. "It's like killing two birds with one stone, we get paid, get to move freely, and if we're always travelling the chances are high that we'll find him." He paused, frowning.
"But…. I'm not thrilled about the idea of working under some random people. The thought of another person ordering me around is sickening." Kinuko chuckled.
"I figured you'd say that. But even though we're using the term 'job' we aren't exactly taking orders from anyone, well lower ranked adventurers might be picked on by higher ranked ones but, that's what happens at any establishment."
"No one's barking orders at us, adventurers pick their own quests. And in most Guilds, the Guildmasters don't bother themselves with the lower ranked ones."
"Yeah… still rubs me the wrong way," Boros muttered, scratching the side of his head.
"Come on, Shiro," Akeno said softly, stepping closer.
"I know you might not like the idea but, this is the best shot we've got at finding him. Just think about it, okay?" She gently touched his cheek, eyes steady.
Boros exhaled deeply, then gave a half-smirk. "Alright, Alright. You win. It's decided we're joining a Guild."
Note: I'm changing the Novel's Directional system from Western Continent like I said in the last few chapters to Western Cardinal, So they'll be addressed as (Western Cardinal, Eastern Cardinal and so on.) Keep enjoying the Book ya'll.