Alysa stood up and extended her hand as she said, "Let's get out of here and go somewhere a bit more private."
Liebe said, "Okay then," as he grabbed her hand and stood up. As they were walking, Liebe bumped into a man.
Liebe said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking."
The man said, "It's alright."
Liebe said, "Hmm, you aren't from around here, are you? If you need anything, please just ask."
The man said, "You are right. I'm a traveler from Mikillom, actually looking for someone—someone named Conquista and the Empress."
Liebe said, "Well, sir, I'm Liebe Faust, the acting captain, and I'm the one with the title 'Conquista.' And, well, the captain is here."
The man said, "Oh, you are Liebe Faust? But first, can I get some snow cones?"
Liebe said, "Sure. And, umm, Alyssa, can you please wait a few minutes? Let me show this man around."
Alysa said, "Sure. After all, waiting for you is one of my pleasures."
The man said, "I apologize for the inconvenience. And I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm William Reginald Arden Thayer Hayes, but please call me William."
Liebe said, "Of course."
As they walked over to Lilith, Liebe said, "Captain, this man would like to talk to you."
Lilith said, "Of course."
As Gelda saw Liebe there and saw Lilith with marks, her eyes widened.
William said, "Lilith, it has been far too long."
Lilith said, "Yes, it has."
William said, "Care to entertain me?"
Lilith said, "I would love to do it right now, but unfortunately I'm enjoying the festival with my son, so I must refuse."
William said, "Okay then, I can understand. See you later then. And you have a very beautiful… unfortunately, it looks like he doesn't take after his mother. And yet, this young man here has been so kind to me. I highly appreciate your acting captain."
Lilith said, "Of course."
The man said, "If it's okay with you, can we enjoy our snow cones now?"
Liebe said, "Of course."
Gelda said, "Lord, I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
Liebe said, "Of course. And Gelda, get me a new pair of gloves—mine are ruined by blood."
Gelda said, "Of course, Lord."
As they sat down in Eldrie's stall, Eldrie brought them snow cones and they ate.
William said, "Please, young knight, can I ask why you are so kind to me?"
Liebe said, "Well, no reason. If I have the time, why not help? That's about it."
William said, "I'm glad to hear it. I'm glad to see the next generation has people like you."
Liebe said, "Guess so."
William said, "I can feel you have intense rage, yet why are you so calm?"
Liebe said, "You noticed that, sir?"
William said, "Just an observation, nothing else."
Liebe said, "Yeah, I was a bit mad about something."
William said, "Then why hold it in? Just because you feel something, you should let it out. It's like peeing—holding it in for too long is always bad for you."
Liebe said, "Guess so."
William said, "It appears I was wrong about you, Mr. Liebe Faust. You seem mature for your age."
Liebe said, "Thanks, I guess."
William said, "It's not a compliment. Maturity means that you have reached your limit."
Liebe said, "Sorry, what?"
William said, "Children are the ones with the highest potential."
Liebe said, "I can agree on that."
William said, "Do you know why that is?"
Liebe said, "No."
William said, "It's simply because they don't know about the world, so they can use their magic to its full extent. Because magic is creativity, and no one has more creativity than children. And how much a person can draw out their magic power depends on their personality, because the more an individual's personality opposes and complements their attribute, the stronger they become. And it is the same reason Lilith has fallen, because I don't know if you know this—about 12 years ago, she was quite the cheerful person. That's when she was at her prime, because the Void is cold and empty, yet her personality was warm. I ended up challenging her, but I lost quite brutally. And sensing from your magic, you should be with your friends."
Liebe said, "Thank you for the words."
The man said, "Of course. But how do you know all this?"
William said, "I'm actually fascinated by the God of Darkness, Hvíldarráð. It's said he was a man who didn't have any definite weapons to fight with, yet he was the most childlike. That's why he could bring out the full power of his magic, even if it was dark. And it is said he was a kind man. And when I heard someone in Eldoria titled 'Conquista' has the same attribute as him, I assumed you were the heir to his power—but it appears I was wrong."
Liebe said, "Sorry to let you down."
William said, "It's all right. And that's why I became so fascinated with children. Did you know a study showed that out of 11,000 students, more than 84% were in the realm of geniuses? Yet by the time those children reached the age of 15, it only came down to 16%. How unfortunate they must be to lose their potential. And that's why I enjoy a childlike life without worry."
Liebe said, "I can see that."
After eating, Eldrie said, "Sir, that would be 5 silver coins."
William said, "Of course."
As he checked, his wallet wasn't there.
William said, "Oh god, oh god, I forgot my wallet!"
Liebe said, "No worries, I got it," as he gave Eldrie the coins.
William said, "Liebe, since you were so kind to me, I want to do something for you."
Liebe said, "It's okay, there is no need."
William said, "If you want, you can send me to jail—and that will help you go higher in rank, won't it?"
Liebe said, "Nah, it wouldn't be right. Plus, I doubt taking in an innocent man will help much, and it wouldn't feel right."
William said, "That's alright. If that's the case, then how about I destroy a few towns and villages, and then taking me in will actually help?"
Liebe said, "There really is no need, and it wouldn't be right."
William said, "It's okay, I'll just break out a few days later. And in a way, I'll get to stay for a few days without paying."
Liebe said, "If you want, you can stay at our HQ."
William said, "There really is no need. I wanted to meet you, to see the one who might be a descendant of Hvíldarráð—but fortune wasn't so kind."
Liebe said, "I'm sorry."
William said, "It's getting late. I suppose it's time for me to leave. And if you ever visit the land of Mikill, please visit. I couldn't be happier to repay your kindness. You may not be Hvíldarráð, but I'm interested in you. And don't let your emotions get the better of you. Just because you refuse to acknowledge your feelings doesn't mean you don't feel them. Accepting the truth is hard, but the power that comes afterward is worth it—I can promise you that. You are a man who has reached the door. The next step is to think like a child—only then can you see your potential."
Liebe said, "Thanks."
William said, "I suppose it's a temporary goodbye," as a portal appeared behind him and he went through.
Then Gelda came and said, "Lord, are you okay?"
Liebe said, "Yeah, why? What happened?"
Gelda said, "Well, the man you were with just now—we have a history with him."
Liebe said, "He isn't that bad—a bit weird, but definitely not bad."
Gelda said, "Umm, Lord, that was Wrather."
Liebe said, "Sorry, what? Wrath?"
Gelda said, "Yeah, Wrath."
Liebe said, "You mean the same Wrath who cut the World Tree into two in a single attack?"
Gelda said, "Yeah, that Wrath. Think about the name he gave you."
After thinking for a second, Liebe said, "Ohhhhhhh! No wonder he was offering to pay by letting me capture him. Damn."
Gelda said, "Yeah."
Liebe said, "Now, anyways, why did you hide the truth?"
Gelda said, "Please forgive me, Lord. I didn't want you to see the truth."
Liebe said, "Okay, whatever. And don't do that again."
Gelda said, "Understood."