Jiro and Akihiko looked at Maëlie. But the glazes differed. Akihiko was cautious and ready for the eventuality of her being a threat that needed to be eliminated, while Jiro was there, intriguing with his innocent hazel eyes.
Akihiko: "What the hell do you want from us?"
Jiro: "Relax, Akihiko... She's a hunter from another team, don't be so harsh on her. Akihiko: "But Jiro..."
Maëlie looked very confused. She placed her right hand's index finger on her face, her expression one of perplexity, and tried to assess the situation.
Maëlie: "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have tried to talk with you two."
She had a sorrowful look in her eyes. She was genuinely trying to be friends with them, but maybe she showed up at the wrong time. Jiro noticed it and was concerned about her.
Jiro: "Wai..."
He didn't have time to say a word, and Marigold showed up in front of Maëlie, hugging her. Daphne had a very unpleasant look in her eyes, seeing that woman hugging a young girl, but she didn't give any attention to it.
Marigold: "My dear Maëlie... Did "The Cursed Man's" team members make you sad? Oh wait, it's not that accurate stating his nickname since he's not even here." Maëlie: "No, it was my..." Arthur: "Oh, Mari... You shouldn't say these kinds of things about their pathetic leader, they're gonna get ANGRYYYY"
Daphne and Samuel were cringing deep down inside since that vile woman insulted the most respectable man in their eyes, but the ones who were the most infuriated by her comment were Jiro, Akihiko, and Hilary, who stood up and confronted her.
Jiro: "Cursed? You shitheads are nothing compared to that man."
Arthur was looking at Jiro in a very aggressive and superior way.
Arthur: "And what do you know about him anyway? Just because he gave you a house, you think he's worthy of praise? But what you don't know about that man... Is that he is a traitor who kills his allies during missions, and he's a genocidal psychopath."
Jiro and Hilary were shocked to hear this, but Akihiko's calm and composed gaze never averted from his eyes, as if he already expected this kind of thing from him.
Arthur: "Your so-called 'good guy' has done two large group missions, one at twelve years old and one at fourteen years old. And do you know what the similarity of these two events is? Hayato was both the lone survivor and, every time he got home after a group mission, he had his clothes totally covered in blood from head to toe. I'm willing to hear the arguments, whether or not he killed his allies, but don't you find it strange to be just a coincidence?"
Jiro was speechless after that comment, but he couldn't believe a single word of it.
Jiro: "I don't care! I can't believe that crap! Hayato is..."
Daphne brutally interrelated him
Daphne: "ENOUGH JIRO..."
Maëlie was standing there powerless and most of all, dying in fear at how the situation escalated just from her innocent act.
Arthur: "Ohhhh look who's talking now... Hayato's little dog, why are you even here?"
Everyone looked at Daphne with a suspicious look. But she was mature enough to understand that their suspicions made sense since she had been living with Hayato for 4 years and the status of their relationship was never officially confirmed.
Daphne: "You can think whatever you want of me, but at the end of the day, I don't have to make someone appear inferior to me so that my ego gets satisfied; unlike some childish captains who like to talk behind others when they're not here."
Arthur immediately shut his mouth and tried to attack Daphne with his Espadon, but he was surprised to see Jiro blocking his weapon with both axes fused with quartz energy.
Arthur: "Is this kid for real? How did you stop the sword?"
He found himself surrounded by Akihiko, Hilary, Samuel, and Jiro. Everyone had their respective weapon in their hands.
Samuel: "Another step forward... And you're dead." Hilary: "You son of a... Don't you dare insult Lady Daphne again, you coward!" Akihiko: "I don't like to kill people for fun, but you've given me enough motivation to rip your heart out."
The conversation took an unexpected turn, but Daphne interrupted them.
Daphne: "Let him go, we have more important things to do, let's get going."
And so, everyone listened to their leader and dropped back.
Arthur: "What's wrong? Chickening out already?"
At the moment, Daphne wasn't going to fight him but make him understand that he was just a little fish in the vast ocean, so in the blink of an eye, Arthur got scared seeing Daphne behind him with her blade around his neck.
Daphne: "A single word out of your lips and you're dead."
Arthur dropped down on the floor, humiliated by Daphne in front of every single hunter in his team. And so, Jiro and his team went to a nearby inn to stay for the night. On the road, Jiro and Akihiko were really intrigued by how strong Daphne actually was, so without any hesitation, Jiro asked her.
Jiro: "Miss Daphne... You were impressive back there. How strong are you?" Daphne: "Oh, thanks. But I'm not that strong, you know, there are way stronger people than me. Also, thanks for taking my defense, it made me happy." Akihiko: "I wonder what would've happened if we didn't intervene, do you think he could've tried to kill you?" Daphne: "..."
Hilary was staring at them from the side, thinking how ignorant they looked.
Samuel: "Well... If you want a clear answer, he would've died on the spot..." Jiro and Akihiko: "WHAAAAAAT?" Samuel: "Well, Daphne is a..."
He was interrupted by Daphne's death stares.
Samuel: "Ummm, never mind... If he even injured Daphne, Hayato would've killed him."
The two boys were staring at each other, feeling something was wrong, but didn't try to pry any longer.
They finally arrived at the inn, and Samuel went to talk with the owner to pay for two separate rooms. After the payment was all settled, they went to their respective rooms. They divided the two rooms, one for the girls and the other for the boys, but they gathered in the boys' room for a meeting.
As they sat down, there was a knocking on the door, and Samuel decided to open it to see who it was. As he opened the door, he noticed Maëlie standing in front of the door, with a sad look.
Samuel: "You're that girl... Do you need something?" Maëlie: "Yes... Is Miss Daphne here?"
Samuel looked at Daphne to see if it was okay to let her in, and she nodded her head as a sign to let her in.
Akihiko: "It's the same suspicious girl... What do you want???" Jiro: "Akihiko..."
Jiro had a disappointed face at his friend, so Akihiko calmed down and nonchalantly stared at him.
Maëlie: "Miss Daphne... I'm sorry about what happened because of me."
A little tear started dropping out of her eye, which Daphne didn't give any importance.
Daphne: "Don't worry about it, they were gonna do it anyway." Maëlie: "But... What they said was horrible! And..."
Daphne interrupted her.
Daphne: "What's your name?"
Maëlie: "It's... Maëlie." Daphne: "Listen to me carefully, you have nothing to apologize for. Either your parents are very protective, or you're still very young and ignorant about life, and this is all I'll be telling you. Life was never meant to be fair; equality is just a fantasy. People in power decide what you are, and if they decide you're just a nuisance, then a nuisance is all you will be. It's fine if you don't understand it now, but as you grow up, you'll realize that whatever I'm saying is the law that governs our society."
Maëlie looked at her with a very impressed look.
Maëlie: "I wish that you were my leader, Miss Daphne..." Daphne: "Oh, but I'm not the real leader of this team." Maëlie: "What? Is there someone above you? Who is it???"
Hilary looked at a very excited Maëlie but had an image of Hayato messing around in her head...
Samuel: "Well... Our true leader is a guy rejected by society, as you've heard from Marigold and Arthur. His name is Hayato Seishii."
Maëlie stood there in shock.
Maëlie: "Haya...to"
Maëlie's eyes got wet and she started crying uncontrollably.
Jiro: "What's wrong? Why are you crying??"
Everyone was stunned to see her cry after hearing Hayato's name
Maëlie: "I... Don't know... But I'm sure I've heard that name before. I can't seem to remember but.."
To explain it more simply, Maëlie cried not because she remembered Hayato but because it was more of a command from her body.
Daphne: "Jiro... Can you stay with her for today? The meeting can wait, don't worry about it." Jiro: "Yes, ma'am!"
And so, Jiro took Maelie out of the inn to change the mood, leaving Hilary and Akihiko surprised by Daphne's decision.
Akihiko: "Why did you let him go with that girl? Couldn't she have calmed down here?"
Daphne closed her eyes. She didn't seem interested in answering her. Samuel understood that and explained it himself.
Samuel: "Listen, Akihiko... Hayato's influence is the problem here."Akihiko: "How so? Isn't he just another hunter like any other?"Samuel: "It's... More complicated than that. Hayato is not the typical fighter who goes on missions like you and me. He influences not only the balance of power in the world but also has a profound impact on the global political landscape. Remember how easily he trashed us during the training session? Or when he paralyzed us the first day, when he showed us his quartz energy? He even made Marigold back off just by projecting his quartz energy. Point being, if that girl faintly remembers him, then perhaps she was previously traumatized because of him. Do you understand where Daphne is coming from?"
Meanwhile, Jiro and Maelie were walking in the street outside the inn, and Jiro was introspecting about the situation: 'This is awkward.'
Jiro: "So umm... Is there somewhere you want to go?"Maelie: "Somewhere I want to go? Hm... That's a tough one. Come with one!"
She then grabbed his arm and ran, guiding him towards an unknown place.
Jiro: "Wait, wait! Where are we going?"Maelie: "Didn't you ask me where I wanted to go? Just shut up and follow me!"
He decided to stick to Daphne's word and let her do as she pleased. After a long walk, he found himself in front of a bustling street filled with the mouthwatering scent of sizzling food and the playful shrieks of children. The view was astonishing, with multiple banners featuring colorful flower motifs covering the entire lively street hosting the event.
Jiro: "What is this place?"
He asked Maelie, his eyes glowing with pure amazement.
Maelie: "Didn't you ask where I wanted to go? I want to have fun—so a festival's the best choice, right? Come on, give me a smile! It's mandatory, you know?"
A smile brightened up her whole face, making the scenery even more breathtaking than it already was. Maelie grabbed his arm again.
Maelie: "Shall we then?"
Jiro followed her wherever she guided him, and they ended up in a crowd of people eating all sorts of food they bought from various stands, talking and laughing with each other, and enjoying themselves to their heart's content. After a few hours, Maelie got tired and sat down on a stone bench as her legs were killing her.
Jiro: "What? Tired already?"Maelie: "How are you not?"Jiro: "I just got used to it. I could keep up for a few more hours!"Maelie: "A few more hours? What an inhuman stamina! Anyway!"
She took a bite of a candy shaped like an apple mixed with a kind of thick, syrupy sugar. She extended her hand holding the candy to Jiro.
Maelie: "Want a bite?"
Jiro looked at it in hesitation.
Jiro: "Uhh... Can I?"
She extended it closer to his face.
Maelie: "Of course, silly! Here, have some!"
Jiro took a bite. The crunchiness was obvious from the sound of him chewing.
Maelie: "How is it?"
She expected a positive response, but judging by the expression on his face, she looked a little perplexed.
Jiro: "SO BITTER! I was sure that Mapple bites(name of the candy) were sweet!"Maelie: "Huh? Don't tell me you've never been to this festival before!"Jiro: "Actually, no... I've never been here before."Maelie: "I-I see... That's depressing."Jiro: "H-Hey! No judging! Seriously, why did I end up with a walking headache at a festival?"
Maelie giggled and looked straight into his eyes."
Maelie: "Not cool! Anyway, let me tell you more about it then. This festival is called the Rosalune Festival, and some people like to call it the true love festival."
He took a little pink flower from a nearby tree.
Maelie: "We celebrate the bloom of these flowers. They bloom once a year whenever we have a full moon, just like today."Jiro: "Then shouldn't they bloom more often? I mean, we have approximately 12 full moons per year, right?"
Maelie looked at the moon with a peaceful look in her eyes.
Maelie: "Well... there's a reason it's also called the True Love Festival. These flowers can bloom under any full moon of the year, but once they do, they won't bloom again until the next year. It's like the flower is choosing its partner. Once it chooses which moon to bloom under, it stays loyal to it for the rest of the year."
Jiro looked at Maelie in admiration, listening to everything she was saying with utmost fascination and admiration.
Jiro: "True love, huh? You do know a lot about this festival, don't you?"Maelie: "Well... I've been coming here every year with my family ever since we came to Lenquartika!"
She said with yet another smile on her face, but left Jiro wondering about something.
Jiro: "Ever since you came? So you weren't originally from Lenquartika?"Maelie: "Wait, I... Why did I say that?"
She suddenly held her head as if she were trying to remember something, but for some reason, she couldn't. Noticing that, Jiro reacted.
Jiro: "Hey, wanna take a stroll? It doesn't really matter to me if you're not originally from here, as long as you have no connection to Eutopos..."
For some reason, the words Jiro just said triggered something inside Maelie. She held her head and began to shake like a person sitting on a snowy mountain with no adequate clothing.
Jiro: "Hey! What's wrong? Are you feeling cold?"
Upon shaking her, Maelie came back to her senses. She took deep breaths for a few seconds and gradually regained her composure. After looking and Jiro's worried face, her eyes blinked rapidly, and she replied.
Maelie: "Sorry... I'm okay now. Let's go for a stroll. I know a place where we can watch the stars!"
And so they went out of the festive street and walked toward a small hill. They finally reached an open gate. Inside, there were all sorts of flowers and a field of dandelions, shining under the moonlight. Maelie ran in the field and, just like the wind-flowers, she had a more radiant light on her. Jiro was looking at the scene, which almost resembled a fairy tale. At that moment, only one thought was running through his mind. 'Since when was she this... cute?'.