As soon as Max stepped out, he was greeted by the face of a thin slender man that he had met before- Sigurd. He was still wearing his white cook shirt along with black pants and he was carrying a tray full of sweets and giving it to a few kids on the street. He looked up and saw Max standing in the way and struck a smile.
Max: You do charity?
Sigurd: Not really....but these kids did lose their home in that mild battle you had.
Max looked around to see some significant damages to the buildings around him, thanks to his fight with Sarzar. He had already known that a lot of trees and vegetation was destroyed in the fight that had occurred, but he didn't really stop and think about the civilian casualities that might've occured. In fact, he was kinda ignoring it as he knew his guilty conscience wouldn't let him sleep if someone was dead.
Sigurd: Relax....no one really died, ....although so many were injured with those random lightning strikes.
As if he understood what Max was thinking about Sigurd assured him. He wasn't sure if he was lying but he wanted to believe that it was true.
Max: I'm sorry..
Sigurd: I don't really think it was ever your problem dude. It was always Sarzar who terrorized us and it was Sarzar who hit us with lightning. Actually you helped us take him away from us...and from what I've heard, you destroyed him. So....thank you.
Max nodded. He was happy that everyone was safe and that he had saved a lot of people. But he still was hesitant to celebrate as he had lost his older brother that he had just found. His entire quest was to find his family but the moment he did he was taken away from him. It hadn't even been a day. And it was partly due to him messing with an Ameliorate.
Max: Where is..
Sigurd: The blindfold guy and Sachika? They are back at my restaurant, eating. Sachika was a bit grumpy so I refuse to even ask her to pay the bill. She's scary sometimes. So if you do run into her, please tell her to pay for it.
Max smiled and nodded. He waved a bye to him and started walking in the direction of the restaurant which he had avoided to get to the library first. So he would've found Albert and Sachika if he had actually gone to restaurant first. But things had to wait.
Max finally reached the restaurant and he saw the huge broken window, through which he spotted Sachika and Albert. The window was broken thanks to Max's fight yesterday with Sarzar. Their very first encounter landed some property damage. But thankfully Sigurd didn't look like he was about to charge them for repairs.
Only Sachika was eating. And it was evident that she was indeed grumpy. She kept mumbling something with her mouth full and was basically stress eating. Albert, on the other hand, sat silently watching her. Despite wearing a blindfold.
Sachika: That dumbass Sideburns guy deserves what is coming for him!! He fcccking kicked me in the face. He even stole my gun. He took my husband!! I'm gonna kill him!!
Max just stood near her at the window and she screamed in shock to see him standing there. She didn't see him coming so it astounded her.
Sachika: How long have you been standing there?!?!?
Max: I just got here..
Sachika: That scared me!! It didn't scare you??
Sachika turned to her partner who joined her for lunch - Albert. But Albert just shook his head.
Albert: I sensed him walking when he was about half a mile away. I know his heartbeat.
Sachika: You could've told me....you are extremely quiet.
Albert: I did smile when I knew he was awake.
Sachika: Well sorry I didn't notice you "smiling"!! The least you could've done is TELL ME.
Albert just lowered his head feeling empty. There was a time where Max kinda thought Albert was evil when he first met him. The way he talked was extremely scary too. But Max just realised that he was an extreme introvert who cant handle conversations. Albert didn't know how to communicate. And Sachika was in a very terrible mood now.
Sachika: So....we ARE going on a rescue mission, right??
Max: Obviously. I'm not gonna let them take my brother and torture him.
Sachika: So, when we leaving?
Max: As soon as Chuck...the kid wakes up. Lin is awake so that's good. But we have a problem.....we don't know WHERE they are.
Max stated the fact that these Floral Knights had taken David and Melissa to a Kingdom in a horse cart. But Max didn't know where this Kingdom was. He didn't know how far it was. He could ask Chuck to use the Eternal Tome of Fireflies to find her, but there was a certain radius of range for that to work, not to mention it was unclear WHEN Chuck would wake up.
If it was getting late, Max had no choice but to carry on with the unconscious Chuck cause he didn't want his brother to be tortured and his friend to be executed.
Albert: I think I might know where they are....
Max and Sachika turned their heads towards Albert, who had taken aback seeing that their eyes were filled optimism (despite his eyes was shut). He readjusted his position to sit more comfortably and explained.
Albert: It was a few years ago but I've heard of the Seven Holy knights of a certain Kingdom. Their King was called Thorne ...of the royal family of Thorne...so I wondered when Melissa revealed her full name. It has to be that. I'm almost sure.
Max: So what is the Kingdom's name?
Sachika: "Floral Knight". "Thorne". Watch it be named after some flower or a group of flowers.
Albert actually nodded to that.
Albert: Umm...yeah...the Kingdom I mentioned is called the Kingdom of Hibiscus.
Sachika and Max gave a high five because the old-worlders knew of anime so they pretty much guessed it. Albert continued his explanation.
Albert: It's a pretty large kingdom to the west of this place towards the main land. I do have a modern map and I may be able to find that Kingdom again. I had been there ONCE about fifteen years ago....but they didn't really want outsiders. They dislike outside culture, mostly.
Sachika nodded in response.
Sachika: That explains why they didn't know what guns were. I'm sure that in these almost two thousand years someone might've recreated a gun, thanks to the existence of us old-worlders. But it probably never made it into this Hibiscus Kingdom, just because they were adamant in being alone.
Max nodded. Now he knew the "where". He just need the when.
Max: How long will it take for us to reach there?
Albert got up and put the sword on the seat and stretched getting ready to leave. Sachika also got up. The restaurant was kinda empty with it's only customers being Albert and Sachika.
Albert: It takes atleast three days for a cart to reach that place according to my calculations. On foot it will take atleast two weeks. Lots of forest area in our way.
Sachika: Well, good thing we have the Dome which can fly. We will get there in a day, way before the Knights reach the place. And then we ambush them, rescue my husband and the red haired girl and leave. How's that?
Max: I love that plan. Maybe you should be the leader of Paradox Trouoe, now that the Captain was kidnapped.
Sachika was confused with the mention of his little group name.
Sachika: Paradox Troupe?
Albert: It's something that he calls us. I don't know why he calls us that, but it's our name now. And Melissa was technically the captain.
Sachika nodded in response, but didn't comment about it.
Sachika: Well anyway, let's go to this Kngdom of Hibiscus and rescue some people. Let's go, Paradox Troupe!!
Sachika raised her arms in there in a cheerful manner despite looking angry as Hell. She then jumped out of the window and landed on the road. Albert slowly followed through the main door, not wanting to destroy even more shards of glass. Sachika kept walking until Max stopped her.
Max: Umm...Sachika?
Sachika: Yeah...?
Max: Can you please pay the bill for the food you ate?
****