Inverse System

They exited the cavern and returned to the Aj'ess city building, where they informed them that the goblin lord had been vanquished. They were thanked and the city informed the Ranger guild.

The group exited the building and stood in the middle of the town, stretching their limbs from the day of running around.

"We have about an hour till the next ferry comes. Do you guys want to do something in the meantime?" Rein asked.

"Can we go visit Clyde's house? Maybe the Seeking Blade will be there!" Xenia suggested.

"You okay with that Clyde?" Rein made sure.

"Yes, that's fine. We can go see if master is home, and I have spare keys we can use to enter," Clyde agreed.

"Alright then, lead the way!" Xenia exclaimed enthusiastically.

Clyde led them on a path east of the city, taking them to the eastern end of the island. The environment was the same as everywhere else when they first began, but slowly became rockier, large formations of boulders appearing in the fields of grass.

Some of the rocks looked to be cleanly cut in half or diced up into smooth cuts of stone. It looked to be the training ground of the seeking blade.

In the midst of the rocky green terrain, they found a small, humble home, built in Japanese style. Nobody seemed to be home as they approached, Clyde reaching into his pockets and taking out a wooden key.

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"Unfortunately, it would seem as though he isn't back," Clyde stated as he opened the door. "Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. I'll make some tea," Clyde greeted them, putting his arm into the house in a welcoming gesture.

They walked into the small home, the warmth of the house giving a cramped, yet cozy atmosphere that they all felt. The house only had 3 rooms. The main room, which was a combined kitchen and living room, a small bathroom, and a tiny bedroom, which Clyde and the Seeking Blade both shared.

They all sat at the kotatsu in the middle of the room, warming themselves up from the chilly weather outside. It was December after all. The winter season, though Rein couldn't feel it due to his cold resist. Clyde prepared tea and served everyone at the table, sitting down alongside them, but avoiding putting his legs under the kotatsu to leave space for everyone else.

They quietly drank tea in the comforting atmosphere, feeling their worries melt away for a brief moment. All except Chloe, who had a lingering uneasy expression on her face, one that was incredibly difficult to notice.

"So, monsters with Springs are appearing now, huh?" Quint said with a questioning tone, bringing it back to the large gorilla and the goblin.

"Looks like it. Do you know the cause Rein?" Reggie asked as Rein was sipping his tea.

"No clue," he replied as he put his cup down on the table, swallowing his sip of tea before speaking again. "I'm assuming it has something to do with the unrest in the continent, probably caused by the curses," Rein theorized, which made Xenia grow a dejected expression.

"Speaking of curses, is that curse I used my Spring on still doing well?" Clyde inquired.

"Yep. There's still 170 days to go on it, so at least we've stalled for that long. That's why within those days, we should find a way to fight back. And that all starts with rescuing Chloe's brother," Rein explained as he took another sip of tea.

"Do you really know for sure that he's in Alwaaq? Are you a hundred percent sure?" Chloe added with an inquisitive tone.

"Yes. On our way, I sensed something from there. That's why I stopped at the intersection. I'm sure he's there, Chloe. And don't worry, he's alive," Rein assured, Chloe finally smiling and breathing a sigh of relief.

Xenia's dejected expression lingered yet, seeming as though she was out of the conversation, deep in thought as her eyes trembled in sorrow.

"Sis? What's wrong?" Quint tapped her on the shoulder, which snapped her out of her trance.

"O-oh! Nothing!" She exclaimed, bumping her knee to the bottom of the kotatsu, burning her slightly.

She instinctively flew her leg out from under the kotatsu and held it in pain.

"Ow ow ow…" She repeated as a tear of discomfort appeared in her eyes.

"What's on your mind? We have got another 30 minutes to talk," Clyde consoled, everyone else staying silent, waiting for her to talk.

"You've been looking down ever since I mentioned the curses. What's up? Are you worried because you also hold one?" Rein interjected.

She sat up, straightening her back as she put her closed hands on her knees, looking at Rein with an earnestly serious gaze.

"Please tell me everything you know about these curses. I think I deserve to know considering I've had this thing for half of my life," she requested, putting her head down out of courtesy.

"Alright," Rein complied, which surprised her, making her raise her head in confusion.

"Huh?" She uttered quickly, not expecting that answer.

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"I said sure, I'll tell you," Rein repeated.

"But… Isn't it supposed to be a secret..?" She asked, making sure he wasn't making a mistake.

"No, not really. I just need you to tell me one thing first though," Rein put down his cup of tea and crossed his arms, leaning on the wall behind him. "If you could get rid of the curse right now, similar to what Lillia did, would you do it?" Rein posed, the question stunning her, making her think to herself deeply.

Rein waited for an answer, a suspenseful silence befalling the group as they all sat there, expected Xenia to respond. However, it never came. She kept silent, not knowing what to say to his question.

"So you don't know? That means that you see some merit in keeping your curse right now," Rein interrupted her thought, and cut the silence off. "Alright, that's all I wanted to know. I'll tell you everything I know now. But I should warn you, my knowledge is limited as well, so I won't be able to answer all of your questions…"