Chapter 224 - Episode 224: Looking Back.
Chapter 224 – Episode 224: Looking Back.
[Voice of the World]
[Emergency Quest Failed]
[Player [Trevor]'s restriction has been lifted, the players from the Eluna Empire's faction failed to defeat him and the Eluna Empire is on the brink of collapse. All the players from the Eluna Empire will be responsible for rebuilding the Eluna Empire and the future of the Eluna Empire is now in the players of the Eluna Empire's faction hands. For the next 100 days of in-game time, the Eluna Empire will not be giving the Moon Blessing to the players from the Eluna Empire's faction]
[Voice of the World]
[Emergency Quest]
[In 100 days of in-game time, the players from the Eluna Empire's faction must have to rebuild the new capital city, the progress will be shown in the Quest Tab. If the players from the Eluna Empire's faction did not manage to reach 70% of the total progress, the players will receive a 20% status reduction until the progress reaches 100%. During that time, the people of the Eluna Empire will find 3 candidates who will become the next emperor, and the players from the Eluna Empire's faction will be able to participate to vote the new emperor]
[May the Betelgeuse Bless You!]
I'm stretching my arms while looking at Krestan is too occupied reading all books and documents. I grab all the books and documents that he already read and put them in my inventory, then I tell Krestan to continue reading them in his house because I don't want to be here anymore, also I want to check on Avriel and I haven't visited Jariel's grave as well. Krestan nods in agreement and so we teleport to his house.
I look around and I don't see Avriel everywhere, and so I go outside to find her. I don't know where she is right now and I don't think I can find her by just looking around the forest. There's a place that I need to check first, which is the pub. I open a portal near the pub and I look around but there are no players in this town, it seems that they're busy fighting the civil war.
I enter the pub and there she is, sitting on the counter with a glass of rum in her hand. She turns around and looks at me, she smiles and points her hand on the chair next to her. I approach her and sit next to her.
"I never thought you would be here. Why are you on your own?"
Avriel is chuckling softly while shrugging and drinking her rum.
"It is just that I want to be here on my own, that is all. Remembering the time I spent my short time with him. It was not special or anything, but to be able to see him again after so long was really something."
I'm nodding and then look at the ceiling.
"Do you think if I didn't interfere, he would be alive by now?"
Avriel is playing with the tankard while looking at the rum inside.
"Who knows, and it is not something you should think about. People die, you regret things, but you have to keep moving forward after you took your precious time looking back at them. I never make a big deal of everything that's already happening because I have to focus on what's in front of me since I live to kill and I'm living a dangerous life. Thinking about something at the wrong time and in the wrong place would make me killed."
Avriel slightly smiles and continues.
"He is not a great father figure but he taught me many things. He did not raise me to be a normal human being, he raised me to be a monster, but I never hated him for that because we both are living in a world where the strong trample the weak, and the predator will eat the prey. Thanks to him, I'm still here and become someone or something that I never thought that I want to be, but it is something that I need to live in this world."
Avriel scoffs and then looks at me.
"My father told me to never look at someone or something so highly because it would only hurt myself, but here I am, sitting and looking at someone that I never thought that my father would be wrong at one thing."
I just smile and look at the bottles in the racks. Avriel is putting the tankard aside and rests his arms and head on the counter.
"Remember what he said to me in Krestan's house that I'm just a tool for you? Even if that is true, I'm fine with it since I owe you my life and I will never betray you."
I scoff and shake my head.
"No, you're not just a tool. You're a precious friend of mine and I would throw myself again into trouble to save you no matter what happens. I want you to know that."
Avriel turns her head and looks at me for quite a while.
"A friend, huh? I never had one before. Thank you, Trevor."
I nod in agreement.
"Well, it's not just me. Krestan is also your friend now, right? The moment he heard Jariel's death, he immediately asked me if you're alright and without hesitation he left me just to be by your side, right? I guess that proved that he does care about you as well even if you both are not in a good term with each other."
Avriel scoffs and nods.
"Yes… I guess you are right…"
Avriel closes her eyes so slowly but then she opens her eyes again and sits straight. She looks at me and tilts her head.
"Right, I forgot that you are here to look for me."
I chuckle and shake my head.
"No, it's okay if you want to rest. It's nothing important and I can go back later."
Avriel is rubbing her face.
"I don't remember when the last time I have time to drink this much. It has been forever since I'm feeling this kind of sensation."
I rest my head on my fist and look at her.
"Do you want to rest? Where do you want to go? Your chamber in the Palace or Krestan's house?"
Avriel stands up while sighing.
"The Palace is still not safe for me, so I guess I will use one of Krestan's rooms."
I nod and then I open the portal to Krestan's house.
We both enter Krestan's while I'm helping Avriel walks. Krestan looks at both of us and then he jolts from his seat to see Avriel is staggering while I'm carrying her shoulder. Krestan walks toward us and he looks at Avriel to check if something happened to her, but I tell him that Avriel is just drunk and he looks at her with disbelief while pointing his finger at her. I just nod and chuckle at him and then we both help her walk to one of the bedrooms and put her on the bed.
I'm standing next to the window while Krestan continues reading the documents. I look at him and nod up.
"You know where she buried Jariel? I want to pay a visit."
Krestan looks at me and he lifts his hand then a portal appears.
"You can enter the portal and Jariel's grave is near there. You will be able to see the grave from there immediately. I helped her bury Jariel's body somewhere far away that nobody would be able to find his grave."
I nod and walk toward the portal.
"Thank you."
I enter the portal and I'm standing on a small island that is surrounded by a lake, and there are so many trees around me and a grave in front of me with a dagger and a bottle of wine on top of it. I think Krestan made this small island and planted these trees to give it a nice touch. He's a sage and an alchemist so it's not impossible for him to make something like this.
I approach Jariel's grave and sit down while looking at the grave. I'm still feeling guilty for what happened to Jariel and I still blame myself for not being able to save him. So many things are going on inside my head and thinking what if this, what if that while staring and grieving for his death.
I hear a portal is opening from behind me, and I think Krestan also wants to pay another respect to Jariel, but when I turn around I'm surprised to see Becker and Sev are standing behind me while staring at me. Becker is waving and smiling at me, then he and Sev walk toward me.
Becker sits down next to me and looks at Jariel's grave while Sev is looking around and she seems interested in the scenery. Becker looks at me and smiles again.
"It's been a while, Trev. How are you doing?"