"What do you mean by diving? And why are you taking sister Alexia with you?" Rushian started panicking and the other kids quickly followed. "Please Altaris! Don't take her!" "Yes! Please!" "Why are you even taking her?"
I watch awkwardly as the kids swarm me, I cast a glance at Alexia thinking she would help me but I found her staring at me with her mouth open. "Oh! Sister Alexia is in shock!"
The sun goes down in the distance and the crooked house finally becomes quiet, I stand outside of the house, brushing the stallion which was loaned by Mr. Red. Rushian and Gerblt sit on top of the house, imagining that they are riding it while giggling and laughing.
"Easy there. Don't kick the horse too hard." I warn them just in case, even though the horse is tightly tied to the fence.
"Yes!" They answer in unison.
I turn back to see, Alexia standing at the door for me. She is wearing a loose dirty cotton shirt and a black woollen jacket though it was bit short for her, khaki pants on bottom which is the only pair she has, I think.
"It is cold tonight." She says while smiling at me.
'She appears to be in a good mood.'
"Yes. Are you ready?" I ask her while I spot Lumi, Irene and Kel eyeing from the corner.
"Hmm. I am craving for something sweet. Do you think they have honey in the tavern?" I think for a second before answering. "Maybe. If not, we can always get some from traveling merchants."
"Hmm." We walk past, Rushian and Gerblt who suddenly turned quiet. I noticed them eyeing at me, as if I was a thief who stole something from the house. As we walk side by side, I notice Alexia stealing glances at me.
'What the hell? Why is everyone acting so weird suddenly?' I take a feel of the heavy coin pouch in my pockets. 'Though money isn't the end goal, but it is a necessary asset to achieve it. With this dive, I might be able to secure Helen.'
"W-What do you want to eat?" Alexia asks in a suspicious tone, her voice higher than usual and her both index fingers twirling eachother, a normal sign of being anxious.
I look up to the orange sky, slowly dimming to darkness and pretend to be normal. "I want to eat something heavy, more meaty. We need much energy as we are going to spend quite some time in the depth of the dungeon. I think we should throw a small feast for the kids, letting them know that we are going to be gone for a while."
Alexia slightly jumps every time I mention dungeon diving, even indirectly. She turns her head to the other side and speaks in a troubled voice. "Y-You are right! We should- Definitely t-throw a feast."
I crack a smile after diagnosing the reason for such an odd behaviour. "Are you excited?"
Alexia immediately looks at me, finally showing me the wide grin which she was trying so hard to hide. "Excited? Altaris, I am dying to go in the dungeon! It's everyone's childhood dream! To fight the alters and protect the kingdom."
"I doubt that majority of adventurers has such motivation, most of them are in this line… well because of money." Like a child she circles around me while talking with much enthusiasm.
"I don't care about others! It is my motivation! I want to be a brave knight!!!" I watch her clumsily swing around a branch like a small kid. "A knight, powerful than brother Mel!"
A particular conversation with Marie resurfaces in mind, prompting me to ask a question. "Say, was Melsier a good swordsman?"
Alexia steps out of her day dreaming, only to raise an eyebrow at me. "Huh? I don't know. Shouldn't you know?"
"Me? Why should I?"
She begins to recall her thoughts. "Brother Melsier did praise your skill and instincts, calling you a 'capable' dungeon dweller."
I click my tongue in annoyance. 'Again that word.'
"He said you possess a warrior physique."
"What's that?" I ask, hoping some answers.
But sadly, Alexia could only shake her head. "I don't know what those words mean. But the fact, that brother Mel said those about you could mean he saw potential in you."
'Potential? Magic aside, I am a below average in sword play.'
"As for him being strong, you did saw him fight in the dungeon, right?"
I recall my memories when I first woke up. "He did fine, I guess. I mean he was doing well, but the party was set to doom. No proper support, no shield or tank while having two vastly different warriors with different swordstyles which led to no harmony."
Alexia stood in front of me only titled her head cutely as she tried to make sense out of my words. After carefully thinking did she only ask, in an innocent tone of course. "Was he weak?"
I suppressed my urge to laugh as she would definitely get offended. "Uhm. No. Melsier was just unlucky."
I watched the girl rolling her curls while walking, trying to understand my words.
We reached the tavern, the usual smell of alcohol rushed into my nostrils. On the other hand, Alexia seemed complete normal with such smell unlike the first time, she walked through tables on which grumpy men drank like there was no tomorrow.
"Oh! If it isn't Alexia." One of the old man, called Alexia's name.
I quickly became alert, even if the old man knew her, the mark could easily elope him with impure thoughts. Naturally, I reached out where Melsier's blade usually is, but when I touched nothing, I got bit annoyed. 'That red bitch.'
"Oh, hello uncle Micah. How is Gracie?"
The old man returned a smile, judging the dirt on his clothes, he appeared to be physical labourer. "She is at home, sleeping. I like to thank you for letting my girl play with your siblings."
Alexia chuckled. "Oh, don't mention it. They are kids, they sure love playing."
The old man took quite large sips from his cup which made his face red, his eyes unable to focus on Alexia's face, it lingered on her hair. "Gulp* A-Are you here for food? Come to my home, I am sure my w-wife would cook something for you."
Alexia spots me glaring at the old man ahead. "Haha. Not now, uncle Micah."
As she turns to walk away, Micah actually stands up to reach out to her. His hands inches away from Alexia's white hair. "W-Wait a sec- ARGHH!"
I grab his hand and tightly squeeze it. Trying hard not to break any bones but few blood vessels and muscles tissue would do, I inhale large quantity of mana directly into my body. The old man crawls on the ground, yelling in pain.
"Altaris! What are you doing?" Alexia tries to pull my hand away.
Every man sitting on the table stared in our direction with blatant hostility, few even slammed their wooden glasses and stood up from their seats. I turned to them, our eyes locked together.
"Altaris! Please, don't do anything stu-"
Suddenly the tavern owner dashes in between us, pointing his axe to me. "Hey kid! If you want to die, die outside, away from my tavern."
The wife of the tavern owner quietly tries to pull Alexia away from me. "You, come with me."
I let go of Micah, he held his now purple arm and glared at me. "I kill you!" He openly threatened me.
In the corner of my eye, I see Alexia being taken away by an older woman.
Things haven't been going my ways lately, from the simple task of taking care of kids to saving Helen. Unseen obstacles keep on appearing in every simple task I perform, this further irritates me.
The tavern pushes the axe against my chest and looks at the old men who are standing, he speaks in a low rasp voice, his eastern accent slips through. "I want no blood spilled on my floor."
'A retired veteran, I see. He telling them to beat me outside.' I couldn't help but smirk and put my hands up in air. The tavern owner eyes me for a second. "Outside it is."
I slowly walk back, my eyes still locked in with those men, Micah gets up.
From the counter, Alexia watches me walk outside, followed by Micah and his goons.
"The poor kid is going to get killed." A drinker shared his thoughts with a half empty glass in his hands.
"Heh, he had it coming. He provoked Micah first. Hey! I need some more alcohol here!"
Alexia firmly closes her hands as her heartbeat starts to increase. 'It is happening, again. Someone is going to get hurt because of me.'
A sudden touch on her shoulder startles her so much that she slaps the old woman's hand away. Quickly realizing her action, Alexia rubs her face and forces a smile. "I am sorry, miss Bell."
The wife of tavern owner, miss Bell, smiles at the child. She and her husband had been running this tavern for last 15 years, they are practically acquainted with everyone in this village.
She knows how much this village hates the orphans of the crooked house. All the rumours about how the dirty orphans were living in that hut, every resident in the village avoided the orphans thinking that they brought the plague with them. But that was simply untrue.
Miss Bell had been watching the orphans since the beginning, she pitied them, Helen and Melsier stopped by occasionally. They talked and she realized how wrong the people of the village had treated them.
But instead of helping them, her pity only grew, she just watched them. Miss cannot possibly afford to take care of 10 kids, but one. She could do one. Sure, her husband would be furious but she wanted to help them. "Oh, dear." Miss Bell caressed Alexia's cheek.
"Why don't you start living with us?"