Halo had to prevent himself from causing a scene, and so despite the thrills and confusion consuming him, he had to be gentle and calculated.
He didn't have to say much before the boy understood why Halo was there. No one visited that land because of the castle's reputation, so a human's arrival made his purpose obvious.
Though Halo could hardly make out the words, he was certain that it was the hero's voice. Initially, he thought he was hallucinating, but after slapping his cheeks several times, it was clear. The person before him resembled the hero, but something was different.
In the game, the hero had golden eyes, and what stood out about him was his long red earring. He was the only person with such an earring since it was the only thing he had of his mother.
But this person possessed all the hero's features except for his golden eyes and the red earring. This made Halo feel like ripping off his face in frustration.
What was going on?
"Let me introduce you… my name is Liam, and over there is Seraphim." Liam said cautiously and gestured toward a girl exiting the entrance.
She was a curvy girl with stunning features. Her body was perfectly proportioned, not excessive in any way, yet lacking nothing. Her beauty, though, transcended perfection itself.
Her long white hair cascaded behind her. She wore an outfit similar to Halo's black hakama-style jumpsuit. But her blue eyes were unique.
While Halo's blue eyes blazed with intense pigmentation, Seraphim's blue irises were so pale they were nearly imperceptible.
Without close examination, someone might assume she was blind or born without pupils entirely.
With her gaze boring straight into Halo's soul as she closed in, he couldn't tell whether what he saw was intensity or warmth.
The moment she neared Halo, she gave him a warm smile and outstretched her hand for a handshake. "Call me Seraph."
Halo reluctantly reciprocated her friendliness. "I am Halo."
The moment Halo spoke, he watched as Liam gestured for the crows to fly back into the sky and turned to him with a welcoming smile.
"Let me show you around, Halo," Liam said lazily without meeting Halo's eyes.
Despite being certain that Liam only shared a resemblance with the hero, he couldn't shake the burning need to confirm it. But he didn't have to force anything, he could learn more about Liam naturally. Perhaps he had the red earring somewhere, though the hero never removed his.
The moment he agreed to Liam's request, Seraph cheerfully excused herself, leaving the two alone.
***
They started their tour from the entrance, which had a drawbridge over the moat and heavy wooden doors. It led to spiraling staircases leading up to the towers.
There were stone walls, arches, and doorways showing the castle's strong defensive design. The air felt cool and damp, with moss and ivy growing over the stone in places.
Though old, the living rooms resembled lord halls. Fireplaces, window seats, and arched stone frames complemented the neatly polished wooden floors and ceilings.
Tapestries, furniture, and candles decorated the space, but the paintings stood out most, depictions of legends who had previously occupied the castle.
The kitchen area boasted large stone ovens and hearths, though food supplies were scarce.
The central courtyard was overgrown with grass, low walls showing more rooms beyond. Without an active castle, this place should have been filled with horses, guards, and servants. Now not even the lonely air wanted to stay.
Finally, he got a glimpse of the towers, which also had spiral stairs that led to the upper levels and lookout points.
***
Halo was exhausted, and the room he was shown was a luxury compared to sleeping by trees since arriving in this world. His legs ached from hours of walking, but his curiosity won out.
Right from one of the towers, they ended before the giant doors of the great hall.
Halo reluctantly tapped Liam on the shoulder with a gentle expression.
"Can we talk? I want to speak with you all."
Halo watched as Liam struggled to keep eye contact, with his fingers fidgeting and his body refusing to remain still.
This made Halo feel as though his words pressed a sword against Liam's throat.
"Uhm… sure. I will get Seraphim."
Halo watched as Liam turned to get Seraph.
Halo sighed in disbelief. He couldn't tell why, but whatever Liam was, he wasn't the hero. The hero was too confident. In fact, overconfidence was his Flaw.
He shook his head… this couldn't be the hero.
Without a moment's hesitation, he made his way to the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was a vast rectangular room with tall ceilings, thick stone walls with a few tables and chairs, and it stretched the entire width of the castle, with a massive stone fireplace dominating one end of the hall.
The ceiling was made of huge wooden beams, darkened by smoke from the fireplace and candles.
He rested on a seat while waiting for the two. To be honest, he was very cautious while touring the castle, snooping every inch of the walls, trying to get a sight of Kysa.
The paintings on the walls showed several women, all towering and cunning, so he couldn't tell which one was the monstrous myth. Still, that didn't clear his mind. He'd expected Kysa, the strongest Knight to ever exist, to be in the castle.
So where was she? Was it a lie?
***
Before long, Seraph and Liam were seated before Halo. Looking into their oblivious eyes, he knew immediately that neither knew anything about the other.
He had no idea how long they'd been here, but just because they were there didn't mean they shared the same Purpose. He wanted to learn about Liam and perhaps discover what they knew about Kysa as well.
Halo let out a depressing sigh and turned to Liam.
"So, we're all here to guard the castle until Rascal Land's fall, huh? Guess we'll be stuck together for a while, might as well get to know each other."
Liam gave him a firm nod and began stammering on his words for a moment, and what followed were words without a pause.
"My name is Liam Asterion. My Flaw is anxiety, my Only Sin is Darkness, and my title is Eyes of the Night. My ability, Blackwings, lets me create crows from darkness and summon black wings."
The moment the words left him, massive black wings unfurled behind him. They flapped, beating gently against the ground, though the wind lashed heavily against Halo's face. He barely registered it. Asterion… Asterion was the hero's surname.
What the fuck was going on?