"Mmm… Candy."
After leaving the alleyway, Light and War went to the city square. Light came here with the intent on listening in on nearby conversations, but ended up being dragged to a nearby candy store, which looked like it'd seen better days, after War's constant begging.
"How do you even know what candy is? That doesn't sound like something that's essential for a Demi-God to know. Especially for survival."
Light picked up a wooden cup with water in it and began to drink.
"Who said anything about survival?"
Light, choking on his drink in surprise, looked at War and was greeted with a curious look that a dog would give
"Seriously. How is she so smart and yet so naive at the same time?"
"You told me while we were in the alleyway, remember?"
War looked up to the ceiling and contemplated for a moment, then replied while licking her lollipop
"No, I definitely didn't."
Light, getting a little irritated, responded
"No, you most definitely did."
"No, I didn't."
"No, you-"
War lifted her hand and slapped him across the cheek, this lead to Light standing up and clenching his fist, preparing to punch her before remembering
"That's right, I'm supposed to be a mortal."
Light lowered his fist before speaking again
"You're correct, you didn't say anything."
"I'll get her back during the Survival Exam"
War, finishing her lollipop, looked back up Light at light
"Back to your original question, I didn't learn about it. I overheard a couple of servants talking about it so I thought I'd check it out. It's really good though."
Light sat back down on his chair and observed War as she finished up her lollipop.
"She needs a nickname. War does somewhat fit her since she always punches first and asks later, but it's not right to name a child that. How about Punchy? No~, that's worse than War. Than what about-"
"You're really creepy, first you stare at me while I'm finishing my lollipop, and now you're thinking about giving me a nickname."
War glared at Light, who looked like a that of a deer caught in headlights, and continued
"Also, Punchy? Really? Your naming sense is terrible. I would've gone with Coat, since I'm wearing one, and it's catchy. Also, why's War such a bad name?"
Light, who regained his posture and thoughts, asked
"How did you know what I was thinking? And what about Candy then?"
War, who finished her lollipop, stood up and said
"I sometimes get glimpses into a person's thoughts. Teacher says that it's giving a hint as to what my mask might be. But personally, I don't really like it. That's why I was trying to escape the public in that alleyway, too many thoughts."
She looked out the window of the shop and into the city square before wincing and turning away
"Also, I like that name. Candy… it rolls off the tongue easily, let's go with it."
She observed Light before getting out of her booth and trotting over to the door.
"Let's go! I'll be late to return if we keep wasting time!"
Light got up, paid the owner, and opened the door that Candy was struggling so hard to reach. They left into the city square and Light led them to one last stop.
"Is she really two weeks old?"
**********
Light looked at the building in front of him. It was located on the exact opposite side from where Light entered, he had passed it a few times while going from roof to roof in search of bars but ignored it. It was just a regular building on the surface, nothing special about it. That was until he was walking with Candy in the city square. While walking around the square, He'd seen a few men wearing full armor walk into the building. When he tried to investigate the first time, Candy got side tracked and forced him into the candy store. But now he had time. So he decided to investigate the surface of the store with what little time he had left.
"Wait here, I'll be back in a bit."
Light handed Candy a lollipop he got from the candy store and started to walk away.
"You have until I'm done with this lollipop! If you're not done by then, I'll come looking for you and make you pay!"
He didn't look back, but he did speed up a little bit. He'd already been slapped once and didn't want to experience that feeling again.
Light arrived in front of the building and looked around. It was made with stone bricks until about half way up, wooden planks made up the rest. The structure had two wooden sliding doors, both rectangular in shape and wide enough to fit a modern semi-truck with a foot to spare at least. On the surface, it looked like an unassuming medieval warehouse. But something about it made his skin crawl.
He looked around the nearby alleys and found the ladder that led to the top and climbed it. The roof was made of blue shingles that slopped down, with the ladder ending on the only flat area that led to a door. From the other side of the door, he heard two muffled voices and, cupping his ear to the door, listened in.
"Two shipments in one year huh? This is a pretty rare event."
The first man, who was farthest away and hard to hear, had a low, gravelly voice.
"He must be around fifty."
"It may be rare, but to me boss, that just means more money for the family."
The second man, closer but still hard to hear, had a younger, smoother voice
"Maybe twenty, thirty years old"
"Fair point, do you know what day the shipments will come in?"
"We don't know the exact time, but maybe within a month or two."
The younger one was getting easier to hear, and therefore closer.
"That means the juice should be ready in time for the graduates, right?"
"That would be correct, boss."
The younger voice was now making his way towards the door, Light looked around quickly and crawled to the other side of the roof as quickly as he could. It was a very dangerous trip, he almost slipped and fell multiple times, but he got there just in time to see the younger one appear on the deck.
Now that Light could see him, the man was definitely in his middle to late twenties. His beard and head were freshly shaven and brown in color, making him look like a military trainee. Light couldn't see the man's eyes clearly but they seemed to be the color grey, and the man looked like he'd been through immense stress from how sunken in his cheeks were.
"Sorry… I thought I heard something."
The man went back inside, prompting Light to make his way safely back to the deck and listen in just a little more.
"Anyways, I told you that when it's just us two that you should call me by my name."
The older man seemed to be scolding the younger one now
"My apologies sir."
The young man was further away now but could still reach the door and expose Light quickly.
"What did I just say?"
The older man was starting to sound a little angry. The younger man sighed before saying
"My apologies, Warden. I'll correct myself in the future."
"Thats better, get outta here now. I've got work to do."
Warden sounded relieved now and stopped talking. Footsteps were heard coming to the door, but Light acted faster. He was fully down the ladder by the time the door opened and out the alleyway when the younger man started to go down the ladder himself.
Shortly after, Light made it back to Candy, who had just finished her lollipop, and started to lead her to the entrance.
"Right on time!"
Candy gave Light a thumbs up, which he responded to with a smile before going over his thoughts.
"That building is definitely the one. I'll assume that the two shipments are the parents for now and we're the graduates. But what was that about giving us a juice? And who is this Warden person?"
Multiple thoughts and questions began to ring around in Lights head before Candy tugged his arm.
"Stop thinking so much, it's giving me a headache."
Light looked down at Candy, her face looking sort of pale, and then looked forward again
"Let's get the brat to the front entrance first… she didn't pick up on that, did she?"
He looked back down at Candy only to see her walking alongside him like a puppy
"Thank God"
"Thank God what?"
"Let's get to the front entrance"
Light picked up his pace a little bit and hoped the little girl would forget.
*****
The two made it to the front entrance and said their goodbyes. Light watched as Candy leapt up the mountainside and then followed closely behind her, eventually splitting apart to the path that led to his room.
He checked if the teacher had made it back but he still seemed to still be out. So Light got washed up and got dressed for bed. Before he did commit to sleeping though, he pulled out a notebook, which he had to beg teacher for, and continued to write in a journal he made using his most known language, English.
Journal, Month 1 week 2:
I ran into the second Demi-God down in the city today. She had the ability to read minds, if only partially, and was very hot headed. I did give her a nickname though, Candy. She'll be my partner for the Survival Exam next week though, so better get used to her. I found new information relating to my, or this bodies, parents. Both my and the other Demi-Gods parents are being shipped out to the newly discovered warehouse in a month or two. They'll then help in a process to make some kind of juice which will be given to me and Candy and our graduation ceremony in about two months time. The leader's name is Warden and there's a younger man in his twenties. This is all I know for now though, due to the Survival Exam I'll have to put operations on hold for now.
Light finished his journal entry and put the notebook back where it was. He did a little bit of cleaning in his room, which really didn't do much since it was already so bland, and got into bed.
"For now, let's focus on getting through the Survival Exam. Candy may look like she's three right now but by the time we start the exam she should be about five, and I'll be about the age of eight. This means that we should both have the strength of an average mortal man in his prime, and if we survive the test, our strength could double. As much as it pains me to admit, she may also be stronger than me too, but definitely more naive and dumb. I may be able to use this to my advantage right now and later-"
Light didn't stop knowing it right now, but this habit of late night strategising would eventually prove to be useful to him. Not only did it help save him in many ways other than fighting, but it also saved him from death.