บท 81: Mineral Town
Mineral Town was a village that existed in the Harvest Moon series, a farm simulation role-playing game. As one of his all-time favorites, it was normal that Edward would feel very excited about having a chance to visit the small town in real life. He was so excited that he couldn't lower his voice and suppress his excitement.
"You fucking bastard!!" yelled, Edward, toward the telephone's handset.
The sudden cursing gathered the surrounding people's questioning gaze as they were wondering if they heard it wrong. A kid cursing? No way, right?
[Your word, Sir.] commented, Regina.
Edward, who was currently calling Scott with the town's Inn's telephone, realized that he just gained unwanted attention from his surrounding. With a soft and childish voice, Edward reworded himself, "Ahaha, why are you making mustard in the middle of the night?"
Thankfully, everyone on the first floor except for the Inn's owner was half-drunk with the latter currently cooking in the kitchen, hearing nothing. So when they heard Edward 'repeating' the words he said earlier, they just nodded in understanding and resumed whatever they were doing.
After the trio went down from Mother's Hill, where Edward met with the Mayor and the Carpenter, they talked about Edward's origin and how they should handle this accident. Because Edward 'couldn't remember' where he came from, it came to conclusion for him to live under the care of the town for the time being.
And so, they decided to visit the town's only Inn to see if there is any room left for Edward to use. They couldn't use Gotz's wooden cabin to stay for the night as it was too small and another person was using it as well. And so did the Mayor's house, as he was currently living with his son and another guest, a photographer. As Gotz found that Edward wasn't harmed or wounded by anything, they skipped visiting the Clinic and waking up the doctor.
When they first arrive at the Inn, around 6 men were gathering at a table on the opposite wall. The atmosphere was quite festive as the adults were having a drinking contest. Once they saw the trio came in, they dragged both the Mayor and the Carpenter to have a drink with them, leaving Edward in the hand of the Inn's owner who immediately went to the kitchen to make some late-night food for him.
While waiting for the food, Edward decided to make a call, and share his 'excitement' with a particular someone. And everything led to this moment.
Edward started whispering on the telephone, "when I come back, I swear that your eyes won't be the only one that could shot lasers, and by that, I meant your asshole...!"
"O... Okay, I'm sorry. But hear me out..." From the telephone's speaker, Edward could hear Scott's meek voice, "Well, I wanted to refuel the plane, but someone ordered me to only fill the tank good enough for a one-way trip."
"Yeah, one way trip to hell...!" rebuked Edward.
"At least you know you're a sinner. Repent! O' you lost lamb." joked, Scott, taking pride in his humor sense, which was basically almost zero.
"Shut up...! Who ordered you anyway?"
"I did." from the telephone's speaker, another voice belonged to the one and only Professor X replied to Edward's question. He wanted to ask why, but Charles immediately explained himself before Edward could say anything.
"The answer you seek won't appear in a single night. Might as well stay there for a while, until you know what it is."
"I can't leave for too long. I can't leave Sherry all alone...!" protested, Edward. Although he only needs to calm her down once every four or five nights nowadays, there was no saying that the Genma Cells would not disturb her sleep before he returned.
"Don't worry, Edward, my power was enough to put her into a deep sleep, undisturbed by the thing inside her."
"It's not that simple..."
"It's the monster from Paris, right?" asked Charles.
Edward clicked his tongue before answering, "Fine! But if something ever happened to her... you know what I'll do."
"Yes, and I'll make sure that day never came."
*thuuuuuuuut thuuuuuuuut...
Suddenly, the line got cut off from the other side. It was clear that Charles was the one that hangs it up on purpose.
"Shit! I'm not done yet!" yelled Edward, gathering more attention once again. "I mean, I need a sheet of paper to write something."
As all of them returned to chugging beers in turn, Edward sighed and accepted his fate. However, he couldn't help but think about Sherry.
'Ahh damn it, the weather will be very cold tonight. I"_ should've prepared more blankets for her.' thought Edward.
Soon after, the Inn's owner, Doug, returned with light snacks in his hands. He served them to Edward and asked, "You looked agitated, is there something bothering you?"
"Ahh... No, it's fine," replied Edward, awkwardly smiling.
Suddenly, both Doug and Edward heard the Mayor shouting, "You guys, you shouldn't be doing things like this!"
Doug and Edward glanced at the Mayor who was standing on top of the table, in the middle of the crowd. While smiling, Doug said, "He might look small and weak, but he's actually a good and responsible man."
As if given the cue, Mayor Thomas raised a glass of beer and yelled, "No one's going home toniiiigght!!"
""Yeaahh!!"" shouted everyone around him.
"That's our Mayor!!" added a completely drunk blonde youngster with glasses.
Edward gave Doug a questioning glance as if saying, that's what you called good and responsible? But the latter just looked somewhere else, evading his eyes, while wiping the beer glasses clean.
"For the future of Mineral Town! Cheers!" shouted Thomas one more time.
""Cheers!!""
'Oi oi, I know you all are excited, but there should be a limit to this.' thought Edward. The drinking party was still escalating, uninterrupted. Someone had to stop them before one of them got hurt, someone sober at least.
'Oh, is that a Harris the Policeman?' thought Edward, finding the only guy that was still sitting and silently drink his beer. He seemed to be watching over the loud crowd.
A moment later, he raised himself and approach the crowd. Edward thought he was going to warn these drunkards and brought them home. 'It seems my worry isn't needed.'
But then...
"I hope my boring job will be exciting one day!!" yelled Harris, the policeman, while raising his glass of beer high up.
"Eh...?"
"I hope we can have more crime in Mineral Town!!" added Harris.
'Oi..!!! The policeman just yelled for a rise in crime! Somebody stop him!!' thought Edward, loudly.
""CHEEERSS!!"" yelled everyone else.
'Don't cheers on that, you idiots!!' thought Edward, one more time, loudly.
Suddenly, the entrance door was slammed wide open. The loud noise silence the drinking contest as everyone, including Doug and Edward glanced at the newcomer.
"You guys! Stop it! You shouldn't drink beers anymore!" yelled the newcomer, a middle-aged man with purple clothes.
'Oh... finally someone's stopping them.' sighed Edward, feeling relieved.
But before he could feel any more relieved, the newcomer brought up a wooden box and shouted, "Let's notch it up a little and switch to wine!!"
'Aaah!! He's not stopping them! He just wants to join for the next round!' thought Edward, pretty loudly.
While taking out bottles of wine from the box, the newcomer, who had the name, Duke, added while laughing, "Don't tell my wife, I took it from our cellars."
'Oi...! this man just basically rob his own store!! Someone stop him first!' thought Edward, even more louder.
It was then that Gotz the carpenter rose from his seat. His bear-like figure shadowed over everyone around him, making them gulped. However, the big man's was red like an apple. He was clearly drunk.
'Didn't he just started drinking? Why did he look even worse than the others?' thought Edward, a bit calm this time. The thing he predicted happened in the next moment, as the big guy tipped over and fell on another table.
Bruuugh! traaang!
The other helped him find a seat and Doug ran and started cleaning the ruckus they made. But he didn't stop them and let them continue drinking.
Edward curiously asked, "Why didn't you stop them? If they keep on drinking like this, your Inn would be in a mess."
Doug just smiled and replied, "Why? They're having fun and happy, is it worth it to stop their fun just because of a broken plate or glass or table? While I could replace them, nothing could replace this moment."
Having fun and happiness, was something that Edward had long forgotten. In his book, the only thing that was written was responsibility and strength. Perhaps, in this place, he could find his new conviction. Edward was amazed by Doug's way of thinking. He saw the man in a new light and respect.
'Ehh...?"
Doug took out a note from his pocket and scribbled something. Edward was taken aback by Doug's sudden changing aura. His eyes sharpened and focused. Edward, wondering what he was writing, took a peek at the note.
Jeff - 1 plate, 2 mugs, 1 hat stand. ($330)
Thomas - 3 plates and 1 cup. ($120)
Rick - 3 glasses, 1 plate, 1 chair. ($310)
...
...
...
Gotz - 4 glasses, 2 plates, 1 table. ($400)
'This man wrote down everything! Run everyone! He's going to run your pocket dry!' thought Edward, loudlier than loud.
Putting the note inside his pocket, Doug asked Edward, "You seemed to have a lot in your mind, is there anything I could help you with?"
'Return the respect I just mistakenly gave you!' thought Edward.
"It's... okay. I was just wondering where I should sleep tonight," said Edward, while laughing awkwardly.
"Oh, right. All of the beds are currently occupied. There was a cooking festival yesterday and the big-mout— ahem... I mean the Gourmet who was the jury for the festival haven't check out yet." said Doug, feeling sorry for the kid. But then, a light bulb shone on top of his head as he recalled someone that could help. "That's right, why didn't we ask him?"
"Him?" muttered Edward, wondering who that person is.
Suddenly from the entrance door, came a young man wearing a white shirt and glove, and blue overalls and hat. "Oh, he came in at the right moment."
Edward turned around and saw the one that Doug mentioned. That man was the main character from the game that everyone, if not, most, loved.
======
15 minutes earlier.
"Can I ask you something, Professor?" said Scott, who was standing behind Charles.
"Go on."
"Why did you send him there, and why he agreed this time?" asked Scott.
Charles turned his wheelchair and answered with another question. "What do you think Edward really need right now?"
"Uhh... personality."
"Well, he sure did. But there is one more thing that he needed to get, a peaceful mind. For all this time, Edward wasn't only fighting other people. He has been fighting with his own mind, never having any peaceful moment to take a break. What I gave him now, was that. A simple break from all of the battle, from all of the killing." replied Charles.
"But if he really needed peace with himself, didn't he already had one place? Besides that girl, what's her name... oh right, Sherry. Didn't he like her?" said Scott.
"No, what he felt around her was actually a sense of responsibility. He did like her in the past, but that feeling changed as more time passed," replied Charles, putting his hand on his chin, as if recalling about something.
"How did you know that? Didn't you say that you couldn't read Edward's mind?" said Scott.
"I did say that, but when he was asleep, something inside him turned off the barrier which allowed me to glimpse at his thought whenever he fell asleep."
"Wait... Isn't that bad, did he..." Did he got infected like Sherry, was something Scott wanted to ask, but he couldn't bear to. It was just too sad.
"No, it was different. Rather than a monster like what Sherry had, this one... she felt warm and close."
"She?" muttered Scott.
"Right, I also heard her voice. She was actually the one that gave me the coordinate of the place..." suddenly, Charles stopped talking and glanced at the door. Scott followed his gaze and understood that someone was behind the door.
Scott walked toward it and opened the door only to see a teary-eyed girl standing without saying anything. "Sherry? What are you doing here?"
"Where did he go?" asked Sherry toward the professor, ignoring Scott who was standing before her.
Charles moved the wheelchair forward and asked, "how long have you been standing there?"
He wondered how much that Sherry heard. He hoped that she just arrived here. If only he put up his guard, he might have noticed her much sooner. Even if she looked strong and reliable, she could crumble easily if not for Edward always standing beside her.
Charles felt that the development of their relationship was too sad for them to bear. Edward loved her in the beginning, but those feeling was overshadowed by the responsibility he had over her. The opposite was also the same, she relied on Edward too much that she didn't know what feeling that she held over him. If it keeps going on, one of them would get hurt in the end.
That's why, Charles purposely sent Edward away for a few days by cutting on the fuel supply, so that the two could think over their own feeling as well.
"Where! Is! He!" shouted Sherry. Something inside her was starting to wake up, and Charles already saw the change. However, he was all too prepared for this.
Suddenly, Sherry fell on the floor, unconscious. Charles put her into a deep sleep and by tomorrow she would be normal again. He hoped so...
"Did I get too confident?" asked Charles toward no one in particular. He watched as Scott brought her back to her room. None of them noticed that Sherry muttered something in her sleep.
"I'm not... your responsibility..."
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NightHowl
NightHowl Yo, one more time, sorry for the late update. I really am busy this past week. But I'll try updating as much as I can. So I will apologize if things got delayed, don't worry, I haven't given up in writing this. That I could promise.
See you in the next chapter!!!
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