Chương 57: "To a place to belong," dripped the alcohol

"Pardon?" I said. Too baffled to maintain the position of the aggressor.

"My tools! The ones with ET on them? What's this about the underworld, man? Just let me go." Eric put his hands above his head in a gesture of submission.

"Alright, for old time's sake. You will explain, though," I said and slowly got off him.

"What old times? We met yesterday!"

In no mood for bullshit, I placed the Wakizashi on his neck again. Was I really being told that THE ET, the one who has made the greatest of magic tools, is supposed to be this sad fuck? That's just impossible!

"Let's all calm down, Ivan. It's a long story. We'll sit down and talk?"

"What is—" I was about to call him out on the stupidity he just spouted, but Nea had already settled down on the grassy Islet. With no other choice, I and Eric sat down too.

"So, sad fuck, would sandwich go with the story, or should I just boil tea?"

"Nea! Why would... His face says alcohol. I'll pull out some alcohol."

"Yeah, alcohol will go best with what I am about to tell you," Eric said with a depressed look. The Silcat purred and shook its head before nestling up next to me. Is it mocking us?

"Where do I start... This story is from 9 years ago when I was 15..."

Ever since I was a child, people always hated me. They would all go red and start shaking with anger just by taking a glance at my face...

"Stop, stop, stop, are you going to fuck with me now, Eric?" What's this guy saying? I thought he was your everyday pretty boy suffering from the success of their own looks. Going around making shallow relationships with people who couldn't keep a straight face around him. BUT!! What is this bullshit? What kind of novel does he live in to have a misunderstanding of this level?

"Ivan, look in my eyes. Does it really look like that?"

He is not lying. I picked up the alcohol and gulped it in one go.

"Go ahead."

"Yes, so..."

It was so bad. Once, I found a crying kid who stopped crying when I asked him what's wrong. What's more, his mother came over and said nothing to the kid! He just stared at me until I left with my head down. That was it, that was the trigger.

Since then, I have avoided everyone. Sitting alone in my room all day, I slowly started despising even the smallest of things and, to ease all of that, I studied magic tools.

Then, for almost 5 years while I stayed in Ussera, I learned everything I could about magic tools. Even made a few innovations. Like one that would tell me how many people are inside a room so that I can avoid them. My few friends in Ussera dropped by whenever they could, but that was rare.

Dissatisfied with how my life was still not automated, I traveled to the big cities in Elisbonear. Learning new things and making new things. Until my whole life was turned around...

One fine day, all my tools disappeared...

Some gang members caught wind of my wonderful creations and stole them! They were all gone, and I wasn't gonna take that shit. So, I did what any man would do...

I used whatever I could and got into dozens of fights, striving each day to get my tools back. Day in and day out, I would fight, get beat more than I could beat, but it was for my tools. I kept going.

2 months ago, I was bedridden after a fight. Healing magic doesn't leave scars, but the fight I got into was so intense that I still got sick...

"... What then? Why are you here?" Nea asked. Eric suddenly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a little longer, he finally spoke again.

"What happened next changed my life again..."

Alone, I was lost. What was my life about? What were these injuries worth? Why was I doing this every day? Maybe I just wanted a place to belong, and magic tools had given me that place. That was why I was looking for them, I thought.

That day, a priest from the temple came to visit me. With the mask, it was hard to decide whether they were young or old, male or female, just like every other priest. But this one, they were special.

"Why do you fight, boy?" They asked me.

"They took my tools, they took my creation, I have to fight," I said.

"Boy, they are just what you called them, tools. Make some fucking new ones..."

"I will never forget their wisdom. You know, there is no place where you belong. You can't need to find a place to belong... You just, have to make one..." Eric said...

"My friend. My sister. My… cat, or whatever you are..." I spoke, as I raised the bottle of laudanum. "Today, we shall all drink. Drink to Eric's life, drink to the priest's wisdom... and drink, to a place to belong..."

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