Chương 10: Chapter 10: Purpose
"...A secret task? And I'll only know the details if I choose to take on the task. Hmm"
Elias closed his eyes and pondered on the choices presented before him, on one hand he could take on the task and just clear it to get the reward, but things could never be that easy, the reward being that high meant that the task would be no easy feat, high reward meant there would be an equally high risk.
Or he could just choose to forfeit the task and lose the one million free will points without trying. But there was a third choice; he could choose to do neither and just see what happens.
Accompanied with a grumble, Elias' opened his eyes, he stared intently at the message in front of him
"I have made up my mind," he declared loudly, "There are two options here, 'Yes' or 'No' . It's that simple, after serious thoughts, I choose the third option. I won't choose for now and I will see what happens"
[+50fwp]
The outcome of Elias musings was the third choice, he chose not to pick either of the options presented to him.
"Close menu"
"I am not in a rush nor am I eager to fill up the fwp bar. Besides, this is a 'free will' system right? I can choose not to choose" He said, yawning as he walked back to the farmhouse to get a goodnight's rest
********
Elias was jolted awake by a sharp pain on his lower abdomen
"Wake up! Wake up!!" a familiar, slightly annoying voice urged him.
Elias wiped his eyes to see Nina sitting on his stomach, he put two and two together then realized that she had woken him up by jumping on him. What a way to start the day
"Get off Nina" he said groggily
"No!" She protested, "Mother said to wake you up, and that's what I'm doing"
"And you saw no other way to do that than to land a WWE finisher on me?"
"What is a 'dubbuyudubbuyuee' finisher?"
"Nevermind, just get off me, as you can see I'm awake now"
"Hmph, not until you tell me what a'dubbuyudubbuyuee' is ?" She raised her nose in the air and folded her arms in protest.
As cute as Nina could be, she could also be twice as annoying when she wanted to. She was really the carbon copy of Penelope.
Knowing Nina, Elias was sure she would continue to make a fuss until she got what she wanted
He wasn't about to explain scripted wrestling to a twelve year old girl, "I thought you would know about it? All princesses do" He said nonchalantly
Nina slowly dropped her arms, "Of—Of course I know what it is, I was just um…testing you"
"I thought as much" Elias said, trying to force down a smile
"Now, what does mother want me for this early in the morning. The sun is barely out"
"I don't know, something about spending the last day with you"
"Oh right…today is the last day before my trip to Eldoria…"
Elis could see the brightness in Nina's eyes dim a little, she was not happy about the fact that Elias was leaving but she was too much of a brat to show it, or perhaps that was her way of making things easier for Elias.
She dismounted Elias and urged him to wash up and meet Eleanor at the front of the house.
Elias did as told as freshened up, he changed into the only other clothes he had, a brown trouser and a long sleeved white shirt. They weren't too comfortable, especially the heavy trousers but it was manageable and it wasn't like he had much of a choice.
Elias met Eleanor and Nina at the front of the house, he greeted Eleanor good morning.
"You are probably wondering why I had you woken up this early,' Eleanor said with a straight face,
"Yes" Elias nodded
"Well, it's simple. Since a certain somebody decided to hog an entire day out of the two days we have with you, we needed as much time with you as possible. That certain somebody is your father by the way"
'Oh crap' Elias thought to himself, he always found this part of the game boring and tiring whenever he played Arcane Days, and now he was going to live through it.
The part of the game involved Elias being dragged around by Eleanor and Nina doing various 'uninteresting' activities like picking herbs, ingredients, going to town to get more ingredients, and interactions with various NPCs whose dialogues he couldn't skip.
"Man this is going to be a long day" He muttered under his breath
And so the day began, Eleanor clasped Nina's hand and guided her along the narrow, winding path that led into the woods. Elias, trailed behind, clutching a small basket. The morning air was crisp and filled with the scent of pine and earth, the perfect day for gathering ingredients from the forest.
"Nina, look at those mushrooms," Eleanor pointed to a cluster of chanterelles peeking out from beneath a fallen log. "They're perfect for our stew tonight." Nina's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she carefully picked the mushrooms and placed them in the basket Elias held, she had always loved the outdoors and plants in general, which was ironic given her whole princess obsession
As they ventured deeper into the woods, Eleanor showed them how to identify various herbs and roots. "This is wild garlic," she explained, pulling a slender plant from the ground. "It will add a wonderful flavor to our meal." Elias nodded, watching intently as his mother handled the plants with practiced ease.
After filling their basket, they made their way to the town. The cobblestone streets were bustling with activity. Eleanor greeted Mrs. Haversham, the butcher's wife, with a warm smile. "Good morning, Clara. How's your day been?"
Clara beamed at her. "Busy as always, Eleanor. What brings you to town today?"
"We need a few things for the house," Eleanor replied. "And perhaps a nice cut of meat for dinner."
Clara nodded and beckoned them inside the shop. As Clara wrapped up a choice piece of lamb, Eleanor chatted with Mr. Haversham about the latest news in town, her voice a soothing melody of familiarity and friendship.
Next, they visited the general store where Mr. Perkins was busy restocking shelves. "Good to see you, Eleanor," he said with a nod. "What can I do for you today?"
"We need flour, sugar, and some of those lovely candles," Eleanor listed, her eyes scanning the shelves. While Mr. Perkins gathered the items, Eleanor struck up a conversation with Mrs. Perkins about the upcoming harvest festival. Nina and Elias listened, learning the rhythms of social exchange and community.
Their errands complete, they walked back to their farmhouse. The sun had climbed higher, casting a warm glow over their home. Eleanor sent Nina off to play while she started dinner preparations.
Eliss could not help but admit it, even if all he did was follow Eleanor around, it was much more fun than what he expected. The game didn't do justice to what he had just experienced.
"Elias, you stay and watch. Contrary to popular belief, I feel everyone should know how to cook, both men and women alike. You never know when a good meal might come in handy"
Elias, ever the curious observer, watched as Eleanor kneaded dough for bread, her hands moving with the practiced skill of years. "How can I help, Mother?" he asked,
"Of course, Elias," she replied, smiling. "You can stir the stew while I finish this." She handed him a wooden spoon and he stirred carefully
Eleanor added the wild garlic and chanterelles to the stew, their earthy aroma filling the kitchen. She showed Elias how to add the herbs they'd gathered, explaining the importance of each one. "Cooking is about balance," she said softly. "Just like life."
As the afternoon faded into evening, the kitchen filled with the comforting smells of home-cooked food. Eleanor and Elias worked side by side, their movements in sync, an unspoken bond strengthening between them. Nina returned, cheeks flushed from play, and set the table with practiced care.
Finally, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the family gathered around the table. Eleanor served the lamb and fresh bread, the stew rich and fragrant.
[Alert!
New Skill Acquired
Cooking(basic)
Note: Continuous use of this skill will increase it's tier]
'Ooh, New skill, but it's cooking…anyways a new skill never hurt anyone'
After Eleanor said a few words of prayer to the Goddess Lira, everyone dug into their food and it didn't take too long for them to wolf down the delicious meal.
Even if it was the last day for a long time to come that they were going to sit and eat as a complete family, there was no sadness in the air.
Nina cracked her jokes, Godfrey told made up tales of adventures of a brave magical Knight, but Elias couldn't help but feel like they weren't made up, due to the immense amount of detail Godfrey gave and Eleanor told embarrassing stories of Elias as a child that made him blush.
In Arcane Days, this part wasn't expanded on, it was simply quoted as 'they ate without worries', and even if that seemed like a downplay of what was happening, it was the reality. They ate without worries.
Elias looked upon his family, and the moment they were sharing, it reminded him of his original family, the Sorus'.
Could he really just leave that life behind? Forget they ever existed and start afresh as Elias Ashdown? Was it that simple? He thought deeply as he went to bed
In this world that seemed so perfectly suited for him, he could never go wrong, but as perfect as it was, it wasn't his life nor was it his world.
Elias rolled over from one part of his bed to the other, he could not seem to fall asleep as these conflicting thoughts troubled him, and then suddenly a wave of clarity hit him, he sat upright.
"I know what my purpose is, I am going to fill the FWP bar and get my wish granted. I am going to wish for a reset, a do over so I can start again and right my wrongs.
These people are no doubt my family but I do not belong here, I belong with my REAL family"
"Open Task menu"
[ One time offer! A choice has been presented to you:
A secret task has appeared!
Reward: 1,000,000 fwp
Failure:???
The details of the task would only be revealed to you, if and only if you agree to take on the quest.
Take on the quest?
〔Yes〕or 〔No〕
]
Elias squeezed his brows tightly together as he steeled himself, "Yes. I will take on the quest"
[ You have agreed to take on the quest!
You will now be transported to the Demon king of wrath's lair!
Task: Defeat the Demon king of Wrath: Ira
Reward: 1,000,000 fwp
Failure: Wrath of Ira will be brought upon you
Goodluck!]
"Wait wait…what?!" Elias eyes widened as he read the message in front of him
"What the hell? This cannot be possible, no. It is too early for me to face demon generals talk less of the Demon king of Wrath"
[You will be transported to the Demon king of Wrath's lair in 5..]
"No! What did I just do?! I'm not ready!"
[4…3]
"This must be some kind of glitch"
[2]
"You can't ask me to beat the main boss at the beginning of the game, you sick fu—"
[...0]
Elias' figure instantly disappeared as soon as the countdown ended.
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