Footsteps could be heard while Allen struggled to move. However, the fatigue still overcame him and he was nearly totally immobilized.
When the steps stopped, he knew that there were people near him. He prepared for the worst and closed his eyes. However, the thing he thought of never happened.
As Lazar was about to charge towards the kid with his battle axe, he was stopped by Robert. Before the former could say anything, the latter shook his head and spoke, "He saved us, not just us, but the people of Loraint too. If the demon got out of here, that town would be the first community to be massacred."
The barbarian hesitated at first, but when he saw the resolute and somewhat sharp gaze of Robert, he lowered his weapon down and gritted his teeth to resist doing something else to Allen.
Hearing their conversation, the kid struggled to roll his body once to face the two people standing near him.
One was a handsome thin man, the other was none other the man who tortured him and deprived of his eyesight on his right eye.
Meanwhile, Lazar and Robert were inwardly surprised when they saw that the kid didn't show anger on his face when he saw the former.
In fact, they noticed there wasn't any speck of emotion on his eyes nor on his face.
Robert crouched beside the kid and opened his hands. Green smoke appeared on his palms and conjured into a green pill.
"Here, eat this pill, it will restore your energy.", Robert handed over the pill onto Allen's hand. The kid then scrutinized the pill.
Seeing Allen's action, Robert couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't worry kid, it's not poison, if we wanted to kill you, we would've done it earlier."
Hearing Robert's statement, Allen swallowed down the pill. After all, he didn't have any choice either.
Warmth flowed throughout his body and the kid felt that less than half of the full capacity of his energy was restored, which was already enough.
"You are a necromancer, aren't you?", Allen questioned to Robert. When he saw the green smoke appearing on the latter's palms, he already knew that he was a necromancer.
"Yes, I am.", Robert confirmed.
"Why did you help me recover?", the kid asked.
"It's because I just want to.", Robert answered while shrugging.
"I thought necromancers are evil.", Allen didn't beat around the bush.
"Not all necromancers are evil, it's just that some of us were too fascinated by our own ways and dug too deeply." Robert said, "And some didn't have any choice, like me."
"Didn't have any choice?"
"You see kid, I came from the nomadic lands with my friend here. The condition of living there was harsh. It is mostly a boundless desert, there are some oasis, but most of them are taken over by powerful clans or kept disappearing while time passed.", Robert didn't explain everything and only said what was needed. "There are also numerous dangers too."
The kid kept quiet and didn't reply anymore. Afterwards, he sat down and surveyed his surroundings.
He saw that the main hall's floor was almost thoroughly destroyed; the pillars that were still left after the battle were still able to hold the ceiling. But they already had cracks due to the relentless suction of the demon's mouth and because of the quakes of the magnitude of the battle.
The main hall might collapse anytime, or maybe even the castle as a whole!
Allen's gaze then sticked towards Lazar, who was looking back at him. The barbarian couldn't help but wonder why was the kid didn't show any anger nor hate when their eyes met.
"I'm sorry for killing your brother.", Allen suddenly said, which made the two survivors stunned, they haven't expected the kid to start speaking about that topic.
Although the kid didn't show guilt on his face, they felt that he was sincere with his words.
After a short silence, Lazar took the initiative to talk, "I'm also sorry for doing those things to you." The sentence was a bit forced, yet, it came from Lazar's own will. "And for threatening you too."
"Uh-huh.", Allen only nodded, he then stood up and walked towards the exit.
"Hey wait!", Lazar called out to Allen, making the latter stop on his tracks.
"Aren't you mad against me?! Don't you want to kill me?", Lazar asked. When he saw how the kid battled the demon earlier, he knew that he wasn't a match for him anymore.
Allen turned around and said, "I'm not mad... I don't even feel anything anymore." After which, he started to walk towards the exit once again.
When Lazar saw the kid's gaze for the last time, he felt suddenly felt guilty until to the deepest part of his soul.
'Why am I feeling guilty?! He killed my brother, even though I already forgave him, why should I pity him?', Lazar inwardly angrily said.
"You're feeling guilty, right?", Robert asked.
"Huh?"
"We've been friends since childhood. I know the face that you make when you are guilty.", Robert smiled.
"I...", Lazar tried to say something, in the end, he couldn't say anything.
'Karma works in mysterious ways.' Robert inwardly sighed.
"Come on, let's get out of here. This place might collapse anytime.", Robert said.
"Where should we go? Back to the headquarters?", Lazar asked.
"No. Think of it, if our group leader is a demon, won't the chief have found out already that he was a demon... or probably the chief is a demon too? Now that we have found out that our group leader was a demon, we might get executed for knowing it. After all, not just barbarians and necromancers, but most of mankind hates them, if this news gets out, it'll probably cause a commotion.", Robert quickly analyzed the situation.
"Then, where do we go?", Lazar asked.
"We should go to the western region of this kingdom. I've always wanted to go there.", Robert suggested.
"Well then, I have no choice but to follow you too.", Lazar smiled.
***
"Huff... huff...", Kate panted as she looked at the wolf she killed. The beast was now lying on the ground, then it suddenly turned into smoke and evaporated into the air.
The grass and plants inside the dome were withering, their vitality was being drained out by the dome to keep itself functioning.
There was a scratch on Kate's face, which she got from the wolf. On the other hand, the great necromancer was as carefree as ever as he looked towards the girl.
Realizing the situation, Kate didn't hesitate to distance herself from the man as to prevent getting caught off guard by a death energy ball from him.
However, seeing what Kate was doing, the man only sneered and chanted out his last spell.
Green smoke formed again at the ceiling of the dome which Kate noticed, but she thought it was an another wolf, but it wasn't.
The green smoke rushed towards Kate at a shocking speed. Now that she was almost exhausted and she could only move less than half of her original speed, she couldn't dodge it.
The smoke then pinned her towards the ground. Wrapping itself to her.
"Hehehe...", the man approached the girl while chuckling. When he reached Kate, he dropped his staff onto the ground and went over her body.
"What are you going to do?", Kate frantically asked.
"I told you, you won't die that easily... hehehehe...", the man kept chuckling his face slowly closed in on Kate's. The latter tried to resist, but it was futile.
"As I soon as I got out, I will actually meet a pedophile.", the two of them heard a voice.
The man looked over to his side and saw a kid with some blood smeared on his face looking towards them.
Kate also looked over, when she saw the person, she was surprised, and at the same time worried, because it was none other than Allen!
The girl saw the faded pupil of the boy's right eye, the hole on the shirt of his chest, and his blood-smeared face.
The man felt danger from Allen, and the former immediately got hold of his staff on the other side and aimed it towards the latter. However, the kid was already nowhere to be seen.
The great necromancer then felt that somebody was holding the back of his head.
"Die.", Allen softly said.
Using Firm Fists, the boy crushed the head of the man with his both hands. After which, he threw the man's corpse so as to prevent the blood flowing out of his head from staining his clothes.
The dome and the smoke that was pinning Kate to the ground disappeared afterwards. Allen then reached out his other hand to the girl to help her sit up.
The girl saw the scars on the boy's hands. Even though there was the healing vial to heal Allen's injuries, sometimes, he wasn't fully healed by it all the time.
As for why it was still there even with his regenerative abilities, who knows?
Kate accepted the help and she sat up. Afterwards, Allen sat beside him and said, "Let's wait for Mr. Sanchez, there's a demon's corpse inside the castle."
Hearing Allen's sentence, Kate couldn't help but be shocked.
Demons were known to be powerful and mankind's natural enemy, and it wasn't everyday that there'll be a corpse of a demon. If somebody else told her that there's a corpse of a demon, she wouldn't believe it.
Kate gave a curious glance to Allen, which the latter noticed and said, "I killed it."
The girl became totally speechless by now, and just waited for Mr. Sanchez and Drake.
***
One day later...
After taking care of the demon's corpse, they all traveled back to Crescent Town, it took them more or less a day because they used a carriage and didn't use treasures that could increase their speed.
Night...
The trio and Mr. Sanchez just got back to Crescent Town. Now, they were by the outskirts of the town walking towards Allen's home.
"I got a news that your father has left with your brother. I think they won't come back for a long time or maybe never.", Mr. Sanchez said.
On the other hand, Allen didn't say anything and just kept walking.
Seeing that the kid has no reaction, Mr. Sanchez could only sigh. Of course, he already knew what happened.
A few minutes, they arrived and entered the house. They followed Allen up to the second floor towards his bedroom.
The boy took out the satchel from under the bed and a notebook from the drawer, which he placed inside the satchel afterwards.
"Don't worry, we'll try to find your brother.", Drake tried to cheer Allen up. "Because we are here for you!"
"Just say if you need anything, alright?", Kate added.
"Thanks.", Allen replied, and said after a pause, "But I'm going to leave."
Hearing what Allen just said, the two kids and Mr. Sanchez couldn't say anything at first.
"Where are you going?", Kate took the initiative to ask.
"To the eastern region.", Allen replied. The kid then went to William's bedroom, where there were many books on the bookshelves.
"Please, take care of these books. I can't bring them with me. They're my only remembrance of my mother.", Allen requested.
"We will.", Mr. Sanchez nodded.
...
All of them went out of the house after taking care of everything else.
"How much money do I have now?", Allen asked to Mr. Sanchez. The former was referring to the share of the treasure he got from the Mount Watchtower.
"1000 gold coins.", Mr. Sanchez replied.
"And I got sold for 10 gold coins?", Allen said to himself. "Now I know a human costs that much." There was also absolutely no shade of any emotion on his tone.
"Can I take 300 gold coins?", Allen asked.
"Sure.", Mr. Sanchez took out two enchanted pouches from his pockets. Afterwards, he opened the both of them poured 300 gold coins to the empty pouch, and handed it to Allen.
The kid then put the pouch inside the satchel. After which, he said to them, "Farewell, we should see each other again." He didn't wait for them to reply back and used Burst Steps to immediately leave.
"I will be going back to the tavern. There is something I need to take care of too.", Drake immediately rushed back to the tavern.
When Drake was already far away, Kate suddenly said, "I want to join Allen."
"No.", Mr. Sanchez rejected.
"I want to join him, please!", Kate requested again.
"No, as your master, I forbid you from doing so.", the tavern owner said.
"But...", before Kate got to finish her sentence, Mr. Sanchez said...
"And as your father, I know what's best for you."
Kate could only bow her head down, but she suddenly got an idea and said, "Then, can I go to the nomadic lands?"
"For what?", Mr. Sanchez asked.
"To get stronger. I don't want Allen to feel what he felt again.", Kate said. However, the real reason why she wanted to was to deliver the letter from the remnant village. It was Allen who wanted to do that, but it would never happen.
As for why Kate has the letter, it was because on the way back to Riverboard City, Allen asked to Kate to hide the letter for him, which the girl didn't refuse.
"You want to do something for that remnant in the mountain, right?", Mr. Sanchez asked.
"You know?" She asked with a startled tone. They never told anyone about the village when they came back, even to the tavern owner.
Seeing Kate's surprised looked, Mr. Sanchez said, "I am your father, I know a lot more than you do."
"Then, do you agree to it?", Kate asked.
"I agree.", Mr. Sanchez replied.
"Thank you.", Kate hugged Roger. Though the former didn't notice that Mr. Sanchez cracked a smile on his face.
***
Allen was still walking amidst the darkness of the night.
Guided by the starry sky, he walked towards the direction of northeast, where the eastern region was from his position.
He took one last look to his house, and to the Crescent Town which could be seen as dots of lights from afar, and to Mr. Sanchez and Kate.
'Mother, where have you been all this time? Marco just ran amok with William.' He thought as he turned his back to them and continued walking.
[End of Volume 3: Emotion]
Due to the upcoming classes, I will not be able to write more chapters anymore because I will be very busy. So that's why this story would be paused or on hiatus.
I don't know when can I write more chapters again (but it's guaranteed that I'll be able to post new chapters on Xmas Vacation), but I do hope you'll still be reading the book by then.
I do have to admit that I think the story is a bit boring, but ehh... this is how I write.
Thank for reading until here!
~ Celestially_Mortal