章節 61: Living Underground
Toga heard the door to his room open. A young girl with dark green blouse came in holding a tray, a cloth, and a hot bowl of water. She dropped everything she was holding when she realized he was up.
"Oh my god. You're awake!" She said.
"Yes, I am…" Toga scratched his head. "Who are you again?"
He wasn't sure if he ever met the girl, or if he forgot her from some head trauma. Harrow slammed him into the ground pretty damn hard. So hard, the entire cave shook, and cracks formed all around.
"Does that man wish to level his own hideout?" Toga asked.
The young woman bowed. "Sorry about grandpa. He could be a bit eccentric at times."
"A bit? Lady if I were any other person I wouldn't be here." Toga complained.
She smiled this time. "Ahh don't worry about that. If it makes you feel any better, I think my father likes you."
"Gee I feel so honored." Toga said. He tried to stand up only to feel aching pain shoot all around his body. "Guess I wasn't ready for that." He grunted.
"I'll get you something to eat right away." She turned around and tried to hurry out.
"Hold on!" Toga said.
She stopped and turned towards him. "What do you need?"
"What's your name?" He asked.
She blinked twice. "Trisha… Trisha Valech. Grandpa put me in charge of you, so please take care of yourself while you're here." She bowed and left out.
Toga let his body fall back. Maybe she was right. He should just relax and let his body get taken care of. Trisha came back with a warm bowl of yellow porridge. He smiled at her, happily taking it, and feeding himself. As he ate, he noticed she was staring at him, smiling the whole time as she did so.
"Is something wrong?" He asked. It was a little uncomfortable to be watched while eating. He didn't want to tell her that though.
"Oh nothing… How's the food?" She asked.
"It's good! After a fight like that I'm glad you're here." Toga said.
Trisha blushed at his complement. Now that Toga got a good look at her, she had long, beige hair that was done in one big braid. Wore a humble dress fit for a housewife with an apron on.
"Are you married?" Toga asked.
She blushed even more and looked away. She shook her head. "Guess I just haven't found that one yet."
Toga shrugged his shoulders and finished eating his meal.
"If you want seconds, don't hesitate to ask." She said.
Toga held his hand up. He then sprung out of the bed feeling rejuvenated. Whatever it was she fed him crossed the boundaries between food and medicine. His body felt loose enough to walk outside. On the way out, he saw Shue in the dining room eating the same type of porridge he was eating. The way he was leaned dangerously on the chair, it looks like he made himself right at home.
"Oh, you survived. Nice to see you're ok I guess." Shue said.
"You can at least pretend like you wanted me alive." Toga said.
"Oh relax drama queen. If we didn't, I would've finished you off myself while you were sleep. You can imagine what I could do given an entire day." Shue said.
"… You mean I was sleep for a whole day?" Toga asked.
"Yes. And until you decide to do your mission, I'm stuck in this hole with you. I would urge you hurry so I can get my briefing for my next one. I was bored with this one before it started." Shue said.
"Shue. You know I can't do that. I have to get down to the bottom of this, otherwise The Order will keep labeling them as bandits unjustly." Toga said.
Shue got up from his chair and walked up to Toga. He put his face close to his, staring him directly in the eyes. They both glared at each other, sizing the other one up. "Wow… you're nothing like the previous shining spirit. Somehow, you're different… it's like… you didn't inherit his will at all." Shue said.
Toga blinked. "Wait! You met the previous shining spirit for the Dogs?"
"Do the math genius. If the old cogger died seventeen years ago, then of course I would have still been alive to see him beforehand."
Whenever Toga thought about the previous holder, it was always in a past context. So to him, the old man was already a part of a history too old for him to think about. To see someone in front of him who either knew him, or knew of him, it was surreal to think about. It somehow brought this man closer to him in context.
"Well… I'm the current holder. I do things my way. If the dog had a problem with it, he shouldn't have chosen me." Toga said. He left out the door. Trisha looked between the two before following him.
"Toga… What was that all about." Trisha asked.
"Simple. I'm not acting the way they expect me to. I can't fathom how it is the previous holder for the dog ran things, but I'd imagine he was the follow orders type much like Shue is now." Toga said.
Trisha grabbed his hand and held onto it. Toga looked at her with a bewildered expression.
"That man honestly scares me. Sometimes, I feel like he'd just rather kill us all than be here." Trisha said.
"Mehh. He won't pull something like that. So long as he's focused on me, I doubt he'll mess with any of you." Toga said. Trisha refused to let go of his hand. Toga sighed. "But if he does, I'll make sure to protect you as best I can."
Trisha perked up and began smiling. She hugged him even closer.
Toga made his way back towards the dojo with Trisha attached at the hip. Harrow was back at that same spot he was when he first met the guy down here. This time, nobody around paid him any mind. Their boss already whooped him up once, there were no need to pay attention to him.
"Ahhh, Toga! I see my granddaughter his given you hospitality. You look young and healthy indeed." Harrow said.
"Young and healthy? Fine thing to say that when you're the reason I ended up like that." Toga said.
"Regardless, you're walking around just fine. If that is indeed the case, you can leave now. You should have no more business here." Harrow said.
A vein popped on Toga's head. "No more business here?" He got up close and personal with the man, leaving his granddaughter in the process. "I want a rematch. You think I'm just going to take losing like that and walking home with my tail between my legs?"
Harrow raised one of his eyebrows. "Huhh? You got a screw loose or something boy? I'd bury you if we weren't already buried."
"What's the matter? Scared that you're going to lose this time?" Toga said.
"Beat it. If you're going to challenge me again, then at least heal up. I don't pick on the injured."
Toga grumbled. "Fine! But I'll be training the entire time. Next time I see you in the arena it'll be me slamming you into the ground."
Toga turned around and began stomping out of the dojo. He didn't see the old man smirking as he left. Trisha looked between the two and followed him out.
She caught up to him outside of the dojo. "Toga wait!" He stopped and looked at her. "You're not really going to face grandpa again, are you?"
"Of course I am. Why?" He asked.
"It's just that… you can't beat him. Not in a physical contest of strength." Trisha said.
"I'm not going to use my powers." Toga said. "I didn't come down here to muscle my way into your village and tell you all what to do. That's not what being a priest is about."
Trisha looked at him with wide eyes.
"I came here to get the villages respect. The quickest way to do that, is to gain the leader's respect." Toga turned back around. "And the only way to gain that old man's respect, is to beat him in the thing he's good at. If I do that using my priest powers, then it'll be The Order they see… not me."
He didn't even look at her anymore. Toga began jogging. He was going to increase his workout regime tenfold if he needed to.
Over the next couple of days Toga worked out harder than he's ever done before. He ran around the village at least twenty times. He did a thousand one handed push-ups on each hand. Hanging upside down, he did his ab-crunches two-thousand times. He was so drenched in sweat he couldn't even wear a shirt.
Him working out with the underground pressure he was getting his body tempered far more than when he was in the Skyland. In just three days, he could feel the difference in him getting faster, stronger, his stamina longer. And whenever he could, he'd eat Trisha's meals who happily fed him.
He is going to beat Harrow this time. No matter what.
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