The group walked for hours upon hours.
While every step was painful, they didn’t stop until the ruined village of Emelka was far behind them and the earth turned green once more.
Now that they were somewhere safe, Ruel lead to group to a steep hill where they could make camp.
From the summit, they watched the setting sun bathe the land in blood-red light.
Setting up camp didn’t take long as Ruel pulled out several tents from his bag, set them up and lit a fire at the center.
The fact that the old man had a seemingly endless amount of things in his small bag was quite surprising for Eva.
This old fox always has a trick up his sleeve, she thought as she helped with the camp.
One of these days I need to ask him how he pulls of stuff like that.
Once everything was ready, Ruel set a pot over the fire and cooked a simple soup.
While ingredients were simple and his cooking skills were far below Alibert’s, he tried his best at making it taste good.
Even Amalia tried to help, even though the princess had even less cooking experience than him and her assistance was limited to adding a few herbs she found along the way.
Surprisingly, the end result was delicious.
Ruel handed out soup to his companions, who began to eat in silence.
As walked around camp, he noticed someone was missing.
Yugo.
His heart skipped a beat, but luckily didn’t take too long to find him.
The boy had separated from the group and now sat on the edge of the hill, staring blankly at the horizon.
Bowl in hand, the old Enutrof approached him and said in a tender voice.
“Here’s your food, Yugo.”
The boy kept sitting in silence.
Ruel then pressed gently with the hopes of getting some word out of him.
“I made the soup you like so much.
Hope you enjoy it.”
Yugo just took the bowl without a word.
Though Ruel couldn’t see his face, he knew exactly what was going through the boy’s mind.
It wasn’t easy to recover after losing everything.
He tried to find the right words, but his voice came out awkwardly and made him cringe in frustration.
“Your father…
he’d be proud of what you did today, you know?”
Yugo didn’t even move.
Ruel clenched his teeth in frustration.
That wasn’t it.
Those weren’t the right words.
Gods, I don’t even know what to say.
Sighing, he headed back to camp and sat by the fire.
Amalia watched him with concern, feeling just as helpless in this situation.
“How’s Yugo?”
“The same as before,” Ruel answered as he stared desperately at the sky.
“He hasn’t said a word the entire walk, and he’s still not talking.
It’s like… he’s built a wall around himself and won’t let us in.”
“That sounds like a mission for Sir Percedal!” the knight interrupted full of confidence.
“Just watch how I cheer him up!”
The whole group stared at him, stunned at such a claim.
Even as tragedy left them on the edge of despair, the Iop’s determination hadn’t diminished even a little.
“All you’ll do is make him angrier” said Eva skeptically.
“Cut it out with your nonsense and eat.”
Rubilax, who’d been asleep all this time, chose that moment to wake up with one of his snarky comments.
Rubbing salt in people’s wounds was one of his favorite pastimes.
“Listen to the girl, Dally.
At least she’s using her brain.”
But, instead of discouraging him, his words only sharpened Percedal’s resolve.
“You all misunderestimate my social skills,” he replied with a grin.
“I’ll prove you wrong.
Just wait and see!”
The knight stood up and headed toward Yugo, making Eva sigh and call out in frustration:
“It’s underestimate, Dally!
UNDER-ES-TI-MATE!”
As the knight completely ignored, she let out an angry huff.
“Do what you want, idiot.
Just don’t come crying to mee once you mess up.”
Ruel rubbed his forehead in exhaustion.
This could go really well or really badly, he thought.
But frankly, I don’t even care anymore.
Amalia, on the other hand, smiled at seeing Eva’s anger.
With a mischievous glint, she nudged her shoulder and asked.
“How much would you bet this ends badly?”
Eva let out a small laugh.
“I don’t even need my powers to know Yugo will yell at him.”
“How about…” the Sadida whispered mischievously.
“We each make our bets on what will happen.
And the loser…
has to kiss Dally.”
The words caught Eva completely off guard, making her face go red from just imagining it.
But, right now, any distraction was welcome.
“You’re rotten to the core, you know that?” Eva grumbled and crossed her arms.
“Fine, I accept your stupid bet.
If you want to kiss the Iop, I’m not gonna stop you.”
“I wouldn’t call victory just yet, Eva.
Pride always comes before the fall…”
The two friends watched Percedal walk away.
Now they just had to wait.
Amalia smiled with satisfaction.
If she could cheer up Eva even a little, all this would’ve been worth it.
She just hoped Percedal would succeed and make Yugo smile too.
The knight walked towards Yugo and, before sitting down, he whispered to Rubilax.
“Can you keep quiet this time?
I really need to help my friend.
Feel free to insult me or laugh at me all you want later, just please give me this moment.”
Surprisingly, the cursed sword closed its eye almost accepting his plea.
It seemed that, after all, it had something resembling a heart.
“Good evening, young adventurer.” said Percedal.
“How are you doing on this fine day?”
Yugo ignored him completely.
The knight sat down beside him anyway and gave him a pat on the shoulder.
“I see you’re a bit quiet today.
You remind me of Rubilax when he gets stubborn.
And, when that happens, I go and smash him against the wall really hard and yell at him a couple of times.
Works every time!”
“Can you just leave?” Yugo replied sharply. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“I don’t feel like listening to your stories.”
“I know, I know.
I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit.
My master always said that when the world knocks you down, you gotta get back up and face it with a smile.”
Yugo scoffed.
He didn’t have the patience for this.
But Percedal didn’t give up.
He stayed quiet for a few seconds as he gazed at the horizon, and, once he had this thoughts sorted out, continued speaking.
Although, this time, he spoke with a much more thoughtful voice.
“You know where my master is now?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care.
Probably off on some adventure somewhere.”
“He’s dead.”
Those words caught Yugo by surprise.
He went silent while his friend kept talking.
While Percedal was still smiling, he could see the grief in his eyes.
“He was the only family I had left.”
Yugo’s anger dissolved, now replaced by shame.
He’d never imagined that someone like Percedal, someone so carefree and cheerful, could experience something like this.
“I’m sorry…
I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You don’t need to apologize.
I know exactly how you feel.
When my master died…
I didn’t know what to do with myself.”
Yugo watched him closely.
For the first time in hours, he felt like someone could truly understand him.
“How did you get through it?” he asked quietly.
“Honestly, I still haven’t fully gotten over it.
But the only thing you can do is learn to carry it with you.
I live every day following the path he taught me.
That’s why I keep smiling, no matter how many times I get knocked down.”
A bird’s song interrupted him.
Yugo lifted his eyes to the sky and, for the first time all day, smiled.
His loyal pet had found him.
“Az!
Come here, buddy!”
The little bird flew to him and rubbed its head against his.
The small Tofu somehow managed to fly all the way from the village, defying almost certain death.
Yugo laughed with relief and scratched Az’s head, which made the bird chirp happily before settling on top of his hat to rest.
“Look at that little guy,” Percedal said.
“Even though he lost his home, he kept flying until he found you.
He didn’t give up no matter how hopeless everything got.
That’s what you gotta do.” He then looked at the rest of the group.
“And hey… you’ve got it way easier than I did.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because you’ve got us!
I know we can’t replace your family, and… well, I don’t entirely trust some of these guys… but at least I’ll do my absolute best!
I swear it as a Knight of the Shushu Order!”
Yugo looked at him with gratitude.
While the pain in his heart was still there, he finally felt at ease.
He even felt guilty about how he’d treated his companions…
and Ruel.
“Thank you so much…
but you don’t have to do all this.
It’s… too much.”
“How can you say that?
Don’t forget you saved my life.
As a man of honor, I have to repay that favor the best way I can.
Come on, stop crying and let’s head back to camp.
I’m sure the others are just as worried about you.
Especially that weird old guy.”
“You’re the best, Dally!”
Before Percedal could react, Yugo gave him a tight hug which made the knight feel warm inside.
Helping a friend like this made him feel better than defeating a hundred monsters.
He thought of his master again and felt, for just a moment, that somewhere up there he was watching with pride.
When the hug ended, the two friends headed back to camp.
From a distance, Ruel watched them and was surprised to see Yugo’s cheerful face.
Somehow, that Iop had pulled off what he couldn’t.
“Seems like a chat with that idiot actually helped,” he sighed with relief.
“And here I thought I’d seen everything…”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yugo ran over and gave him a big hug, catching Ruel completely off guard.
The old man soon returned the embrace with tenderness.
“I’m so glad you’re feeling better.
You had me really worried over here, kid.”
“Thanks for being there for me, Ruel.
I’m sure Dad would be proud of you.”
“Going straight for the heart, huh?” he murmured with a tear of happiness.
“I don’t know if I deserve his pride, but seeing you happy is definitely giving him a huge smile up there.”
The old man noticed Amalia watching them with a mischievous grin, remembering the conversation he’d had with her earlier.
This is going to be interesting, he thought.
He lowered his voice and whispered to Yugo while gesturing toward Amalia.
“I think that young lady wants to tell you something.
Go on, go talk to her.”
Yugo nodded and walked over to Amalia.
The Sadida was happy to see her friend had come through his grief, but she wasn’t sure what to say.
She swallowed, looked him in the eyes, and spoke full of sincerity.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you when you needed me most.
I… didn’t know what to say to make you feel better.” Then she glanced at Evangelyne and her face lit up with joy.
“But I’ve got a surprise that’ll definitely brighten your day.
Wait and see.”
She walked over to Eva and nudged her shoulder.
Just thinking about the bet, the Cra blushed intensely.
She didn’t want to do it, but a promise was a promise.
“I was right after all,” Amalia said with a devious smile.
“You just had to ruin a nice moment…
Fine.
You win.”
Eva swallowed her pride and walked toward Percedal.
She felt like a prisoner marching to the gallows.
She stopped in front of the Iop without saying a word, her eyes meeting Perceadal’s confused gaze.
“What’s going on, Evangelyne?
Has my legendary gift of persuasion left you speechless?
Hey, did you get a sunburn or something?
You look really red.”
“I’m going to regret this.”
And, before anyone could react, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Nobody except Amalia saw it coming.
The knight froze completely as electricity ran through his body the moment he felt Eva’s lips on his skin.
This was a dream come true.
He trembled and barely managed to stammer:
“Fair…
lady…”
Yugo’s and Amalia’s laughter filled the air as Eva’s face became even redder.
While she knew the risks when she made the bet, she was so sure she’d win.
And now, she’d have to deal with the consequences.
“IT WAS JUST A STUPID BET, OKAY?!
Don’t get any weird ideas!”
She turned and stormed off to her tent and closed it off.
Percedal, mouth hanging open, watched in complete bewilderment.
“Can somebody explain what just happened?”
“Women… am I right.” Ruel answered with a sigh.
“It’s best not to think about it.”
The knight didn’t even hear him.
Everything had happened so fast…
and he really liked it.
She…
she just…
kissed me?
This is day of my life!
He smiled and whistled a happy tune as he walked off to his tent, so happy he couldn’t even think of anything else.
Ruel facepalmed in frustration and said in an exhausted voice.
“I’m going to bed.
And you two should do the same.
I don’t want any complaints at sunrise.”
“Whatever you say, ‘Dad,'” Yugo teased.
The old Enutrof smiled faintly before entering his tent.
Maybe Yugo said it as a joke, but hearing that word warmed his heart.
I must be doing something right, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.
Alibert, oh how much I wish you were here…
Only Yugo and Amalia remained by the fire, sitting in silence beneath the starry sky.
Finally, Yugo turned to the princess and asked.
“Wasn’t it a bit cruel to put your friend in that situation?”
“Maybe, but her reaction was so funny I couldn’t pass up the chance.
And besides…” She gave him a playful look.
“You were laughing the hardest out of everyone.”
Yugo chuckled.
“Yeah, I’ll admit it, that was hilarious…
Now Percedal’s going to be even more obsessed with Eva.
Oh boy…”
“If it made you happy, it was worth it,” Amalia replied.
“Good night, Yugo.”
“Good night.”
After Amalia left, the boy stayed alone by the campfire.
Watching her walk away, he felt a pang of uncertainty in his chest.
Maybe, now that he had the chance, he chould’ve said something more.
But it was late, and felt very exhausted.
There would be other and much better chances later on.
As he walked toward his tent, his gaze rose to the night sky as he marveled at the light of a thousand stars.
It really was a breathtaking view.
Yugo then fell upon onto the soft grass for a better look and lay there in silence, just enjoying the moment.
For as long as he could remember, he always wondered where the stars came from.
Some said they were distant worlds while others claimed they were the souls of the dead ascending to the sky.
The only thing he knew for certain is that he always felt a deep connection with them.
If only he could fly, he would reach up and discover the truth behind their mystery.
Now that he only had his thoughts for company, the conversation with Percedal returned to his mind.
As his gaze drifted among the stars, memories of his father returned to his mind.
A few words came from his mouth, all filled with love and longing.
“Dad…
I hope you’re okay, wherever you are.
I love you so much… and, you have no idea how much I miss you.
You were the best father I could ever have.
Thank you… for everything.”
No answer came save for the whisper of the wind and the crackle of the campfire.
But, deep in his heart, Yugo knew his father had heard every word.
His eyelids grew heavy as he began to fall asleep.
Suddenly, a deep and familiar voice broke the silence.
His father.
“Go to the Isle of Oma, my son.
Find your true family.
They are waiting for you.”
Yugo’s eyes snapped open.
He bolted upright and looked around, searching for the source of that voice.
But he was alone.
The fire still crackled, the wind still blew, and night still covered the camp.
It was just a dream…
or was it.
He felt that his father had spoken to him from beyond and entrusted him with a quest he must follow.
Questions swirled in his mind, but those could wait until sunrise.
For now, he needed rest.
This chapter is one of my favorites in the entire story as it really deepens the bond between the main team and has many powerful emotional moments.
Here, Percedal truly shines as a character who, even though he is dumb and ignorant of many things, has a good heart and is always there for those who need him the most.
His speech to Yugo nearly brought tears to my eyes as I wrote it, and I hope it does the same for you.