Lest You Regret Your Actions

...

After several minutes later, Scias and Nina returned back into the village together. It took less than an hour since they're moving a bit faster than before. Once they reached the village, Nina parts with Scias.

"Alright, then, I'm heading back to Aily. What about you?" she asked kindly.

"Uhh... I might want to travel around the village some more..." Scias stated.

"I see. Well, then, see you later!"

"U-Uh... see you."

Scias turns his attention around as the girl who accompanied him left for her sister. He looks at his surroundings. He can already see several cured villagers heading out to help their fellow friends, colleagues, relatives, and families. Not long afterwards, he decides to find Marco. And on the way, he sees many Imperial troops not in their attire helping the villagers.

"Whew... thank you, brother!" said one of the villagers.

"Yeah, you're most welcome!"

"We Sacranian troops will always ready to help!"

"Hehe, you say that highly, ain't yesterday you said that you're doing this because your grandma said so?"

"Hahahahaha"

Seeing how they interact with each other with such affection makes Scias smile slightly and thought of his hometown for a brief moment. He continues walking down the road and finds more troops, this time they're the hunter team. Equipped with swords, spears, machetes, bows and arrows, it reminded him when he and Marco annually joined the hunting season. Once again, it made him smile.

"How many good memories that had sank in me?" he wondered. "It appears Nina was right. I lacked positivity."

He proceeds down the dirt road, passing through wooden structures and some made out of bricks. And finally he reaches the infirmary house.

Unexpectedly, however, Marco is already on the doorway, waving his hand to someone, before he finally walks away. Scias did not call him, though. He follows him from behind, unnoticed.

"Hey."

Someone called him before he could get any close to Marco. Scias turned around to the infirmary house, letting his eyes meet the man who called his name.

"Sir... Ognist... huh?"

"Yeap, that's right."

"What business do you have with me? I thought we're done the moment that demon has vanquished," Scias said with a casual voice.

"Geez, how cold, I just want to say hello."

"I bet there's more than just a mere 'hello'," his voice suddenly turned sharp.

"...Ahh... this is why I thought your magical element does not match up with your attitude," said Ognist while scratching the back of his head. "Indeed, I have something to speak of. Quite a coincidence to find you here, Sir Scias," Ognist slightly grinned.

"Humph... if it is nothing too b-beneficial, then don't speak to me. I suck at discussing things."

"Suck at discussing things? Now you sound a lot like Taizun... but anyway... we won't talk about it here, though."

"Alright, then, farewell," Suddenly Scias just left the fire dragonian speaking to himself.

"EEEY! Wait a second, why you imbecile! Where are you going? Hear me out for a second!"

Scias stopped and turned his head a little.

Ognist regains his gentle composure and gives him an invitation. "While there's still time, let us talk while having a cup of tea, shall we?"

...

..

.

Nina has returned back to the house where Aily had napped in. She is still napping till now, though. Nina's face turned somber upon seeing her sister still hugging the bolster and drooling in the bedroom.

"Aily..."

She tries to wake her up softly. Yet Aily does not comply with her voice. Nina proceeds to pat her cheeks while calling her name, yet she still refuses to wake up. Nina's blood pressure rises up at this point. Her blood begins to boil when she hears her mumble in her sleep.

"Hehehe... sister... hehe...~"

Shortly, Nina simply gives a happy smile. Altogether, she calls her little sister to wake up for the last time.

"Hey, Aily... wakey, wakey...!"

Aily's eyes quickly opened up. In her heart speaks out:

"What is this? Why did I feel such uneasiness crawling on my back? This aura... can it be, sister?"

Nina lets out a discomforted breath. "Goodness me, you're getting harder to wake up, huh?"

"—Nonononononononononono! I'm awake, sis! I'm awake!" Aily quickly sat on her bed, waving her arms, as if she's in full spirit. Her face is slightly sweating, fearing her sister's wrath.

"Good! Oversleeping is not good, Aily. Now, change your clothes and get some bath. I'll prepare some snacks."

Nina walks out of the door and headed towards the kitchen. Aily lets out a relieved breath and cuddles herself with her arms. "I-I-Is it just me, that sister became scarier?"

For a short moment, she denies that thought. "No... it is just it has been some time since she did that to me."

...

While preparing the dishes, Nina remembers what Scias had told to her while on their way back.

"Eh? You suspect my little sister too? How rude of you,"

"I-It's not t-t-that I suspect her, though. It's for the best for us all. I maybe overthinking too much, but please oversee your sister with more care. She spends her time a lot more with Pio. I fear her powers could manipulate someone's mind."

Nina once again understood the motive behind Scias' mindset.

"I see. Don't worry, Scias. I will take a good care. To Aily and Pio, I will make sure they're not someone we should be aware of."

Scias smiled. He appeared thankful.

"...I truly appreciate that, Nina."

"No worries. I am their sister, though. Or maybe, do you want me to be your sister, too, tee-hee?"

"No, thanks, I am a grown up and you're still a teenager. Don't even try to tease me, Nina."

"Hngg..." Nina pouted again.

And back to the present time, Nina chuckles as she remembered it.

"Truly, Scias is a humorous guy. He's just an introverted man."

While Nina puts in sugar in the teacup, she mumbles to herself.

"Don't worry, Scias. Your concern over this party will soon wear off. Everything is okay... hopefully."

...

..

.

"Why do you make this as if we're talking some serious shit?"

"My, my, calm down, there, brother. It's rare for me to invite humans into my tea party, you know?"

"It's rare for me to be invited to a tea party, you know?"

"..."

"..."

"A-Ahem! P-Please, enjoy the tea."

Ognist with some of the Imperial troops arranged a meeting in the village garden that now looks a lot like royalty, thanks to reconstructions by an Imperial . It felt really like an important meeting. Scias nagged on how Ognist forced him to join his 'tea party'.

While picking the tea cup, Scias asked Ognist.

"Well, then, make your statements, quick. I felt uncomfortable beneath a roof of a royal-looking shack."

"Goodness me, you don't have to call it a shack though—eh, whatever."

"I will leave immediately if you're g-going to speak of my element again."

"Hahaha, don't you worry, my friend. I won't."

"Moreover, I'm more... amazed that you can construct something like... t-this in a matter of day."

Scias remembers the moment when he saw the 'shack' that Ognist and his Imperial troops had built. He was frozen.

"Well, that's who we are! Hahahahahaha!" Ognist laughed out loud.

"Then? Why did you bring me here?" Scias asked in a serious tone while taking a sip of the tea.

"A-Ahem... very well, then, the only thing I want to ask of you is about your strength. (Please don't leave, it's hard for me to build this thing!)"

"My... strength?" Scias wondered.

"Y-Yes..." Ognist tries to gain his gentle composure quickly. "Ahem... uh... that power of yours, from speed and strength... that's not exactly how I pictured you at first glance."

"It's normal. Everyone underestimated me the first time they met me, so don't you worry about it."

"When I said about power, I mean your 'sword technique', Sir Scias," Ognist get himself to the point at once.

"What of my sword technique? It's just a normal sword technique."

"No matter how I looked at it, it's not a normal technique. That shining light that your sword conjured every time you swung it... that sense of death the demon felt when they got sliced by your sword... it's completely not normal."

Ognist pauses a bit and sips his tea. He then continues on with a much more serious tone.

"Why, Sir Scias?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you use it much earlier? Should you use it much earlier on that demon, we might've won before that demon can do any more sinister things."

"Preposterous," Scias replied shortly. "Using that technique requires greater stamina and eats some of mana energy. There's also a risk where I would be stunned the moment I forced myself too far."

"...I see. Pardon me for asking that stupid question. Besides, it has all ended."

"Is that it?"

"No. There's more," Ognist stated. "Your way of implicating your 'sword technique', from movements, and how you swing your sword, it shares a lot of similarities like the legendary Sword Art of Light. Correct me if I'm wrong."

Scias goes into full silence, although for mere seconds. He takes another sip, which he ended up drinking the whole tea.

"How nostalgic..." Scias stated as he put down the teacup. "I was just reminded about it not so long ago. But I wish to hinder such thoughts from rising to the surface. It appears it is impossible."

"Then... the sword technique you're using is..." said Ognist a bit enthusiastic. But Scias turns down his excitement.

"It's not the same thing, though."

"Sword Art of Light is one of the strongest sword arts existed in this world. That sword art has the intensity of reaching the speed of light. A speed human could not reach, that is. Of course, it has the properties of a Holy Element, hence the name Sword Art of Light. It belonged to one of the legendary heroes who had fallen. That's why the existence of such great sword art is now but a myth. Only some replication of it existed, and they never reached even the speed of sound."

As Scias ended his explanation, he took another sip. Once he put down his cup, there's a grim look on his face. As if, he doesn't want to say it.

"And the one I mastered was... indifferent, never close to it, and will never be."

Scias stated those words with a remorseful expression and a resigned voice.

"I never shout out my sword art name, only on rare occasions when it is deemed necessary. Aside from that, I will never say it."

"Why?"

"You do not need to know."

"..."

Ognist could not ask him to further tell more of his ability.

"...I see," he said in a disappointed voice. "If you do not wish to tell, then you may keep your secrets. I will not dig much deeper."

Ognist stands up without finishing his cup of tea. "...But if I may, I would like to give you an advice."

Scias remains silent.

"You are a strong man. Your sword play defeats mine. A high chance that you're... probably 'far stronger' than I am. Had you not supported me in defeating that demon general, we're all not going to enjoy this daylight. That's why... once again, I wish to say thank you, Sir Scias. I thought you are one of those powerful swordsmen that ever lived in our world. It appears I was wrong. You look like one, though, honestly."

Ognist walks near Scias and gives a pat to his shoulder.

"There's no need to hide your powers. If you think it would destroy your fellow friends, then you're almighty wrong, brother. Only you who can save yourself and your friends, like how you saved me by helping me fight. Your strong powers are meant to defend the weak, protect your friends, and family."

But when hearing the word 'family' Scias got angry.

"What do YOU know of protecting a family?!"

"S-Sir Scias...?"

"...S-Sorry. I... I didn't mean that. I just got... carried away. Huff..."

"I'm sorry if I said anything wrong to you. But please, don't conceal yourself, lest you regret your actions of doing so."

The dragonian leaves Scias, but as he walks, he suddenly yowled. "—Ouch!"

Ognist bumped his horn into the 'shack' roof. While rubbing his horn, he grunts out loud:

"WHO THE HELL MADE THIS TOO LOW?! Dammit all..."

He then leaves Scias alone and headed towards the village square.

Scias, in his mind thinks out that whether what he's doing is righteous or wrong. Still... the only thing that kept him at bay was the traumatic disorder that made him chain his true strength.

"...I know. I was a miserable man.

But I won't become one anymore. I will protect my friends. I will protect them with my life. Until this journey finally ends..."

...

..

.

On the other side, Marco meets Nina, who is currently having snack time with her sister. There, Nina teases something to Marco.

But somehow, Marco perceives it differently.