Chapter 1 Vol.2

Chapter 20:Back to where we started

We passed by the familiar scenery, the place we met polka, the forest where Miko and Pekora made a bet, and at last, the endless field of flowers near the borders. We stopped by to allow me to pick up the flowers I promised Mio Sha and Fubuki.

"Don't you think that you need one too Dad?"[Edge]

I called her dad jokingly to see her reaction.

"If you think I need one then you should just get me one and keep it for me."[Calli]

She's no fun, and I thought she might play along with it and call me son. I pluck a white flower for Fubuki, a blue one for Mio-sha, and lastly a red one for Calli. We left Yamato immediately afterward. Nothing out of the ordinary happened during our journey only that I had to drive the carriage myself when there are other people around. Then we reached the outskirts of Sike Mura in the morning and Calli suddenly stopped the wagon and unsummoned Alex. She hushed me out of the wagon saying that she had to change her outfit. She jumped out of the carriage looking like a normal adventurer.

"It's okay to leave the wagon here, Miko will retrieve it later. we will go on by foot from here onwards. "

"What's... with your hair?" [Edge]

The usual sakura-colored hair is now replaced with a silky dark black color.

"I need to go incognito or else things might get messy at times like these."[Calli]

"Then why is your tiara still up there?"[Edge]

I pointed at the black tiara she always wears that will sell out her identity to whoever saw it.

"Oops *Guh*, force of habits, sorry." [Calli]

She removed her tiara and stored it in her dimensional pocket. I went back into the wagon to grab my luggage because unlike her I don't own one.

We walked along the path in the direction of Sike mura on foot.

"Let's get a tune going." [Calli]

Calli pulled out a kazoo and started playing it like a saxophone. After a while, she suddenly stopped and asked me a question I would like to avoid at all cost.

"Come to think of it, where's your kazoo? I haven't seen you play it since we left the Frozen Vault."[Calli]

"I uh...kinda, you know... gave it to Fubuki..."[Edge]

"What? Why would you give it to her? I gave it to you and it's something precious to me, did you not know that?"[Calli]

"No! I uh.... just wanted to give her something valuable to me in exchange for her goodwill."[Edge]

"Perhaps you don't mean those sunglasses Fubuki GIFTED to you right?" [Calli]

"IT IS A GIFT ! So I thought I should give her something of equal value to thank her..."[Edge]

"YOU TRADED MY KAZOO FOR A PAIR OF SUNGLASSES?!" [Calli]

"BUT THAT WAS ALL I HAVE!" [Edge]

"AND YOU GAVE IT AWAY! Congratulations you've outdone yourself."[Calli]

I get that Cali has the right to be mad about it but I didn't expect her to have such a big reaction. We stayed silent throughout the journey and finally reached Sike Mura at noon.

To my surprise, There was a party going on, my party specifically.Mikochi wearing a black dragon helmet ran towards us from the festive gates of Sike Mura.

"HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY EDGELORD!!"[Miko]

"What?"[Edge]

I looked at Calli to get her confirmation.

"You guessed it right, it's your birthday you little shit."[Calli]

She entered the town without greeting Miko or A-chan and blended into the crowd.I feel guilt from my actions now that I see how Calli is behaving towards me. I honestly thought that she would have just shrugged it off cooly like how she usually does instead of making it a big deal.I just don't understand, where did I do wrong?

"What happened?" [Miko]

"Its... Complicated" [Edge]

"Nevermind that, It's your birthday, you should get the full experience of how we celebrate it."[Miko]

Mikochi took me around the town and The whole town was in such a festive season that it swept all my worries under the bed. We partied hard with the townsfolks and I ended up getting drunk from drinking beer for the first time. The taste was bitter but I got used to it pretty quickly. I didn't come to notice it until 4 days had passed in this way.

"And that wraps it up."[Miko]

"What? I thought we're just getting started."[Edge]

"Nope, it ends in 4 days because 4 is the symbol of death. Hence whenever we celebrate birthdays it meant living life the fullest in the 4 days that we're given with."[Miko]

"Besides, you have something you need to resolve so stop running away from it and face it."[Miko]

After hearing out Miko I decided to face her. I went to the same inn we stayed in before and knocked on her door.

"Come in"[Calli]

I gently open the door. Calli is sitting upright in her bed and the floor was riddled with an empty bottle of wine. She is currently uncorking the wine in broad daylight. The room stank of alcohol.

"How did the celebration went? Finally *GUH* ready to meet your maker?" [Calli]

"I'm sorry."[Edge]

"Sorry for what? *GUH* "[Calli]

"I'm sorry for giving away your kazoo. But I don't know why it's wrong to do so, could you please tell me why?"[Edge]

Calli is someone who could be reasoned with, I'm sure that she had a good reason behind it which she would be willing to tell if I asked. Cali stared at me silently while her hands uncorked the wine. She downed the bottle in one go and then she spoke.

"I just didn't like the way you treated my kazoo valuable enough to trade but not to keep." [Calli]

"Listen, there are things in this world that should never be traded if it's really valuable and I didn't like it when you decided that My kazoo is a tradable item when it means a lot to me." [Calli]

"I know that to you it might be equally valuable and it means something to you but what do you think the other person might see? Is it really equally valuable for the sunglasses you received?" [Calli]

"So next time when you want to pick a gift, you come to me first, and if you want to get married it needs to go through me as well. " [Calli]

"Now take that sad puppy eyes of yours off my face, go be sad somewhere else." [Calli]

I exited the room and went to reflect on my actions. We ate together during the night but we didn't talk which makes it a weird atmosphere for Mikochi. Before she left she only spoke 3 words.

"We leave tomorrow"[Calli]

She went ahead so Miko released her breath and started talking with me.

"Don't worry she's not really mad, I can tell that it's not that bad."[Miko]

"She still looks pissed at me."[Edge]

"Don't worry things will turn around soon, all fights come to an end eventually."[Miko]

"Just like you and Pekora?"[Edge]

"Don't say stupid shit like that, we aren't close at all. She's just a menace "[Miko]

"Anyways I will be going with you two tomorrow as well and the two of you will serve me as my escorts."[MIko]

"Why are you heading to the Candy Kingdom as well?"[Edge]

"Polka already infiltrated there, 'the war will be inevitable' she said. I Intend to stop it from happening.That's the reason why I'm joining the War Council."[Miko]

"Polka's a spy?" [Edge]

"No, she's more than that." [Miko]

"Anyway with all 4 of my heavenly kings around, we will tear them both apart if the situation arises."[Miko]

"Just what is really going on there? "[Miko]

And Miko told me about the deal.