Chapter 16 - Double burial

Nigo didn't continue staying at the cave anymore, he left after briefly thinking of the strange girl he had met unexpectedly.

He walked out of the forest to see that the number of dispersing students had reduced tremendously, those who had seen him enter the forest were all shocked and astonished at what had just happened,

"Didn't he enter the forest alone, how is he capable of surviving this long?"

"I was expecting experts to rush in after him in other to save his life but he came out unscathed"

They all looked at him like they were seeing a ghost. They wondered if nigo was all alone for that long or was he being protected from the shadows by powerful experts; that was the only logical explanation!

As the son of the Guardian, he should at least have multiple guards follow him in the shadows; they thought.

Nigo ignored the eyes of everyone present and made his way home, alone for the first time in four years.

Guardian's Villa

An elder woman was standing in front of the door looking at the youngster who just entered the compound with a slight smile on her face

"Welcome back from school" Granny chi said "Did you meet zara?"

"Yes, but.......why are you asking?" Nigo asked her with a probing look on his face

"It's good you met her" granny chi said not answering nigo's question

"Why are you dodging my question? Heh, do you know something that I don't? " Nigo said

"There is nothing that I know that you don't, except that you should have known that every top expert and those from the higher echelons of authority would like to save star meteorite flame for themselves" Granny chi responded

"Oh, that's true" Nigo said nodding his head, it wasn't strange that she knew zara would be training with the star flames, considering how logical it is right now.

"That reminds me" Nigo said looking at granny chi "I would like to call dad today"

"To ask him to make an order for star meteorite flames to be preserved for you?" Granny chi said knowing why nigo had just asked to speak with his dad

"How did you know?" Nigo asked

"It's pretty simple. Even a kid who knows you're a cripple would be able to tell" she said

Nigo walked towards he door and a opened before saying in a cool serious tone "Is he going to make it to Ejiro's burial? "

"You know that your father is not only the most important person in the world but also the most busiest of all. So, he won't be able to make it" Granny chi tried to comfort him

"Oh....okay" he said before walking into he house

"Don't worry he has already given orders for star meteorite flames to be preserved for when he would return"

Granny chi smiled and followed behind nigo

The Neighbourhood

Two days passed like a flash of light and the date of Ejiro's burial came.

Many important figures from all over the capital and even the Flame continent made heir way to the burial.

Nigo and Granny chi arrived quite early because nigo wanted to see Erhi Benson to know how he was doing.

"Woah! Is that a statue of Ejiro?" Nigo asked in surprise the moment they arrived at Erhi Benson's residence.

The denizens of the neighbourhood had erected a two hundred metre tall statue of Ejiro. To show their respect to the dead youngster and also their value for him.

"This explains why the burial took this long" Granny chi said a little surprised by this display for a kid of not even thirteen years of age.

It was even stranger for those who resided in the neighbourhood to do such a thing, because they normally had no value for such things. Indeed Ejiro was just as important as a messiah to them.

The duo walked closer to the house to meet a couple of people already seated there waiting for the ceremony to start. They greeted them end went into the house where they saw Erhi benson attending to some of the guests from the upper echelons of power. If someone had seen this arrangement they would think that it was a burial of an army general or a member of the royal family but it was for a twelve year old kid!

The moment those of high status in the house saw nigo and granny chi they all bowed their heads

"Greetings senior chi and young master nigo" they said in unison

"Sorry for your loss young master nigo" Tian wugu an elderly man said as he made his way forward from the others towards the duo

"Sorry for your loss"

Everyone present began to say one after the other.

Nigo didn't say anything but only replied with a nod, because from what he could see from the assembly of this individuals of high status they all had a look of disdain hiding in their eyes. It was something nigo had noticed the moment he entered the house and even though they tried to hid it he could tell because of his experience growing up.

"Thank you for you greetings but really you all have to channel that condolences to the father of the deceased" granny chi said

"Greetings Sir Erhi benson, how are you doing today" Nigo said with a worried look on his face

"I'm fine you don't have to worry about me" Erhi Benson responded

"Okay" Nigo said, he didn't attempt to probe the man any further although Erhi benson had a faint smile on his face anyone could tell that it was forced, not to mention the fact that his face was pale and without colour.

"Greetings senior chi" Erhi benson said as he bowed his head slightly to greet

"Oh no.That's not needed I d hold be the one greeting you not the other way around" Granny chi said

The royal envoy of the southern Raging Seas continent has arrived!

Just as the voice finished speaking nigo and everyone in the living room turned to look at the entrance of the house.

They all saw a young girl being accompanied by two young men at her side. They both had the same dress code of blue robes with the symbol of an ocean on it.

The two men were both handsome and had brown eyes, they had an aura which felt like water around them.

From their calm yet powerful aura one could tell they were both in the King User domain, this means they were the ones who were helping zara use the star meteorite flame.

Zara was in the middle but unlike her usual blue attire she was clad in a black gown this time around.

When she saw nigo she smiled but it dissed eared when she turned to look at Erhi benson. It was because of how pale he looked

"Greetings Sir Erhi benson, how are you doing?" Zara said

"I'm fine" he responded with a slight smile just like he did with nigo

The two experts who had accompanied zara strode forward to make a bow

"Greetings Sir Erhi Benson, Lord Sea Emperor sends his greetings and condolences" They both said in unison

"Thank you and also send my gratitude to Your Lord Sea Emperor" Erhi benson responded

"Okay sir we will pass your greetings back to him" The one on the right said

They both turned to face Granny chi and Nigo

"Greetings Senior chi and Young master Nigo" they both said while their heads were bowed. This was the respect that accorded being a member of the Guardian's household. Although there were only two of them, no one no matter the continent would deign not to give them face when ever they met them.

"Greetings Sea Honourable Chiefs" Granny chi responded "It's been a while since I last saw both of you, how is Lord emperor doing?"

"He is doing fine Senior chi and from what we can see you are doing fine as well" They both responded

The "sea Honourable Chiefs" was a title given to those who were members of the "one hundred and twenty nine Sea God court".

Although nigo had also received greetings from the two seniors he didn't have the right to speak because of granny chi but he was quite happy to finally meet people from were zara was from and to his utmost surprise they did not have any look of contempt or disdain in their eyes.

Nigo turned to look at zara and said "how have you been doing and from the look of it you are more stronger than the last time we met"

"I'm quite alright, although the process is quite stressful" she replied

"Okay since everyone that is needed for the ceremony to start is here, let's begin" An elder from the neighbourhood said as he walked into the house.

"!!" Everyone was slightly startled by the sudden voice of the man. They walked outside the house to begin the ceremony

Minutes later, it was time to lay the body to rest in the earth, everyone present were all quiet except nigo and zara.

Fresh tears rolled from their eyes as they watched the body being lowered into the earth, the denizens of the neighbourhood who were present joined in the mourning also but surprisingly enough Erhi benson the father of the boy being buried didn't shed a single tear, it was like his soul had departed his body as he stared in silence without altering a word.

The crowd gathered for this ceremony would make one think that a powerful man in society had died but it was a child who was being buried, his body was buried before the statue that was erected for him with his name engraved on a stone tablet at the foot of the statue.

After some time everyone began to depart the residence but zara and nigo remained there.

"Take" Erhi benson said string his arm with a scroll inside of it." I'm sure he would want you to have it"

Nigo took the scroll from him and opened it as himself, zara and even granny chi looked into it. Granny chi's eyes trembled slightly, it was a scroll that had the techniques Ejiro was researching on before he died.

"It would be more useful to you so I think giving it to you would be better than giving it to the other residents of the neighbourhood" Erhi benson continued

"Thank you" nigo said

"Don't worry about that" Erhi benson responded with a genuine smile on his face

"Princess Zara, it's time for us to get going" one of the experts that accompanied zara said to her

"I know!" She retorted with a frown

"....." The man shut up and didn't speak further, he didn't want to anger zara

Nigo looked at her and said "I think you should go, considering that what you have to do is of great importance to you and even your entire continent"

"Heh.... I didn't know when you became a pacifist" zara said with a mocking tone

"Why do you take every opportunity you get to tease me?" Nigo said with feigned dejection

"Pfffffft....." everyone laughed at their argument

The two experts who were present were surprised by how nigo and zara were so free with each other to the extent she could tease him. They had son's of powerful individuals but nigo was far different.

"It's because you keep giving me the opportunity haha" Zara said

"Heh okay" Nigo said in a languid tone, he didn't have any strength to continue the argument.

"We'll be living now Sir Erhi Benson" zara said as she gave a slight bow Erhi benson

"Go well" he said in response

Zara left alongside her two countrymen, they carried her using utility energy and zoomed off in the direction of the school.

Nigo watched until their silhouettes disappeared and muttered to himself: why do I have this vague feeling of unease?

He turned to look at Erhi benson and said "we would be leaving now, thank you for you wonderful gift Sir Erhi benson"

"Don't mention" Erhi benson responded

"I would come to stay with you after the term ends" Nigo said

"Oh..... that is a good idea" Erhi benson responded

"That is indeed a good idea and his father would be back by then so it's even better" Granny chi said

"!!" Nigo raised his eyebrow to look at her, but didn't say anything.

"Alright see you in fifteen days the then" Erhi benson said

Nigo nodded and departed with granny chi.

"Sigh" After they had departed Erhi benson sighed and went into his house and shut the door behind him.

He sat on the floor and a smile appeared on his face along with tears

"It's finally over.....I can finally see all of you a gain .....We can finally be reunited"

He fell backwards and hit his head on the ground, his consciousness slowly but steadily began to fade.

"The wait is over" his aura finally disappeared from existence

He had shattered his life core, he didn't have any other reason to live, his wife and son were both dead, there was no reason for him to continue living in this cruel world.

"!!" Granny chi trembled slightly as she felt Erhi benson's life draining away, nigo noticed it and asked

"Any thing the matter?"

"Nothing" she said

Nigo only looked at her for a while before looking at the clouds that were passing by, something else was on his mind and it was disturbing to him.

"So he really did choose this path in the end...... What a cruel world indeed" Granny chi thought to herself