Chapter 7: Old Ways

*knock* *knock*

As I was living in the moment and making my own master plan that promised great riches, I heard a knock at the door.

Unscrupulous as it was, it caused me to raise my brows. My parents certainly don't knock on my door so it was weird coming from a place like this.

I opened only to find Eri standing in front of me.

"Ah, there was someone like her too."

I might have been going high and mighty like a rebel child about a minute ago, about how I didn't care about my parents and how the current me didn't have any friends. But the truth was I wasn't that lonely.

Eri and my friendship goes way back to old times. Being the neighbour as she was it was nigh impossible for that to be not the case.

But I probably didn't have anything to worry about.

Those were childhood memories weren't they? Once you grow into an adult, who cares about those anyway?

At least I didn't. Or so was what I would like to say to make me sound cool, being the hypocrite as I was. But my deep emotions were probably as clear as a day considering what I did at the last moments of my life.

"Noya, are you all right? You suddenly ran off making me all worried..."

Eri's feeble voice was what snapped me out of the daze. Indeed, she was muttering trying to ignore the mess of a room I had made around me but couldn't help but have her eyes travel to it.

I mean you would be pretty crazy in the head to believe that my condition was okay, after seeing the destruction I made. But being a third party as she was she was probably being considerate.

"Come inside first, there is no point in standing outside right?"

Usually she would storm in without really asking but considering how the rooom was it was not possible eh? I cleared out just a part of the room to allow her to at least walk inside and sit on the bed.

"So is everything, fine?" Eri asked glancing left and right with a pained look on her face.

She seemed more confused than I was.

And I kind of pitied her. She looked best when smiling and laughing. She wasn't good at dealing these kinds of things and would do more trouble than good.

She might be kind but it wasn't fair for her to go through something like this because of me.

I raised my shoulders in a shrug.

"You can say that I have sorted out everything I guess?"

I smiled. Eri smiled too.

Gaining riches would be no trouble anymore.

So, the question arises... why was I entertaining someone like her who had the greatest threat to waver my decision? The answer to that even I didn't know. Honestly, I had conflicted ideas watching someone who had already died in front of me. It's like she had revived after being dead. And while the hero Eternal might have pulled off that stunt quite a number of times, this time the context was certainly weird.

"Is that so? I am so glad."

"Glad?"

She nodded.

"Rika told me that you must be depressed after the coming of age ceremony. So you would need some time to sort things out." she continued, "That was why I wasn't dropping by lately since you looked really gloomy. But I was worried. Today when you ran away on our way back home I couldn't really ignore it anymore..."

She glanced towards me with a splitting gaze as it threatened to pierce me.

"Everything is okay now right?"

She was not going to stop without an answer.

"Yes, yes. I already have plans to what I want to do in the future."

"Wow, that's crazy, isn't it? What did you decide to do?"

As I was showered with that gaze, I came to a conclusion.

'She was always quite prying in my personal affairs, wasn't she?'

The only reason she was holding back till now was because of Rika. Otherwise she would be probably dancing on top of my head.

While it might seem weird to an outsider... but I guess considering how long we know each other it might just come off as natural for her.

I mean it might have come off naturally to me as well at that time. But meeting her like this after so many years I wasn't as friendly towards her as before. That could be understood from the fact that I chose to completely dodge the question.

"Say, you know there is friend of mine. His results at the coming of age ceremony were as bad as mine you know? But he doesn't care about it at all."

"Wow, that's crazy? I would love to meet such a cool person."

I nodded. Well I am certainly cool aren't I?

"He said that he has a huge fortune to his name. With that much money he can settle somewhere safe away from others in seclusion with not having to worry about the dungeons and the dangers that came along with it at all. Isn't that cool? It would be lonely without anyone coming by but it would sure be safe and amazing right?"

"What!"

I didn't know for what reason I was telling all of this to her. Perhaps it was to satisfy my own ego... maybe a way to make me feel that I wasn't doing anythinig wrong and it was a good decision to make.

After all, I eventually had to resort to this very thing albeit a little late in life. This time I would go through this transition much faster than before.

Suprising, the hidden meaning behind my words wasn't lost on her as her face went pale.

It was clear as a day that I wasn't taking about my friend.

And even if I was... I was drawing inspiration froom this so called virtual friend.

Eri shook her head as something about her felt wrong.

"Stupid!" she cried.

Her eyes swelled up.

"Noya's a stupid!"

Saying so she stormed off out of my room.

*Sigh*

I leaned against the window as I watched her run out of this damned place to where she belonged as I sighed.

"Stupid huh? I thought it was a brilliant idea."

And trust me it wasn't me self proclaiming it to be brilliant idea. It was the past Eri herself who had said so, or should I say the hero Eternal?

But this version of Eri was just a child. Just like every other child she was irrational and easily swayed by emotions. Well I can't really complain about others, when I myself is that same can I?

But even so, once she grows up and learns how the world works, she too would understand that my decision was for the best.