What the hell is that boy Liam?

"It's time for your decisions," Liam said, stopping their questions.

"I will continue with Liam," Yong-sun spoke first.

"Me too," the floating voice of Willa sounded. Liam could see the twins silently cheering.

"We would like to continue with Master Liam," the two brothers said after her.

"I don't actually have a choice, do I?" the chef asked.

"You always have a choice, but I need to know what it is before I can figure out what would be the appropriate course of action to get there."

"I want to free my sister, but I also would like to follow you?"

"Why do you want to follow me? That includes you two as well," he looked at the twins then.

"I learned a lot today, more than my head could handle, but I think it would one day be useful to me. So, I was more into learning for myself than actually liking you, sir, no offense," he had observed that the man liked honesty, even preferred blunt words. That was why he dared to speak like that.

"That's very honest of you. That was quite pleasing to hear," Liam turned toward the twins.

"We were fascinated by your capability to fight so many people and protect one so efficiently," one of the twins said.

"We want to grow stronger and one day, be as strong or stronger than Master Liam," the other continued.

Liam smiled at them, "Those are good goals to have, but there are a few requirements so you could travel and learn from me." Liam decided to remind them.

"We are aware that we need to be free."

"Yes, that, but if Miss Willa agrees to take you as guards for her next stretch, you could just start in a few days after passing through Palmo. What do you say, miss Willa?"

"I wouldn't mind but do I need more guards when traveling with you?"

"You won't be traveling with me, you will start your journey to Palmo as soon as possible with the unconscious chef Roy, and we will meet after a two-day journey down the river. Find a good campsite and stay there. It should be safe." He turned toward the chef.

"I need to make you look like you have been through the explosion, so you could return to the city relatively unharmed and possibly take your sister with you when I enter the city."

The man gulped, and everybody could hear it.

"You'll be unconscious the whole time and won't feel it, but you'll wake up hurting all over," Liam added after hearing the gulp.

The chef sighed in relief when he heard that. Receiving the beating would be bad but not as bad if he wasn't conscious then. He would just be hurt and wouldn't have the mental damage of the event.

"How can you be sure that we would be safe in that location?"

"Kids, when I left you alone in the forest before I brought the old man, were you ever attacked or in any kind of danger?"

They were shocked that he would ask them something at this time, but they thought it over. Sure, they were in shock at the time, but no, nothing ever threatened them.

"No," the three kids answered together.

"How?"

"I'll tell you about it after Palmo. Right now, I need to go hunting," Liam looked at the stary sky and judged that he had only four hours before the sun rose again. He tossed a bottle to Roy, the chef, and explained what he should say when he wakes up and how to find him once Liam reaches Palmo. After that, Liam watched as Roy drank the whole bottle. 'This should be enough." He watched him fall unconscious and plopped to the ground. Liam took his lifeless body and went further into the forest.

Half an hour later, he returned with the bruised, dirty, and bloody Roy. Assuring everybody that his body was fine internally and there were no broken bones.

He went to look for Nio, and another half an hour later, they saw the huge snake moving with Liam deeper into the forest.

"What did I just see?" Willa asked, not expecting an answer.

"That was Nio, his friend," Willa looked and saw the smallest of the kids answering her. Yong-sun was his name.

"F-friend?" she stuttered, unable to understand.

"Yes, like Haru and Biff, they care for each other."

"I understand the black thing there is Haru, but what is it?" she was curious about it but dared not ask about it.

"A Black Menace." He answered her calmly.

Her eyes widened in shock, but she had to know. "And Biff?"

"We don't know what he is, just that he lives in the water and doesn't come out." Then, he turned his back to her and left to gather some more wood like the other two kids. She was infuriated by their behavior but let it slide as the boy was like her. He might have been born as a slave but he could grow more powerful than any other Noble. She wasn't stupid enough to provoke someone who could grow powerful.

The twins, Willa and the unconscious chef Roy left soon after that. The Lady had even more questions than before, and the biggest one of them was: What the hell is that boy Liam?

She had finally figured out that he wasn't from this planet, but she was still doubtful about the other things he had said. So she would have to hold her tongue for the time being and wait until they met again.

Liam had gone to Nio because he needed his help. He also promised to split the reward later. They only had a few hours left, and Liam needed to at least get one core. So, that Haru and the old man could start to recover. That was the only way he could figure at the moment. They would heal naturally, but it would take too long. And finding another useful plant to aid their recovery was like searching for a needle in a haystack. It would be simple if he had a magnet, but he refused to use the said magnet.

Little did he know that he already had a plant that would speed up their recovery rate. But he was under too much stress and couldn't figure that out. The story Liona had told him. Only the thing is, Liona never mentioned what the little white bloom looked like, nor did she know that the plant Liam was carrying was actually that plant.

To Liam, it might as well just be a legend or children's tale.

He had grown up on those stories and started to understand that many of them were based on reality. But, just at this time, he couldn't really see it clearly. His head was still fuzzy from all the things poured into it.

The tiny white bloom would do the trick if only he knew.