CH43: Going Back Home To Pay Respects

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CH43: Going Back Home To Pay Respects

A few days later, I woke up to the same reoccurring dream.

The dream was about a time when I still lived with Asta.

She would always tell me that she would be proud of me, whatever I became because she knew I had good heads on my shoulders and wouldn't become evil.

A part of me wonders if I had become evil. Would she really be proud of the man I had become?

An Assassin?

Well, it was one of those things we'd never know.

I rose up to a sitting position on the bed. I held my head for a moment before I regain my wits about me.

Anytime I had the reoccurring dream, it meant only one thing.

Today was the anniversary of the day Asta died. The sixth anniversary to be exact.

It seemed like just yesterday when she died when I was just thirteen. I'm already on my way to nineteen.

Seriously, how time flies.

I got up from the bed and went to take my bath early. I had many things to do today.

As per usual, on the day of Asta's death anniversary, I would return to Pryford to pay my respects at both Asta and my mother, Amelia Bret's graves.

My mother died after giving birth to me. It seemed kind of depressing to visit a grave on my birthday, so I took Rowland's advice and shifted my remembrance day to the day Asta died.

Whoever killed my father, didn't have the decency of living behind a body.

Apparently, Xander was a cockroach that was hard to kill, so the only way the person was sure he'd died was by wiping him out entirely. So, there was no body and hence no grave to visit.

I also paid my respects to him while visiting my mother's grave.

Actually, moving back and forth Pryford was a little inconvenient and inefficient. I had thought of moving their bodies to a cemetery in Landrose. However, I eventually changed my mind.

There was no guarantee that I would always remain in Landrose. What would I do then? Move their bodies again?

There is a saying from my past life, 'A loved one's house is never too far away'.

Paying respect to the dead shouldn't be a matter of distance convenience. I should always find the time to make the journey, no matter how far I am.

Sure, I didn't have much of an emotional attachment to my parents, it was even a stretch to say I was attached Asta, however the three of them played important roles in my entry into this life.

Xander and Amelia conceived me while Asta raised me.

Maybe I'm not a 'good' man but I have my pride, honour and piety.

And so on this day every year, I would drop whatever I was doing and return to Pryford town, my hometown in this life, and visit the two graves to pay my respects and remember these three people.

I developed this habit of thinking about the things I had done within the year, the things I achieved and the things I didn't whenever I visited the graves.

It was a good therapy for my mind. It allowed me to centre my restless mind, even if only for a moment.

-

I put on an all black suit, down to the shoes, and even a black hat.

I left for Pryford in the early hours of morning. As usual, I left the DoomMane Guild compound just around sunrise.

When I arrived at the train station, I saw someone who I never expected to see.

"What are you doing here, Navia?"

"You told me you were visiting your parent's graves today. I thought I'd come along."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because if I did, you would've found an excuse for me not to come."

I couldn't deny that.

Today was one of the days I wanted to be alone. If not, Zora, the rest of Rowland's family and some members of the DoomMane Guild would have accompanied me.

"I knew you were going to arrive early so I took the liberty of booking us a first class cabin."

I sighed a little as I got on the train.

It didn't take too long before the train moved.

Navia had been trying to chat with me through the trip, but I had only paid her enough attention to reply with one-word responses.

"Leo, I'm sorry." She said. "I know I overstepped my boundaries today."

"What?" I was surprised to say the least.

"I know you want to be alone today and I know we've only known each other less than a month, but I can't help wanting to know more about you. Where you grew up... and those who brought you up. I'm afraid... afraid that if I don't do something drastic, things would cool down between us long enough for you to rationalise yourself out of falling in love with me. That's why I came today."

The woman showed a rare vulnerable side.

I almost wanted to scratch my head wildly.

'This was suppose to be a rational relationship that would slowly turn into an emotional one for both of us. Weren't you falling too quickly?' I wondered. 'I didn't even do anything!'

Our relationship, at least on Navia's side, had changed significantly since the day I told her of my ambition. Navia was putting more emotion into our relationship... a lot more.

I couldn't help thinking, the person who said women were a mass of emotions wasn't wrong. Even a mature and rational person like Navia fell into this abyss.

I sighed inwardly.

Eventually, I pulled her into a hug.

I said I was going to commit to our relationship, I couldn't let her be sad now, could I?

"It's not like I'm angry at you or anything like that. It's just I'm used to being alone and falling into my thoughts on the journey back to my hometown. It's already a habit and I unconsciously fell into it. Bear with me, ok?"

She nodded.

We both sat back on the sofa.

Navia placed her head on my lap and I unconsciously began stroking her head. This was something I noticed she liked so I used it to placate her from time to time.

My mind drifted back into thought as I watched the scenery flash past us. Before I knew it, we were halfway into our journey and Navia had fallen asleep while using my lap as a pillow.

This happens a lot when I pat her head or stroke her hair so I wasn't particularly surprised.

Navia had cut her long hair a little to shoulder length and it made the patting slightly easier, but I wasn't sure I liked it.

I think I have a thing for long hair. I liked it when women had hair longer than shoulder-length but not passing the middle of their back.

I noticed this when I was with Annabelle in my past life. I think it was one of the first things I noticed about her.

That said, I'm told it's hard to maintain.

Which was why I taught Navia something else. A way to make curvy hair, something else I liked with women's hair.

She styled her hair in exactly this fashion.

Aside that, she also wore a green Jacket shirt on a long skirt of the same colour, tailored from a design I explained to her, would go with the hairstyle.

It's clear she put in a lot of effort for today.

I sighed a little. The effort she was making was clear. On the other hand, I hadn't even thought about trying. So much for trying to change.

I made myself still so I wouldn't wake her.

She slept throughout the remainder of the trip.

She was right, you know? Coming on this trip with me was a good way to worm herself further into my heart.

Stroking her hair, head and face had a good sensation to it. So much so that it was almost therapeutic for me.

Doing so on this usually dull journey was a welcomed change of pace for me. I had to be careful, for who knows, I might begin to miss the sensation on my future trips.

*

A few hours after setting off from Landrose, the train arrived at the railway station in Pryford.

We left the station in a taxi carriage.

The buildings in the town hadn't changed but many other things looked like they had.

The people certainly had changed.

I didn't have many people I related with, but the few I did engage with, had left the town in the last few years.

The librarian, her husband and her daughter left the town the previous year. Her daughter had been accepted into an advanced learning academy in Skyrose City, one of the major cities in Bayveth Republic.

The academy didn't have the level of reputation the Union Academy in Landrose did, however it was still a first-class academy in Bayveth Republic.

The school offer the little lass a full-scholarship, something her parents couldn't believe in their wildest dreams.

They eventually decided to move to Skyrose City in order not to be far from their daughter.

I wasn't surprised because this was the usual theme in Pryford.

The youth with potential moved out of the town to find better opportunities elsewhere while those who had exhausted their potential or wanted to retire return to the town to spend out the rest of their days in the town's quiet.

This was Pryford's norm.

This was its charm as a quiet little town.

-

The carriage arrived before the house on the short hill.

I smelt the familiar fresh scent of nature.

I opened the short gate leading into the house. As expected, the grass had grown in the year that I wasn't around.

Fortunately, this grass specie didn't grow too high. They grew to my knee height at most. I would spend some time to cut them down.

The grass was popular because of how soft it was when it was low. The softness of carpet grass comes to mind when I think of how it feels to lay on the grass when it was low.

In fact, I actually thought this Lawn grass was this world's version of carpet grass. That was until I realised Lawn grass wasn't a creeper like carpet grass.

-

I held Navia's hand and invited her in.

We walked along the walkway to the door, which I opened with my key.

The house was exactly as I left it, if you didn't consider the thick dust that is.

"Sorry about the mess. I'll get it cleaned up soon." I said to her.

"What are you apologising for? It's normal that the house would be dusty since no one lived their for a long time. Should we clean up first or go to the grave?" She replied.

"Let's go to the grave."

We walked through the house to the backdoor leading to the garden area Asta maintained for her herbs.

"The plants are a little overgrown but you can see how beautiful the garden is. Whoever built it paid a lot of attention to detail." Navia said excitedly as she moved from one bloomed flower to another.

Her grass-green clothes merged perfectly with the surrounding. It was like she became one with the garden.

"Asta would have loved you for saying that." I responded.

"Really?" She smiled like a blooming flower.

I led her past the garden area to the plains behind the house.

There were two graves on the grassy plains. The graves backed the house, however, they were positioned such that they had a good view of the setting sun to the west.

Sunset was always a beautiful scenery at the house.

Asta once told me that this was one of the reasons my parents built the house on this hill, a bit of distance away from town.

She thought my mum would like to always see the beautiful sunset, which was why Asta had her grave built here.

She herself liked the sunset as well, perhaps influenced by my mother, so I dug her grave there as well.

"I'm back, mum." I said as I looked at the graves of my two mothers in this world.

Asta never let me call her 'mother'. She always insisted that I called her 'Grandma' or her name. This was her way of never taking the place of my biological mother, her benefactor. But even then, she was no less a mother to me.

In my heart, she was my mother as well.

On Navia's behest, I 'introduced' her to my parents. I silently recalled all the things that happened within the year. Finally, I let them know I was fine.

Don't get me wrong, I know they're dead and can't hear a word of what I was passing to them. In truth, me doing this was more for myself than it was to pass anything to them wherever they were in the afterlife.

We spent an hour like this. It was close to the latter part of morning by then.

Then, we went to clean the house. I was going to do it alone but Navia wouldn't have it.

"Do you think I'm some kind of weak, beautiful flower?" She said. "I'll have you know, I maybe a beautiful rose, but don't you know rose can bloom anywhere no matter the circumstance or weather."

I wisely didn't respond. I handed over the broom. Anyway, she was at 6-rings. Her physical state couldn't be that bad. She was able to last a little over an hour with me in bed after all.

I unconsciously smirked.

"You just thought of something dirty, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

After cleaning the house, we took care of the plants around it. I mowed the lawn with a cutlass while Navia worked to trim the garden.

My job was straightforward so I finished faster. After which I went to help her in the garden. She seemed to have a lot of experience with a garden as her movements were clearly well-practiced.

Her elegant movements, plus her temperament which seemed to merge with the tranquillity returning to the garden made her really charming.

'Charming?' I thought.

It was then I noticed a little guy by her side, looking at me with what I considered a smirk.

The Kitsune gave me a look which said.

'My master is beautiful, right? You're a lucky man, right?'

It also had a 'praise me... praise me' wagging of its tail. It 'humbly' claimed to be the one responsible for bringing us together. So, it always took the chance to point that out.

I chuckled to myself and rubbed its head.

Like its master, it also liked the head rub.

Its body was so soft and I always enjoyed rubbing it.

Fortunately, she and Navia were separate entities or it might have been a little awkward with how much it presents itself to me for a rub.

Anyway, I helped Navia with the garden and we managed to finish all the work before evening.

Nightfall came by the time we finished cooking.

Navia was very tired, so she turned in early after dinner.

Meanwhile, I went to the study and locked the door behind me.

I finally got the chance to achieve my second goal for coming to Pryford today.

It was time to summon the {World Serpent}.

(To be continued...)

AUTHOR'S RAMBLING

Mental health is very important. Even a world class operative, and a growing assassin, needs to unwind once in a while.😇

With this, I think I've stabilised the relationship with Navia. I can now move on to throw more chaos into our MC's private life.😈

Before that, let's see what Lord Jormungandr has in store for our MC. Why did he have to come to Pryford before summoning the {World Serpent} Incarnation? 🤔

Any guesses?🤓

Stay tuned... the adventure of the Fool in the new world continues.😎

P.S: I need support for the WSA. If you like the story, add to your library and vote with your power stones. Let's bring the novel to more people.🤩🤩

All in all, I hope to have your support.💪

See you in the next chapter!🎉🎉