[Season 2 End] Chapter LXIV - Departure (part 2)

In the dream, I was walking in a wide green field. I could see nothing but tall grass as tall as my hips and the light blue skies along with bright clouds.

I looked around to find anything besides those things. Hoping to find any building or something else, anything besides green and light blue. But I couldn't find anything. 

Anything, except the lady in white, standing ten meters away behind me.

The path between us was clear of grass. I could see her entire body from here, without getting blocked from the tall grass.

She was silent. She didn't move even an inch, nor did she speak any words. Her whole body is covered in a long white robe, with a hood that covers the top of her face, including her eyes. Her hands are inserted into the sleeves of the white robe. And from this distance, I don't need to enchant my eyes to see that she is crying.

I tried approaching her. But after the third step, a heavy pressure suddenly dropped on me.

This pressure… is too powerful.

I dropped on my knee while trying to stay conscious. I looked back at the woman in white once more, but my eyes grew wide as the sight in front of me clears every single emotion I had within me. My breathing stopped for a moment. And I just couldn't feel the pressure anymore.

The woman in white, with a black skeleton-like hand piercing her chest, had her blood dripping on the ground. She coughed blood as the person behind her suddenly showed himself.

It was the black skeleton bastard.

He showed his face, and revealed a grin. He pulled his left hand out from the woman's chest, and the woman slowly fell to the ground as the giant hole on her chest let out even more blood. 

Her white clothes quickly changed their color. The blood quickly exited her system, leaking all the way to the ground, creating a puddle of red.

The grass around her slowly turned red, all the way from the bottom to top. And slowly, the grass around those grass follows, turning my whole view into red in mere seconds.

And I certainly didn't realize that even the skies had also turned red, but my eyes couldn't care more about that.

I stared at the corpse of the woman, and I recognized her face now that her hood is lifted.

It was her. The woman I saw before I died. The one who apologized to me.

After recognizing her, I quickly looked back up to the black skeleton bastard. He still had his ugly grin on his skull. He lifted his right hand and showed his ugly bone-like fingers.

And with a single snap of his fingers, my vision suddenly turned sideways. And my head dropped to the floor.

I got… beheaded?

My vision quickly turned black, and suddenly bright again as my eyes got opened by force.

The daylight enters my room from the thin opening from the window. I wiped my face with both of my hands, trying to recover from the dizziness.

Another weird dream... eh?

However, it was more than enough to remind me. I'm not here to stay, nor am I here to sightsee.

I'm here to find a way to go back. To get revenge on that skeleton bastard, and to go back home.

It's a good reminder. But, I was quickly reminded as well by what day it is.

Oh, man... I have to go.

I got out of the bed once I cleared my thoughts, and got straight to preparations. I'm not in a rush, but I really do want to finish this mission as quickly as possible. Once I finish this mission, then I can come back here and continue my normal daily life.

This mission really is a pain…

It's mostly political, because of the connection with the rebellion and another kingdom, and also the fact that I have to wear a mask all the time.

Only once have I done something stealthy. It was when I fought the goblins back during the Gray ranked test.

That was quite fun, and now I get the chance to do it again, but this time it's different. I won't be fighting goblins, and the enemies aren't as simple as black and white. They are humans, and everyone is a hero in their own stories.

No matter how conflicted their stories are.

After preparing, I stared at my room one last time, trying so hard to memorize it.

I don't know how long I'll be gone, but it's certainly no less than two weeks. The trip to that kingdom alone is already close to two days. Which means I won't be able to see this room again for somewhere around two weeks, give or take.

"See you later."

I said to whatever soul inside my room before I closed the door and locked it. I walked down stairs and headed outside, welcomed by a warm bright morning sunshine.

The breeze of wind every time I exited the inn is really something to be longed for when I'm gone. The location of this inn was pretty high up on the south-eastern main road, and it's where the morning wind usually breezes through. 

It's just made the start of your day refreshing, clearing all your worries.

Right now, I'm wearing my adventurer clothes. Because this is a stealth mission, I can't have anyone know that I'm going undercover. I won't be wearing the robes and the mask off the bat. 

I'll wear it once I'm about to leave the kingdom. Maybe I'll change in the Office.

Which is where I am heading after buying a meal.

The trip to another kingdom can take a very long time, and there might not be food along the way. I had to be prepared, so I dropped by at a nearby diner. 

The old man must have remembered me since I always buy my meals before going to missions here.

"Ah, the red lady! What can I get'cha today?"

"Cooked chicken, please. Three rounds, on the go."

"Three, huh? Got it!"

The old man quickly went cooking. There wasn't anyone else in the diner, and he was reading a newspaper when I walked in. I guess at this time no one is coming to eat.

What time is it, exactly?

It's probably too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. That's probably why no one is here.

The meal was ready after around six minutes. The old man handed me the meal bag.

"That will be fifteen Jules."

"Here. Thank you."

"You're welcome! Be careful on your mission!"

He must have known that I'm an adventurer from my clothes. I mean of course, adventurers are very well known here. After inserting my meal inside the space ring in my left ring finger, I continued my march to the Office.

And this… is the start of a long mission.

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End of Second Season.

To be continued on Trials of Veldonia.