Memories

"Axe! What happened?!"  Silvia exclaimed as Axe slowly regained consciousness. Her green eyes were more emotional than usual, filled with concern.

"Just a quick investigation. Calm down, damsel," Axe scoffed, her voice more restrained than before—which, for her, was quite an accomplishment.

"Wha—I was really worried! You could've said something!" Silvia pouted, though she immediately took a step back. "Is there any reason you crushed the Soulgem? You know those are the remaining memories of a dead person, right?"

"That's why I crushed it,".Axe replied bluntly, standing up and stretching her neck with slow, circular movements.

"You're impossible, you know that?" Silvia sighed, casually leaning against the golden gate of the dungeon. As she did, the gate activated with a low hum.

"Seems like we've got to go anyway, huh?" Axe remarked, her tone as nonchalant as ever.

As the two women stepped out of the dungeon, the cool night air brushed against them, carrying the faint scent of pine and earth.

How long was I gone for? Axe thought to herself, maintaining her usual annoyed expression to mask the turmoil brewing inside.

"I'm totally going to inform Mattila about what you did!" the princess declared, marching confidently through the dark woods.

..."Ouch!" She tripped over a large root just a few meters later, tumbling to the ground.

"Enjoy your trip," Axe said dryly, casually closing the distance and even walking past the fallen princess without a second glance.

"Ha ha, very funny, Axe... Hey, wait!" Silvia scrambled to her feet, hurrying to catch up as the lights of Cremia grew closer with each passing minute.

When they arrived at the city's large gate, the guards barely acknowledged Axe, their attention instantly shifting to the princess trailing behind the imposing warrior. They bowed deeply, their respect for Silvia evident in their gestures.

Even at night, the city buzzed with life as people flocked to local pubs and restaurants, ending their day with the finest drinks and meals Cremia had to offer. Silvia cherished scenes like these—they were proof to her that Cremia was truly a city worth living in. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze flicked back toward Axe.

She definitely overstepped a line with that Soulgem, the princess mused to herself. The mere fact that Axe, the solitary warrior, was so unbothered by using the memories of a deceased person made Silvia flinch with irritation.

Axe and Silvia arrived at the warriors' guild. The lively chatter among the other warriors immediately died down as Axe stepped inside. Her reputation wasn't the best, thanks to her lack of manners and her notoriously hostile behavior toward her fellow hunters.

"First dungeon cleared, Mattilda," Axe announced, leaning casually against the counter.

Mattilda, who had known Axe for quite some time, handed her a freshly brewed ale and hummed in acknowledgment. Her sharp purple eyes flicked over to Silvia. Seeing the princess unharmed, a faint sense of pride swelled within the receptionist.

"And I assume the princess is happy with your guidance?" Mattilda teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.

Silvia immediately stepped forward, her voice ringing out clearly. "Axe might be strong... but her disrespect knows no bounds! She blatantly crushed a Soulgem!" The princess's declaration drew the attention of every warrior in the guild, their gazes shifting toward her.

"Tch," Axe scoffed, her voice muffled by the foam of her ale.

"Axe... is that true?" Mattilda's voice dropped to a low, menacing whisper. "Didn't I make it clear to never use that ability again?" Her beautiful face twisted into an angry scowl.

"You did," Axe replied, setting her empty mug down with a thud. "The dungeon was cleared—almost. Some gatekeepers tried to set up a trap. One of them mutated. Kalka, Levin, Alex, and Renan died there. Use the payment for this dungeon for someone named Lisa. She's probably pregnant and lonely by now." Axe delivered the explanation in her usual detached, matter-of-fact tone. 

Silvia's eyes widened as she listened to Axe recount the details of what had happened in the dungeon before they arrived. "How do you even know that? Did you just make this up?!" The princess, of course, immediately accused Axe of lying.

Mattilda chuckled. "Didn't you tell her?"

Axe silently shook her head.

"Well then..." The beautiful receptionist cleared her throat. "Axe has a rare gift. Besides her strength, she can crush Soulgems and see the final hours of the memories stored within them. Only a few warriors can do such a thing. We call those with this ability 'Souldivers.'"

With every word Mattilda spoke, Silvia grew more impressed—and a bit dumbfounded. She hadn't realized until now how little she actually knew about the abilities of a high-ranked hunter like Axe. "Wow... so, it's like a diary? It's still wrong!" Silvia added, shooting Axe a sharp glare.

Axe shrugged her muscular, defined shoulders, already gulping down her second ale. "Perhaps. But in cases like these, no information gets out of the dungeon. Lisa, the wife of the deceased warrior, should know about her husband's death. Simple as that," Axe snarled.

"Wait, are you actually emotional about this?" Silvia asked, utterly flabbergasted.

"Shut up, I'm not," Axe grunted.

"You are! You're not as bad as everyone says, huh?" The princess teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Mattilda couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "Oh my, you two make a great team!"

"We are not a team!"

"We are not a team!"

Axe and Silvia answered in perfect unison, their voices overlapping.

Mattilda handed Axe her third ale and folded her smooth hands together, leaning forward slightly. "About the next dungeon..." Her voice dropped to almost a whisper, drawing both Axe and Silvia in.

Axe didn't move an inch, her expression as stoic as ever, but the princess leaned forward eagerly, her face lighting up with the curiosity of a child listening to a captivating story around a campfire.

"You'll have to walk a few miles. Every other platinum-class dungeon has already been claimed," Mattilda mumbled, her tone tinged with defeat.

"How far?" Axe cut straight to the point, as usual.

"You'll need to reach the top of the Great Pillar—the highest mountain here in Cremia..."