AKI'S DECISION

Aki noticed Yumi looking back at the road, as if searching for someone who might be observing her. Unbeknownst to her, Aki was using a scrying spell from a safe distance. Positioned discreetly beside a closed establishment, he marveled at Yumi's ability to sense being watched. It filled him with a certain pride, considering that most other students in their year wouldn't have a clue about being under observation.

"At least, I think so," Aki added thoughtfully. "I don't know any of them."

The blacksmith's prediction proved accurate, as Yumi headed straight to Diane's house with determined steps. Walking swiftly and with tense shoulders, she reached Diane's place in no time, knocking on the front door without hesitation. Diane promptly opened the door, and Yumi rushed inside. Aki swiftly canceled the scrying spell, deciding not to attempt it inside the house. Diane, being a gifted chemist, likely had safeguards against magical espionage.

However, the speed with which Yumi entered Diane's house sparked a pang of guilt in Aki. His mission was clearly causing her distress, and he couldn't help but feel responsible. Despite the guilt, Aki was determined to power through; he was already in trouble with Yumi, and completing the mission was the best way to make amends.

Unfortunately, he hadn't gained any answers from his surveillance, only more questions. What services did Yumi offer to the Blackhammers? She was a formidable warrior and a shield maiden, but how did that benefit the Blackhammers? They had enough muscle in the village, and Yumi wasn't standing guard or actively defending them.

As he pondered hypotheses on his way to Diane's house, Aki realized he lacked sufficient data for a conclusive theory. Finding another spot to observe Diane's front door, he settled in, leaning against the building. Frustrated by the lack of answers, he decided to clear his mind and momentarily shut off his thoughts. Closing his eyes, he rested, inadvertently drifting into a nap.

Half an hour or perhaps more passed when Aki awoke abruptly. Glancing at Diane's house, he cursed himself upon seeing the front door ajar with Yumi standing outside. A male half-orc, likely Daryl, appeared to be concluding a conversation with her.

"Love is..." the half-orc began, gazing at Yumi impassively. "You should at least give it a try before it's too late. There's a high probability you won't need anyone else."

Daryl closed the door on Yumi, who stood there for a moment before leaving.

With a sense of urgency, Aki prepared to follow Yumi at a safe distance, his mind swirling with confusion about what the half-orc's cryptic words meant.

---

Aki dissipated the scrying spell upon witnessing Yumi enter the Good Tidings Pub. Despite the fair distance between them, he felt confident that he no longer needed the magical aid, given that he now knew the location.

Taking deliberate steps toward the establishment, Aki deliberately slowed his pace, using the time to steady his nerves. Once inside, he knew he would be at Yumi's mercy. Hoping she remembered their meeting, especially considering her occasional forgetfulness, he also prayed that the disguise he wore went unnoticed, blending seamlessly with the passing adventurers on their way to various destinations.

Upon reaching the Good Tidings Pub, Aki couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between its worn and battered exterior and the charming village of Thymore. The scars of numerous bar brawls adorned the building, testaments to the raucous events that unfolded both inside and outside its walls.

Aki scowled disapprovingly, expecting a more refined choice of establishment from Yumi and her friends.

"Maybe the worn and dilapidated appearance of the pub holds a certain charm," Aki considered momentarily, but he quickly dismissed the notion as the noxious blend of ****, urine, and vomit assaulted his senses, prompting him to scrunch his nose in disgust.

Entering with head held high, Aki garnered only brief glances from some patrons, causing him to audibly exhale in relief. It seemed that no one recognized his disguise. As he approached the bartender, he noticed the man's scrutinizing gaze. Aki walked toward him with a gentle smile, only to realize that he had forgotten to bring any coins.

Attempting to gracefully retreat towards the main drinking hall, the bartender called out, "What'll you have?" Eyeing him with suspicion, the bartender seemed to question Aki's presence.

Panicking, Aki stammered, "A beer, I guess? By the way, have you seen a blond girl around?" Internally, he chastised himself for feeling uncertain before a mere bartender, reminding himself that the man held no importance to his mission.

"The pretty one with a rack?" the bartender replied with a mischievous tone, pouring beer into a goblet.

Suppressing a surge of anger, Aki merely raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Why do you need to know?" the bartender inquired, curiosity lacing his voice as he handed Aki the goblet filled with beer.

"Umm, nothing. Just curious about her," Aki replied, attempting nonchalance.

"Ah, another suitor. She came in a few minutes ago but she's busy right now," the bartender shared. "What's your name? I'll make sure to mention it after she's done."

Contemplating the man's words, Aki luckily had a fake alias ready, a name conceived many years ago when he fantasized about using "Disguise Self" for infiltration or espionage. "My name's Gale."

"Of course, I initially planned to use this nickname while infiltrating the Warrior King's army, but I suppose I can repurpose it for what seems to be a rather mundane mission," Aki thought with a touch of resignation.

At that moment, a man's scream, followed by what sounded like sputtering and coughing, reached Aki's ears. Quickly pinpointing the location, he shifted his gaze toward the source—it came from the bathroom right beside the bar.

Curiously, the other patrons around them smirked and shook their heads upon hearing the noise.

"What was that?" Aki asked the bartender.

"That's her," the bartender responded, smirking.

"In the bathroom?" Aki questioned, puzzled. The noise seemed more like it came from a guy, not Yumi.

Biting his lips, curiosity getting the better of him, Aki decided to check the bathroom. He put down the goblet at the bar and stood up. Although the bartender seemed to signal him to stop, Aki paid him no mind.

As he neared the bathroom, he overheard a drunk goblin commenting, "Lucky bastard..." Aki sensed an air of intrigue in their words.

For some unknown reason, Aki felt his heart quicken. Something told him he was close to discovering something that would forever change his life.

The door opened, and Aki froze, wide-eyed.

Out of the bathroom stepped the guard named Carl. Their eyes met, and for a moment, both were motionless before Carl broke into a friendly grin. "Oh! It's you! Fancy seeing you here."

Aki cursed inwardly, realizing Carl seemed to recognize his guise. He bit his lip nervously, but a flash of yellow inside the bathroom caught his eye. Unfortunately, Carl swiftly closed the bathroom door before Aki could peer inside.

"Hey. Is someone in there with you?" Aki inquired. His voice sounded nervous, but even he himself was unsure if he was nervous because Carl knew the person he was disguised as or because he didn't want to know the answer to his question.

"No one's here, man. Did I hear you introduce yourself as Gale? What's that about, Falken?"

A tense silence followed before Aki answered, "It's... a nickname."

"That's pretty cool! I didn't know you had a nickname. Come on! The guys are at the tables. You didn't tell us you'd be drinking tonight, you sly dog."

Aki was almost certain he knew what or who was inside the bathroom, but his mind dismissed the idea as preposterous. Carl wrapped his arms around Aki's shoulder, guiding him away. Aki allowed himself to be led away, glancing back at the bathroom, hoping against hope that his hunch was wrong.

---

Half an hour of what felt like endless interrogation by Carl later, Yumi stood up and announced she was going to the bathroom. Aki watched her leave with an impassive reaction, deliberately tuning out Carl's continued chatter. Carl had monopolized Aki's attention for too long, and Aki had no time to observe Yumi while she socialized with the guards.

Exhausted from conjuring imaginative backstories on the fly, Aki grew weary of spying. He yearned to reveal his true identity to Yumi. Anticipating her anger, he wanted to start the process of forgiveness as soon as possible. Deciding it was time to approach her, Aki stood up once Yumi was out of sight. Downing the last drop of his beer, he declared, "I'm heading to the bathroom too."

"Yumi's there. It's occupied right now," Carl replied.

"I'll wait," Aki stated, turning to leave. Carl attempted to say something else, seemingly trying to dissuade him. However, Aki no longer needed to maintain his disguise. After confessing his actions to Yumi, he planned to return to the Revalare Inn, likely never crossing paths with these individuals again.

Aki exited the room and headed to the bar where the bathroom was located. The other patrons paid him no attention as he walked toward the bathroom.

Reaching the door, he knocked and waited for an answer, but none came. Turning to the same goblin who appeared heavily intoxicated, Aki inquired, "Hey, is someone in there?"

The goblin shook his head.

"Well, did you see a human female in here?" Aki pressed further.

The **** goblin raised his hand and pointed towards the door outside.

---

Once Aki left the Good Tidings, he strained his ears to discern Yumi's location. A commotion on his right caught his attention, the unmistakable sounds of a couple engaged in intimate activities.

The notion that Yumi might be one of the participants in the alley to the right didn't cross Aki's mind. Contemplating the use of Telepathic Bond, he dismissed the idea, deeming it inappropriate to contact her now. Aki felt it would be a sign of cowardice to reveal his spying through a magical link rather than in person.

Choosing the left alley, Aki sought a private spot to employ his scrying spell. Hiding behind a large dumpster where no prying eyes could reach him, he wrinkled his nose at the pungent mixture of urine and garbage. Eager to leave the unsavory place, he quickly raised his hands in front of him to cast the scrying spell.

Nonchalantly expecting Yumi to be on her way back to the Revalare Inn, Aki had no inkling that the revelation awaiting him would alter the course of his life.

As the scrying spell materialized and displayed Yumi's location and activities, Aki's eyes widened in disbelief. The images portrayed Yumi engaging in a sexual encounter with Bojan, the very pair he had overheard in the alley near Good Tidings.

Dumbstruck, Aki's mouth hung open momentarily. The initial delusion that Yumi was being **** quickly dissipated when he heard her enthusiastic declaration, "Fuck me!"

His emotions oscillating between shock and fury, Aki couldn't tear his eyes away. The scenes unfolded with Bojan and Yumi's moans seemingly echoing in the alley, becoming the only sounds Aki registered. His anger built up until it manifested physically, causing the dumpster and fallen leaves around him to levitate. Crackling sounds of lightning filled the air as a warning to anyone approaching, his psychic energy signaling danger.

With a thunderous crash, the dumpster near Aki crumpled inward, manipulated by his psychic energy. The fallen leaves swirled chaotically, mirroring the turmoil within him.

The scrying spell intensified as Aki's energy poured into the images recklessly. It brightened until only blinding white energy remained, yet Aki couldn't look away. Blood trickled from his mouth, his teeth clenching so tightly that his gums bled.

The scrying spell, overloaded with Aki's energy, collapsed in on itself, exploding with a deafening bang. Aki didn't flinch at the explosion. Even after the images vanished, he continued to stare down at the ground. All he saw was red.

Minutes passed, feeling like an eternity for Aki. His first movement came when he realized the ground beneath him was wet. Assuming it was rain, he looked up at the night sky, only to find no rain falling. The wetness was from his own tears, streaming down his cheeks to the ground.

"So that's the service you provided, Yumi?!" Aki thought bitterly. "Since when?!"

Gazing up at the starry sky, Aki felt a profound sense of loneliness. He interpreted the countless stars as mocking deities, reveling in his pain. Alone, abandoned, and betrayed, Aki grappled with the weight of the revelation.

There might be reasons behind Yumi's actions, he considered. Perhaps she was blackmailed. But those were questions for the future. In that moment, Aki thirsted for ****, but on his terms.

---

!

Bojan's irritation was evident as he approached Aki. Two other guardsmen exited the Good Tidings, but Aki adeptly concealed himself from their sight. Although he didn't necessarily need to hide, using the Disguise Self spell on another patron of Good Tidings was simple enough. Aki felt secure, especially as most of the patrons were already **** to the point where seeing double had no effect on them.

"Where did Falken go?" one of the guardsmen said.

"Who cares? Let's get a taste of Yumi before he comes back."

Aki overheard their conversation. As they passed by Bojan, they greeted him with a salute, but Bojan only muttered. Remaining in the shadows, Aki observed Bojan's knuckles whiten as the guardsmen informed him of their intentions. Aki intentionally avoided looking at Bojan's face, fearing that gazing upon him would reignite his anger.

As Bojan entered the Good Tidings, Aki smoothly shifted to Falken's guise and exited simultaneously. They collided, and with swift finesse, Aki deftly lifted the pouch of gold he had spotted in Falken's pocket—the one the real Falken and his crew gave to the guards for safe passage. He then allowed himself to fall to the ground.

"Oh, sorry," Aki said, getting up while still keeping his gaze on the floor.

"Falken! Watch where you're going," Bojan said, his tone angry, but he seemed oblivious to Aki's theft.

"Yeah... Sorry," Aki replied, making his way out of the Good Tidings.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Fresh air," Aki replied simply, not turning around to face Bojan.

Aki exited Good Tidings, but Bojan called out to him once more. Aki halted in his tracks as he heard Bojan's mocking tone, making his blood boil, "Falken, don't head left. There are people 'coming' from that side."

As Bojan laughed, Aki found that he couldn't contain himself. He turned around and gazed at Bojan's smirking face. "We all get what's coming to us, Bojan. One way... or another."

Bojan furrowed his brows, but Aki closed the door of Good Tidings before Bojan could say anything more. Aki didn't think he could hold himself back from killing him right there and then if he listened to Bojan any more.

Once outside, he waited.

Soon enough, the sounds of lovemaking emanated from Yumi and the two guards.

Aki crouched down and placed a symbol on the ground—a warning sigil that would alert him telepathically if Yumi reentered the Good Tidings. Seizing the opportunity, Aki took a stroll around Thymore under the cover of the night's deepest silence. He intended to use this time to finalize his plan.

Once Yumi was done, he intended to come back and, at the very least, taste the goods before he enacted his plan

---

Aki awoke with a start. The room was still draped in darkness, and he turned to find Yumi lying next to him, a contented expression on her face. The memory of their night together lingered in the air, and for a moment, Aki thought she looked exceptionally beautiful.

Carefully and silently, Aki dressed himself. He had used the "sleep" spell on Yumi, but he was unsure how much magical resistance she had without the shield he crafted for her.

"The shield..." Aki's thoughts lingered on the masterpiece he had crafted for Yumi. The meticulous process haunted his memories—the countless hours spent researching the intricate runes required, and the additional countless hours spent personally etching those runes onto the shield's surface, all to ensure her safety.

"Yumi..." The floodgates of cherished memories opened wide. She had been a steadfast companion throughout his life. When he first arrived at their hometown, she was the one who embraced him, treating him like family. Faced with monumental tasks, she made the seemingly impossible feel attainable. He owed his ability to train to the fullest to her unwavering support.

As he sat at the foot of the bed, a palpable energy drained from Aki. It had finally dawned to him that he was truly alone. Yumi was never going be at his side anymore. His gaze shifted once more to Yumi, prompting contemplation on the **** he had meticulously planned against everyone.

Maybe he didn't need to pursue the ****.

Yumi was never his to claim. They were never truly together.

He decided to let go of his vengeance. But he was also sure he didn't want to spend a single second with Yumi anymore.

"I guess that's what a good night's sleep could do, huh?" Aki muttered.

He stood up and walked towards Yumi. With one last gaze at her beautiful face, he leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "This is goodbye. Thank you for the memories."

As he descended towards their rented room, he contemplated his next move. Yumi would likely join the army, but he truly didn't want to see her anymore. Perhaps becoming an adventurer was the answer. He wondered how challenging his mission would be without the support of the army, without Yumi by his side. Would it even be possible?

Entering their rented room, he swiftly began packing his things. The urgency was driven by the desire not to be in this village when the sun rose. He planned to take the horse and head to the capital, starting a new chapter as an adventurer—a journey towards forgetting and, perhaps one day, forgiving.

He gazed at the shield and the satchel he gave Yumi, contemplating whether to take them. The shield, a product of countless hours spent researching and etching runes, crossed his mind as a potential source of funds for his new adventurer's life. Money was essential, especially without the security of an army salary.

"It did take me almost a year to craft the damned thing," Aki thought, a hint of bitterness in his contemplation.

The thought of money triggered a recollection of the pouch of gold he had stolen from Bojan. Pulling it out of his pocket, he examined it for a moment.

"I don't want this," Aki declared. "I'm not starting my adventure with money from that man... Even if I did steal it."

He took Yumi's satchel and inserted the pouch inside. As he placed Yumi's satchel back where he took it, something inside caught his eye.

Turning his head, unsure of what he saw, curiosity got the better of him, and he reached inside the satchel, grabbing a potion.

Aki raised it to the light. Transparent with small bubbles dancing within the liquid, the potion emitted a glow reminiscent of a scrying spell. Leaning in closer, he noticed that the bubbles held moving images.

"I've read of this..." Aki muttered. "One of the Great Knights had an ability passed down from generation where they store their memories in a safe place... What family was it?... Hoshikaze?"

The moment Aki thought of the name, he suddenly remembered that this was the thing the mysterious woman inserted into his satchel before the carriage exploded. He wondered why Yumi had it. He was sure the woman placed this in his satchel, not hers.

"If I recall, I need to drink this to see the memory," Aki thought.

In a moment of audacity, he drank the potion.

"Tastes like copper..." Aki mumbled, smacking his lips.

Then he fell face-first to the ground.

---

When Aki opened his eyes, he found himself in a forest at dawn. The surroundings felt surreal — he could hear the melodic chirping of birds and see everything clearly, yet the absence of sensations like the wind or the scent of the air created an eerie atmosphere. A sense of peculiarity settled over the scene.

As he looked around, shock gripped him. A woman lay on the ground a few meters away, her body battered, clothes charred. Aki turned to see a smoldering wreckage behind him.

He momentarily gazed at the wreckage, but urgency seized his thoughts. He needed to save the woman. Approaching her, he recognized her as the same woman he had tried to rescue when the carriage exploded. To his surprise, his hands passed through her.

"What the... Am I dead?" Aki panicked, trying to comprehend the inexplicable situation.

Movement caught his eye as Yumi emerged from a bush, her eyes widening at the sight of the woman. She rushed toward her.

"Hey! Are you still alive?" Yumi asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Y-yes," the woman managed to reply through ragged breaths.

"I'll take you to safety. My friend is just on the other side," Yumi said, helping her up.

"Thank you..." the woman uttered gratefully.

"You're welcome," Yumi said. "I'm glad I could help."

Aki watched with barely concealed pride as Yumi assisted the woman. Whatever Yumi might be, she displayed kindness in that moment. Then, the realization hit him — he was witnessing a past event, unraveling the mystery of the potion's memories. Questions swirled in Aki's mind. Whose memories were these? And why was the woman alive when Yumi had claimed she was dead?

A sinking feeling gripped Aki as he observed the scene unfold.

"Um, by the way..." Yumi began. "I took my friend to safety, but his satchel was open and this fell out. What's this potion?" Yumi presented the potion that Aki had consumed.

"It's not a potion..." the woman replied weakly. "It's my memories..."

"Your memories, huh?" Yumi's tone turned soft, almost unnaturally so. She halted, smiled at the woman. She took the woman's hands and forcefully handed her the potion, placing it on her open palm before forcefully closing it. Aki observed as the woman struggled to hold the bottle.

"No..." Aki muttered.

Yumi retrieved a knife from her satchel without a word. In a cold, emotionless manner, she stabbed the woman in the stomach. The woman gasped, falling to the ground, still clutching the potion. Gasping for life, she gazed up at Yumi's indifferent features.

"You gave that to Aki so he could see what I did, didn't you?" Yumi accused, her anger evident.

The woman was too weak to respond. Aki noticed that the potion in her hands was filling up with more memories.

"You got blood on my armor," Yumi muttered, seemingly oblivious to the woman's suffering. "What do I do with the potion, though? If I throw it somewhere, it might explode and wake up Aki. If I leave it here, he might investigate...."

Yumi's voice became more distant, as if fading away. Aki felt his body rising as the environment crumbled around him, leaving him in a void. Understanding that the woman had died and this was her final memory, Aki realized he was being pulled back to the present. The void enveloped him until he returned, lying face down in their room.

He shifted to face the ceiling, the clock on the wall ticking away. Aki lay there motionless, absorbing everything. The only movement in the room was the relentless ticking of the clock.

Tick

Tock

Slowly, Aki's brows furrowed until his face finally mirrored the anger inside him.

Tick

Tock

Aki sat up and crossed his legs to a meditative position. He closed his eyes and delved into his mind.

"Adventuring can wait. Let's dismantle Yumi's world,” Aki thought.

Tick

Tock