Home?

"You dare trick me?"

 "...Are you on drugs, madam?"

"W… what did you say?"

"I was asking if you are perhaps influenced by illegal substances, madam."

"You—"

"M'lady, is everything alright!?"

Alisa was about to raise her hand, but before she could do so, the sole surviving knight that served as her escort, Rex, suddenly opened the carriage doors.

"What… is happening?"

Rex could really only squint his eyes from the scene. From his view, it seemed like Alisa was getting ready to slap a helpless boy that was groveling in front of him.

…But how could that be so, when this helpless boy was the one who saved her from a fate worse than death?

And Alisa noticed this too, as she saw the look in Rex's eyes that seemed to be judging her and her entire person.

"It… It is nothing, sir Rex," Alisa could only lower her hands as she cleared her throat, "I… was just startled when our… benefactor woke up so suddenly."

"..." Rex looked back and forth between Alisa and Vayne for a couple of seconds, before nodding his head and letting out a sigh,

"It is good you are awake. We've been beginning to worry if we would be burying a young Explorer such as you."

"...I feel the same, lord Rex," Vayne could really only let out a sigh as he lifted himself up before sitting opposite of Alisa, 

"It… feels wonderful to not yet cross to the lands of the underworld."

"Hm," Rex let out a small smile as he nodded, before turning his eyes to Alisa, "At this pace, we will be arriving in the Safe Lands in a week, madam. Please don't worry, I will get you back safely all the way to Termont, m'lady."

"That's good to hear, sir Rex."

"I'll get back to it then, m'lady," Rex then bowed to Alisa, before nodding once again to Vayne as he closed the door of the carriage.

"..."

"..."

"..."

And then, silence. Throughout his short and young social life, Vayne realized that he very much prefers silence over forced conversation, but with Alisa stealing glances at him every other second, he could not help but feel just… a little bit uncomfortable.

"You live in Termont, madam? That is where the Explorer Association is, correct?"

And so, he chose to be the one to break the silence.

"You think you can talk to me after what you did?"

"..."

"I can't believe I let a man of age lie on my lap," Alisa let out a very long and very deep breath as she looked to the side.

"I believe there's a slight misplacement of fault here, madam," Vayne could really only sigh as he heard Alisa's words. Throughout his journey, Vayne had met many colorful individuals— Alisa is surely added to that list.

"Fine, I'll forgive you," Alisa then shook her head as she finally looked at Vayne.

"..."

"Now, from which house are you?"

"Madam?"

"With the way you talk, you've clearly had some education. Perhaps more than most," Alisa spoke as she looked Vayne from head to toe,

"And no simple family would just bestow one of their sons a Blessing. And you're an Explorer at your age, surely…

…you belong to one of the Houses?"

"My name is Vayne, madam… but I don't belong to one of the Houses, and neither am I an Explorer." 

"..."

"..."

"That's fine," Alisa shook her head, before turning to look at the coffer that was resting on the side of the carriage, 

"I've heard Explorers tend to be very secretive."

"...I'm really not an Explorer, not yet," Vayne sighed, "What about you, madam? What is a great beauty like you doing in these harsh lands?"

"G… great beauty?" Alisa could not help but stutter from Vayne's words, "And… I don't think it matters to you why I am here. But…

…I traveled to the Dark Continent to get a gift for my son."

"..." Vayne then turned his eyes towards the chest peacefully sitting on the side of the carriage. And with just a second, he surmised what it held.

There really is only one treasure in the Dark Continent—

"...An Artifact," Vayne said as his eyebrows began to furrow,

"Did the others know that you were carrying something like this in the caravan?"

"It— it's not an Artifact!" Alisa slightly stuttered as he subtly moved closer to the chest, "And why does it matter if they know or not know!?"

"Because they died for it, madam," Vayne's voice started to become cold as he looked Alisa straight in the eyes,

"Beasts and monsters from the Dark Continent are instinctively lured to Artifacts, we're in danger right now as we speak."

"Don't you think I don't know that!?" And suddenly, Alisa raised her voice to the point of screaming,

"Sir Rex assured me that it was fine! An enchantment is placed on the chest to prevent that from happening! I wouldn't have come here if I knew there was a risk! No one was supposed to die!"

"...And yet there are only three of us left."

"I…" And as fast as it rose, Alisa's voice also quickly turned meek; her eyes, soon started to tremble, "...I just… I just wanted to check it when we stopped to rest… I… I didn't think those orcs would get a sniff of…"

"..."

Alisa couldn't really continue her words as only her stuttered breaths were allowed to escape from her lips.

"..."

"..."

"...You won't understand," and after a few seconds of her sniffles whispering in the tiny confines of the carriage, Alisa once again spoke,

"My son… my son is always ill. His body is weak and can't even walk through the gardens without resting," Alisa breathed out as tears started to trail on her cheeks, 

"This will change his life… even if I was one of the people that died, as long as this reaches my son, then that is the only thing that matters to me…

…I don't expect someone like you to understand."

"..."

"..."

"Oh, but I do understand, madam."

"!!!"

Alisa could not help but suck in her breath as Vayne's hand… softly brushed across her face, wiping her tears away,

"But those people still died because of you."

"..."

"But I suppose they knew the risk," Vayne let out a small sigh as he retracted his hand and leaned back on his chair, 

"The Dark Continent is a place where people die in abundance, and mostly without reason…

…I suppose that is the thing we need to understand."

"Just… who are you?"

"Well…" Vayne let out a long and very deep sigh, 

"...I will tell you when I find out."

The journey remained uneventful, with them not being attacked even once during their travels. It would seem it is as Alisa said it so, the chest confining the Artifact made it so that it would be undetectable.

And so, aside from Vayne making sure Alisa doesn't get tempted into opening the chest, the two did not really converse that much.

A week passed like this, and their carriage finally passed through the border to the Safe Lands.

***

"Where are you going to now, Lord Vayne?"

"..."

He had seen it before, but the number of people staying at the entrance to the Dark Continent still made Vayne feel like he was drowning.

It wasn't official, but it was a city in and of itself— the number of people here could be said to be even greater than that of Fergo's.

Their treasures were tempting to see and procure— but alas, Vayne left here without money, and he returned without money.

It truly is a shame.

"Are you perhaps going home?"

"Hm?" Vayne then turned to look at Rex, who was unfortunately covered in various things as they walked through the busy pathway. Alisa was walking ahead of them, pointing to even more stalls and adding to the things that Rex carries.

Rex told them that they were just resupplying for their journey to Termont… but it seemed more like Alisa was just buying everything she sees.

"Are you going home?"

Home.

Should… he go home?

His mother should be worrying about him right now. But since he has been gone for weeks… she had probably already come to terms with his death.

Should he really burden his mother with his existence again?

She is finally free of him…

…perhaps it should remain that way.

And also, if he was to go home— the thing that was building inside him could burst forth at any time.

The rage.

He had been trying his best to keep it caged, but each time he remembered Vale's words, it was almost as if the rage inside him started to knock each time.

If he was to go home, then he might attempt to do something to Vale's mother. He could see it in his mind, replaying over and over again. Him, standing on top of Vanessa and stomping on her feet as she cried and begged.

That can't be allowed… at least not yet.

"...Are you alright, Lord Vayne?"

"Yes," Vayne quickly answered Rex as his thoughts were disrupted,

"I'm not thinking of going home just yet, Lord Rex."

"Oh?" Rex raised an eyebrow as he bought another item from one of the stalls, "Off to visit some girls, then?"

"Nothing of the sort," Vayne chuckled and shook her head, "I found I much prefer older women."

Alisa, who was walking ahead of them, halted her steps as soon as she heard Vayne's words. But after a few moments, she continued walking— pretending not to hear anything.

"Are you going back to the Dark Continent then?"

"No, actually… I was thinking of taking the Explorer exam."

"...That's in Termont," Rex raised his voice.

Alisa's steps once again faltered as she heard the conversation, her head slightly turned back.

"It is," Vayne let out a sigh, "So I was thinking of asking you and the good madam a favor…

…perhaps I can join your journey home and delay our farewells for now?"