Chapter 7

I followed Bon to the kitchen area.

“You want me to make you something as well or is that lunch box enough for you?”

“I’m fine with this.”

I went to sit down at the table, it was small, just enough for two people.

“Did you make that lunch box yourself? I wouldn’t imagine you have a kitchen to make it.”

“No, the receptionist at the inn I’m staying at made it for me. Do you know her? She’s a bit weird.”

“Ya I know about her, she’s the only one besides me that isn’t from this town. Although I don’t know her personally I don’t think her being weird is odd. Most people here appear weird to newcomers like you at first.”

“It’s not like that, I’ve seen the other town folk here and they aren’t like her. They’re just distant but it’s something about her that I can’t grasp.”

“Hmm, well I wouldn’t know any more than you.”

“I guess. Are you almost done with making your food? I’m quite hungry already.”

“I’m almost done, no need to rush me. Can’t you let me enjoy the art of cooking?”

“The art of cooking? Elaborate.”

“The enjoyment aspect of it, don’t you like the feeling of being in control of the food you're making and then enjoying the food you’ve made?”

“I’m good at cooking but I only find it as a chore to do. Cleaning up the pans or whatever you used only makes it worse.”

“You probably wouldn’t understand. There’s a charm to common chores and life. Do you know why I decided to try and train someone from God’s side instead of the Devil’s side?”

“I mean, I would imagine it had to do with them being harder to deal with and you’d be more in danger.”

“Yes, those are a couple of the reasons why. I’m sure you can already imagine the first town that the Devil’s side encounters. It’s a dreadful place, it’s no place a person would want to live out a peaceful life.”

“So I chose to live out the rest of my life here. Where I could live out a peaceful life without having to interact with others.”

“Then if you wanted a peaceful life why train someone from the war? Wouldn’t you want to avoid anything to do with the war if you wanted to live out a peaceful life.”

“… That’s true, it contradicts my peaceful way of life but it’s also the last thing I can latch onto. Before deciding to live the rest of my life here I was in the war myself but I didn’t accomplish anything. In the end I pushed my luck and came out with nothing, … losing things in the process.”

I couldn’t see his face from where I sat but I could tell from just his back that it hurt him to say.

“With training someone with potential like yourself I can feel like I have accomplished something. If I don’t get that satisfaction I will wonder at my death bed, what was the purpose of my life? So as long as you accomplish something I will feel like I played a part in it, giving me the feeling that I left my mark on this world.”

“I like that. Humans don’t have any purpose when they are born and as long as they don’t look for it the chances of finding one are slim. So you making the decision to search for your purpose before death I find admirable.”

“You think so? I thought it was pathetic to search for it at my age.”

“Age? That means nothing. Don’t think finding a purpose in life is easy, some might find it before others but it’s not a race. Just keep searching and you’ll have a chance.”

“I guess you're right. At least now I feel like it’s not a far away thing now that I have you to train. So at the very least I wouldn’t have been a complete failure right?”

I was the only one in the room but it didn’t feel like he was saying that to me.

“Let’s start eating our meals Fran. We have a long day ahead of us.”

“Ya.”

“Fran, do you want to try it?”

He offered me some of his food. It was eggs with some type of chillies but I’m not sure what kind.

“I’ll pass, I’m not that hungry today.”

“I see, that’s a shame it’s a great dish.”

I didn’t mention anything but he started shedding a few tears. They weren’t tears of sadness of rejecting his food but out of happiness although I’m not sure of what.