***The Holy Consute, City of the Mouth of Cabria Branch, Kingdom of Cabria***

  The atmosphere inside the Holy Consute fell the moment Lady Henristone narrated the events that led to Kuro’s death, according to the stories of the four saints who were with him on his st day. The Duchess of Malvette couldn’t believe what had happened to him and that they had all forgotten him for six years…everything felt surreal for her.

  “Honestly, I’m not aware of that story…” Lady Malvette uttered, her face went pale. “And to think—goodness…then, that man back in Cherwoods…”

  “We still don’t have any proof that he’s the real ‘Kuro of Arles’,” Lady Henristone pointed out. “That’s the reason we’re here right now; to see for ourselves this guy ciming to be ‘Kuro’.”

  “Actually, dies…” the Elf Saint entered their conversation. “I…I have something to tell you about him…”

  “Your Holiness?”

  Lady Hinwe had difficulty in saying her words, “I…I summoned him. The man who calls himself ‘Kuro of Arles.'”

  Complete silence enveloped the room as the padin captain, the Cherwind ambassador, the Holy Consul, and the other guards stared at the Elf Saint as if expecting her to eborate more on her statement. Lady Hinwe, in addition to her woes because of the news of the coup d’etat in her home, wanted to disappear at that moment, for she felt responsible for all that was happening.

  “Y-Your Holiness…” Lady Henristone finally broke the ice. “I-If it’s fine with you, can you please tell us…who is that man in your tree pace?”

  “Err…can you call—”

  “Your Holiness!” it was Gerard, putting himself in between the human dies. “Please take a break now. You’re already tired from our travels.”

  “Gerard, I order you to stop!” the Elf Saint countered. “These women with us wanted to know about Mister Kuro, and I should tell them the truth! Would you please consider their feelings?”

  Stung by her rebuke, the elf guard stepped aside, though he showed everyone he disagreed with their talk.

  “Please call the others,” Lady Hinwe requested, to which Lady Henristone ordered a padin to do. It took the dy-at-arms some time, but a few minutes ter, Eris, Salis, Tama’lee, and Nari came into the inner room, with the lycanthrope bringing in several trays of food with the help of the Elf Saint’s maid, Meanor.

  “Oh?” the consul excimed, “I didn’t know we still have food in the kitchen!”

  “The Tambara cooked it, Your Excellency,” the padin who fetched them said.

  “I’m sorry…” Nari’s face was red.

  “No! No!” the Lady Curzon smiled at her. “Please don’t mind it. I know you traveled far, and because of the attack on the train, you dies didn’t enjoy your dinner. Feel free to use the kitchen.”

  “Nice!” the orc-girl ughed and spped the lycanthrope’s back. “Hear that, Nari? Tama gets to enjoy your food while listening to the boring talk!”

  The presence of the two demon girls lightened the mood of the inner room, and soon, the Lady Hinwe chuckled. However, her guard, Gerard—as suspicious as ever—asked Nari about the dish she cooked.

  “What’s this?” the elf guard opened one of the bowls, scooping the thick yellow broth to taste it.

  “It’s called a Filipino snack dish,” the lycanthrope revealed. “The recipe books call it ‘lugaw.'” (1)

  ----------

  And so, with the food brought by Nari and Meanor, the dies resumed their talk. Lady Hinwe expined to the women from the Holy Patial Gardens how she met Kuro, and how he became her adviser.

  “He offered practical solutions to the problem of my people,” the Elf Saint narrated. “As we battle what he calls the ‘desertification’ of the frontier cities of Cherwoods, he gave us ways to solve it without relying much on magic and my god-powers.”

  “That sure is the Lord Kuro!” Eris commented. “It’s impossible to think of another human who possessed so much knowledge of the other worlds, except for his student, the hero Cassandra David.”

  “But then,” Salis countered. “This ‘Kuro’ in Cherwoods is different from the Kuro I know! I remember him as a compassionate, gentle man who often exhausts all diplomatic options before resorting to violence.”

  “I don’t know about that, Lady Salis,” Lady Henristone said. “In all the six years the Lord Kuro was ‘imprisoned’ in that dark desert world of old Cherfmmen, don’t you think he has changed his attitude out of bitterness to us…who left him there?”

  “You say as if he lived all his six years inside that abandoned realm,” the Duchess of Braunhauer argued. “Midy, didn’t you hear the saints’ words? The Lord Kuro died in Cherfmmen.”

  “Hold up, Lady Braunhauer!” the owl-girl raised her voice. “I thought you believe that the Lord Kuro is still alive! Why are you saying such things?”

  “Lady Salis…” Eris’ eyes started to tear up. “…I…I wanted to believe so, but…those stories from Cherwoods…I would rather prefer that the Lord Kuro is dead, than hear those awful things he did.”

  The owl-girl and the padin captain had no words to say to the Duchess of Braunhauer. Tears fell on Eris’ cheeks; the Elf Saint and Meanor consoled her. Looking at them, the Holy Consul, the other padins, and Lady Malvette couldn’t help but feel sorrow. The mood went from light to heavy in an instant.

  The only ones seemingly unaffected are Tama’lee, Nari, and Gerard, who are focused on eating the lycanthrope’s food.

  “Hmm?” the elf guard stopped what he was doing when he noticed the inner room's sad atmosphere. “Why are you all downcast? This lugaw tastes good!”

  Meanor threw one of her sandals on Gerard’s face, which he avoided. “Read the mood!” the elf maid bellowed.

  The elf guard took one of the clean bowls and put some food in it. Then, he offered it to Eris, saying, “Hey, I do not mean to disrespect your feelings to that person you lost, but yeah, my mother would always give me something to eat whenever I feel sad. Taste this; Miss Nari cooked it just fine!”

  ----------

  When everyone settled for the long sleep, Nari volunteered to wash the dishes, as she felt responsible for using the consul's office kitchen. The Marquise of Curzon insisted that she left it for the servants to take care of it. However, the lycanthrope wanted to do the dishwashing, so she had her way.

  “…”

  Joining her—and as punishment for his ‘insensitivity’—was the elf guard, Gerard. His mistress ordered him to accompany Nari after he ‘spoiled’ the mood of everyone in the inner room by giving the Duchess of Braunhauer food while she was crying.

  “You need to know more on the feelings of dies!” Lady Hinwe scolded him.

  And so, even if his job was to secure the life of the Elf Saint, the elf ended up scrubbing ptes with the lycanthrope.

  “Ah! You can leave it,” Nari said to him, her voice as soft as ever. “I can finish it in no time!”

  “Eh, Her Holiness will kill me if she learns I left it all to you,” Gerard replied. “Besides, it’s not like I can’t detect dangers to the Lady Hinwe when I’m washing ptes. If something stirs, I’ll rush to her side in no time.”

  Nari didn’t answer him, though she chuckled.

  The elf continued, “You know what? Why don’t you leave it to me instead?”

  “Eh?”

  “I…I’m used to this kind of stuff, really,” Gerard pointed out. “Before I became a member of Her Holiness’ Life Guards, my family trained me well on house chores. Washing dishes, clothes, and even my younger siblings when they take baths, I did it all.”

  Nari smiled and shook her head. “Let’s do it together.”

  “Well, if you insist.”

  Then, silence. Only the sounds of ptes and brushes could be heard. The lycanthrope went on with her work while the elf—though his senses were on alert, got serious about cleaning the dishes.

  Nari suddenly broke the ice. “Thank you, Sir Gerard.”

  “Hm? What for?”

  “Honestly…” the lycanthrope had a sad smile on her lips, “…I agree with Lady Eris.”

  “That ‘I’d rather see the guy dead, than watch him kill people’ thing?”

  She nodded.

  “What’s that matter got to do with me?”

  “Well…you broke the mood.”

  “Got punished for it.”

  “Sorry,” Nari bowed.

  “Why are you apologizing?”

  “Despite that, it has nothing to do with you, you broke the mood,” the lycanthrope repeated. “You don’t know how demoralized we are when we learned about the Lord Kuro’s deeds in Cherwoods. It’s as if…he’s a different person.”

  “Well, you’re not even sure if he’s the real one, if I remember,” Gerard pointed out.

  “True…but, just like Lady Salis said, the probability of that man being the Lord Kuro is high,” Nari countered. “The circumstances of his st moments, and how Her Holiness the Elf Saint summoned him…they match perfectly.”

  The elf guard heaved a sigh, “You know what, midy? People change. Perhaps it is something they experienced, or learned. But in whatever we do, and whatever that happens, it’s impossible for us not to be affected. If, indeed, this ‘Kuro of Arles’ in Cherwoods is your human, then we can only say that what he went through changed him a lot.”

  Nari was silent. She just continued on washing the ptes.

  Gerard went on, “You guys sure love this man.”

  “He’s my teacher, Sir Gerard,” the lycanthrope admitted, her face flushed. “I would not be here, doing what I love best, if not for him. I can still remember how the Lord Kuro convinced my parents not to draft us—the Tambara children—when war came to our city. He shouldered the responsibility of our people’s safety, even though he was unsure of himself…”

  The elf said nothing. He just went on with helping the Tambara clean the ptes. It was Nari who kept on talking to him.

  “That’s why, as a way to honor him, I decided to learn the food of his people…the Filipino cuisine,” the lycanthrope chuckled. “I guess, my desire is too strong that I ended learning it even when we forgot about him. It’s how I love the Lord Kuro.”

  “Foolish idiot…” the elf muttered. “That guy…”

  “Hm?”

  “N-Nothing!” Gerard let out an awkward ugh. “I mean, if that guy in Cherwoods is truly the Lord Kuro you love, then he’s a foolish idiot for throwing your feelings and trust on him!”

  “Haa…” Nari mused. “It’s painful, but we have to prepare for the worst. Anyway, you have my gratitude for earlier, Sir Gerard. If you didn’t intervene, we may still be wallowing in our sorrows. You brought us back to reality, even though it’ll be painful for a few days, I guess?”

  “Hey,” the elf guard chuckled, “I know we just met on the train earlier, but hearing your stories…I personally want you guys to succeed. And I’m sure, Her Holiness has the same sentiments.”

  The lycanthrope answered with a smile, “Thank you! Well, have a good sleep, Sir Gerard!”

  Hans.Trondheim