CHAPTER 90: THREADS OF GRIEF.

Nero turned around, his brows raised in surprise.

Behind him was Aisha. She wore a rather strange expression of discomfort on her face, alongside a furious blush.

"H-how can I help you, Aisha?"

He had no idea what she wanted from him.

He subtlety glanced around and found that no one else seemed to be paying attention to them.

Obed was busy sharpening his weapon, the same with Garrick.

Meanwhile, Geor lay beside the fire, clearly asleep.

’Does she need something from me?’

Aisha pursed her lips,

"I... I need your help."

She slowly leaned in closer.

Nero’s eyes widened, but he chose not to withdraw.

She whispered something in his ears.

His expression changed a bit.

He couldn’t help his chuckle once she was done.

Aisha grimaced, "Don’t laugh. It’s not funny."

Nero shook his head,

"No, no. I’m not laughing at you. Sure, I’ll go with you."

Nero slowly rose to his feet.

He glanced up again.

Garrick glanced in their direction once, but didn’t seem bothered.

Obed didn’t even bother looking their way.

Nero sighed.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Aisha grabbed him by the hand and began pulling him into the secluded darkness of the forest.

They walked for some time before Aisha suddenly stopped.

Nero turned around. The area wasn’t too far from the campsite, so much so they could stillee the warm amber light of the burning campfire.

"This should be good enough, right?"

Aisha nodded shyly, her head dropped such that he couldn’t make out her expression.

Without needing to be told, Nerk realized that the girl must have been feeling quite embarrassed to ask such a favor of him.

Not wanting to embarrass her even more, he took a step back and turned around.

Seeing this, a look of appreciation flashed in Aisha’s eyes.

Then she turned around as well.

Very soon, the sound of water trickling into the earth filled Nero’s ears.

Immediately, a picture was painted in his head.

He instantly burned it away. Having inappropriate thoughts was not something he would entertain at this moment.

As he was a rather young, hot-blooded man, with rather questionable levels of virility, there was no mistaking his knowledge on the relations that could exist between men and women.

Even though he had been orphaned early, having idiot friends like Declan meant he didn’t miss out on any important knowledge regarding the matters of life, love, the heart and the flesh...

The bees and the birds and all that...

"Don’t listen." Aisha’s voice came back to him.

Nero’s experience changed as he quickly replied,

"I’m not."

"Liar."

"..."

They both fell silent.

Then, Aisha spoke all of a sudden,

"Lammy would always watch over me like this back then."

Nero remained silent, unsure of how to reply.

He knew that Lammy owas the woman with the broadsword that had died miserably at the hands of the Brandors.

He figured that such a death must have been particularly excruciating.

He could imagine exactly how Aisha must have felt and would still feel— that feeling of powerlessness.

Of insignificance when faced with true danger, unable to even over a modicum of protection or safety to those who mattered.

The silence between them dragged on for a few moments longer.

Then Aisha spoke again,

"She was a normal girl. Just like me. She was a hard head, but said her biggest dream was to get married to a handsome, young rich Lord. Can you imagine how ridiculous that is?"

Nero could hear the endless sadness and pain in her voice. It was jarring.

In a sense, all those who had to bear the sorrows of loss were bound by the threads of grief. It was a shared experience, but to varying degrees.

"I didn’t know her for a long time. I’ve known Geor the longest. Geor is kind, but he wasn’t..."

She paused.

Nero spoke suddenly,

"She must have really cared for you, huh."

"Yeah, she did."

He slowly turned around.

Aisha stood behind him, her gaze fixed onto the ground.

He let out a sigh.

He had no idea what to say and he was afraid of he spoke out of line, it would cause even more problems.

And so, he decided to change the topic...

"That thing you did... that took care of the Ghoul. What exactly was that? Are you a Templar?"

When he asked, he felt his breath hitch up.

He had heard countless tales of the Templars.

The Glorious Knights of the Empire and its Church that held it up as its pillars.

They were the frontline of the humans against the forces of corruption that filled the world. Without them, humanity would have fallen ages ago.

However, Nerk knew there was more to them than that.

Still, he wa rather envious of their power.

Aisha raised her gaze. Wiping the corners of her eyes, she shrugged,

"Oh, that? I was once trained under a former Templar. I learned a few things from him, but I’m not very talented, so I wasn’t chosen to be a Templar."

Nero’s eyes widened, "You can get chosen to be a Templar?!"

Aisha raised a brow but then nodded slowly,

"Yes. It is a test held by the Chruch, and can only be taken once in a lifetime once a person reached twenty years of age."

Nero was silent for a moment. Something flashed in his eyes,

"I see..." He muttered under his breath.

Aisha huffed and stood with her hands on her hips,

"What, don’t tell me you really didn’t know all this?"

Nero chuckled nervously, "Is it really that hard to believe?"

Aisha sighed then shrugged,

"Well, it doesn’t matter. I failed the exam to become a Templar of the White Prophets. To make it worse, I lost both my parents and my entire estate not too long after. It’s a miracle I’m still alive. Oh, and thanks to Geor as well."

Nero was silent as he slowly pieces the puzzle together mentally.

’Could it be...’

Her dainty, pretty features compared to the rough appearance of the other Hunters.

Her ability to use that strange, mystical ability that apparently belonged to the Templar Order of the White Prophets.

She was like a lustrous gem dropped into a pile of mud, forced to adapt.

There was no mistaking it...

She was a little heiress.

Albeit, one that had lost it all.

Staring at her slightly haughty eyes that had not last their glare even after weathering what must have been a rather terrible experience, Nero couldn’t help but be genuinely amazed.

"Incredible." He muttered subconsciously.