CHAPTER 54: FREDRICKA

Who was Fredricka?

A beautiful girl, and expert swords master in Arcadia Online, who helped me a lot during my initial gaming days. She had joined the game a year earlier than I did and was one of the better veterans of the game who knew the ins and outs of Arcadia.

As for our first meeting, I met her during one of my random quests, where she saved me from a bunch of PK players. Later, she also helped me out on some small quests that happened to cross her own class quests.

Teaching me a few basics that I was bad at, a couple of tips and tricks, she improved my gaming experience to a whole new level at that time. In fact, she was also the one that suggested the idea that there could be more to [Prayers] within the game than just minor buffs. One of the reasons I decided to look deeper into the [Ancient Language].

In the real world, I met her much later, about 3 years after the first encounter, at a Player’s meet. It was a local meet, where I met her because we happened to be in the same area. At that time, though we did talk a bit, our encounter was very limited because of all the other players, mostly her fans, surrounding her. And later, I also got busy with my own life, so I didn’t get the chance to talk to her again.

I think it was the time when I was fighting my best to save Aurora. I sighed as I recalled another couple of disgusting memories about how I couldn’t save her. And then I focused back on the topic at hand, recalling the last time I had heard about her.

Last I remember, in the Great War of Arcadia, her entire guild lost badly. I recalled bits and pieces of information about her before wondering what exactly had happened to her. She kind of disappeared without anyone knowing.

But that and this are different! Fredricka was never a person whom I knew from before that!! Forget about high school, I didn’t even know someone like Fredricka existed at that time.

Charles! What the fuck did you really do?

I saw her observing me with a curious look in her eyes. She saw me confused for a moment before her eyes widened. She thought something, understood something, and then without a pause, spoke in a single breath.

"Hey, don’t tell me you forgot about me. It’s only been a month, you know? Even though we don’t talk much, I wasn’t that unnoticeable, was I- ah! Forgot about that bi- I mean Mitchelle. No wonder."

Her smile turned sour as she took Mitchelle’s, my supposed crush in this life, name before she put on a thoughtful expression. She seemed to be thinking deeply about something, enough to put a slightly furious look in her eyes, as she narrowed them to the space in front of her.

Is she cursing? I read her lips while I sighed, looking at her. If I let her continue thinking, I think she might even start fist-fighting in the air. I noticed her fists curling tightly as she got lost even deeper in her thought.

"Good morning to you too, Fredricka," I answered her, breaking her thoughts and making her turn at me. Hearing my words, a smile blossomed on her face. Her previous expression vanished in an instant as if it were all just an illusion before, replacing a kind and compassionate girl completely opposite to the mafia or yakuza type girl a few seconds before.

I know we all know this. But man, women can be scary sometimes.

"At least you remember," she said as she closed the water bottle and put it beside her. She then focused back on me.

"So, how is Mitchelle?" She asked, waiting for me to speak. From her flickering eyes, I guessed that it would be better to 100% avoid that topic. Even if it is for the purpose of finding out how I was before, taking Mitchelle’s name would probably sour the conversation here before it even begins.

"It’s in the past now. I don’t even remember anything," I gave a helpless smile.

Like literally. I don’t remember a thing.

There was little I could do about this past that I had no memory of. The only thing good about it was that I was out of high school and didn’t have to deal with this entire mess. Though after Richard and Fredricka, it does make me curious who the other people in my high school are. I wonder what surprises I would find if I were to look through the list.

"Do you?" A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she nodded. She slowly stood up, picking up her water bottle, while I shrugged before moving to drink tap water.

"Well. It’s good if it’s that. You are way better off with someone better than her, anyway. Next time, try to find someone who will respect you as much as you do. Hmmm... seems like you have started running as well. That’s good. You know... "

Forgot that she was this talkative. It was rare for her to stop once she really started. I thought as I listened to her for 3 minutes talking non-stop before her smartwatch buzzed, making her pause and look at it.

A slight sigh escaped her mouth with a look of disappointment in her eyes. She turned to me with a regretful expression as she spoke, "Man, I would have loved to catch up with you, but I need to go. Gotta complete a quest, you know? Nice talking Mikael. Talk to you later."

And goes there she... lost in the wind. I thought as I watched her put on her EarPods, and then jog away with a blissful expression once again forming on her face. She paused at a distance, turned to wave at me, and then began running away once again.

-Scratch.

And then at the Hidden Monster(Cat) who scratched my feet again.

"-3HP," I mumbled.

Turning the tap on, I drank a bit of water before splashing it on my face. I also used some of it to wash my hands up to the arms. Then, wiping it with the shirt, I looked at the direction where Fredricka went before turning back to the direction where I came from.

Noticing a number of small kittens near the chair on the opposite side, I picked up the orange cat, taking it to her small kittens and dropping her there.

"I will bring food next time," I said to the kitten with a serious expression before waving at them, and then walking back in the direction where I came from. This time, I kept my mind empty, meditating all throughout the way without having a single thought, until I reached the laundry near my apartment.

The clothes that I picked up were dried and neatly folded on the table. Picking them up as I told the lady that I would pay by the evening, I then took them back to my apartment.

"Mom. I am back home!"

Opening the apartment, I saw a dreadful scene.

Mom was about to eat the extra sweetened raw chicken overcooked sandwich that I had placed in the refrigerator in the morning.

"MOM!!!!!"