Chapter 1: The parting and new day

On the sunny day four people riding a carriage, on the right looking on the vast

blue sky a young man with a tall

and athletic build, he has unruly, dark brown hair that falls just above his

shoulders, complemented by piercing blue eyes that seem to hold a spark of

curiosity and determination. His sun-kissed skin speaks of his countless hours

spent outdoors, and he is often seen wearing practical and durable clothing,

suited for his adventurous lifestyle. He carries a worn leather backpack that

holds his essential items and a trusty, well-crafted sword by his side.

 “I never thought the day that we have a chance to look at the blue sky

again will never come”

“But here we are to be that said day” hulking

figure, standing at an impressive 6 feet 5 inches tall. He possesses a body

built for battle, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. His face is adorned

with a thick, well-groomed beard, and his piercing blue eyes exude an air of

determination. Gromm's head is covered with a mane of dark brown hair that cascades

down to his broad shoulders. He is often seen wearing a suit of armour made

from dark, hardened steel, with various battle scars etched into its surface.

“Hmm” Ethan let out a bit smile on his face “Your right it was a struggle but it was

worth it”

He turned his gaze to the girl wearing pale, warm colors and incorporates spider

web print fabric.  It involves a pair of

shoes, a short flared skirt, and a medium-length-sleeve shirt.  A long coat is worn over it, sleeping soundly

as the book on her left hand slowly slipping.

He look at her with his gentle eyes as he slowly rubbing her head which the two

man just look at him as they smile at both the same time.

“Have you told her yet?”  a middle-aged man with greying hair and a gentle, friendly

face. He has kind, warm eyes that convey a sense of wisdom and compassion. He

wears traditional priestly robes, adorned with intricate patterns and symbols

of his faith. Despite his age, he carries himself with grace and dignity.

He let out a bit bitter laugh still looking to the girl sleeping on his shoulder

“I haven’t yet, I just know what to say to her”

“Ha ha ha!” the middle-age man laughs and said “So even the great hero who defeated

the demon lord, can be also tough tied it comes to the girl he dears the most”

(nods).

“Well I guess I can understand what you feel since Lila is not the type who shows her

emotions” Gromm said.

“Well you are right” Hector replied.

“You know it’s not good to gossip about a girl whose sleeping and riding with you

all, especially you pedo-priest” Lila retorts in monotonic tone as she slowly

opening her eyes revealing her deep emerald eyes. She pressed her lips as she

covers her eyes to the sunlight.

Lila rub her eyes while groaning as the wind blows her hair while Ethan is

mesmerized by the beauty in front of him, he cannot think of anything every

time when Lila nears him.

While the other two seeing the reaction of the hero who fiercely face the fearsome

demon lord who bring darkness to this world are now blushing red like a tomato,

they are aware that he adore Lila more than anything in this world, yet unable

to tell his feeling to the party involve since they now Lila is the type of

girl who is very reserve and rarely shows emotions, throughout their journey

they only see Lila shows emotion two times, they cannot determine what this

girl thinking.

“What’s wrong?” Lila asks Ethan who still fix looking at her as Lila lean towards him.

Ethan retreats as he feels Lila breaths and her small lips pressed together he

blushed as the same time covers his face in embarrassment.

“N-nothing” he finally replied as Lila still looking at him with her emerald green eyes and

framed with thick eyes lashes.

“It’s that so, then can you pass me my book I want to finish reading it by today”

Lila point a brown worn out book beside Ethan.

 Ethan grab the book it he look at the content

of the book for a bit and see it was written all in ancient text that most

people cannot understand it, he give to Lila with curious look that even though

they travel for a long time and thinks that he very much know Lila now, yet

that is far from what he thinks.

“Lila how’s your wound?” Hector asks.

Lila slowly close the book as she rolled her sleeve on her right hand revealing a

black spot with yellow root like on it, seeing the wound everyone got worried

immediately, that Ethan grab her hand and look at it with worried look.

“Hmm I already applied a healing magic in to it but it’s not going away, but don’t

worry nothing is wrong with me.” Lila replied with straight monotone voice just

like she didn’t care about the wound and she open the book with her left hand

while she just let Ethan hold her right hand.

“I can see the capital now” Groom said.

“Finally we are home” Hector said while tears flow to his eyes.

Everyone laugh at Hector seeing him teary eyes.

As they enter the gate in the capital everyone greeted them with welcoming smile

as everyone shouts ‘Thank you’ as Ethan and others acknowledging everyone gratitude,

as for Lila she just reads and didn’t really pay attention to it.

“Brave heroes thank you for defeating the demon lord and saving this world from harm

we cannot, we cannot thank you enough for your sacrifices but please accept

this as your reward”

The king nods to the guard on his right, and the guard brings four bags full of

gold coins in it, everyone was shocked seeing the gold coins in front of them

as Hector is more shock that he pass out in the scene.

The street is full lights and laughs as Ethan and others are sitting round table

drinking alcohol with meat in the table as for time to time people will

approach them and converse with to show gratitude.

Lila was walking alone in the nearby hill not very far away from everyone as she

still hears the noises, she closing her eyes every time the wind hit her and

she sit and look at the stars.

“I never thought that I can watch stars peacefully again” she murmured to herself.

 “Where is Lila?” Groom asks.

“Come to think of it I didn’t see her around” Hector replied as he chug a bottle of

alcohol.

“By the way Ethan have to you decided to tell her?” Hector added.

Ethan just smile as he stabbing smoothly the table with empty barbeque stick, unsure

what to do and aware that this is the last that they were going to be together

as the demon lord is been defeated and the hero party will be disbanded

tomorrow.

“I believe Lila wants to travel after this” Groom said as he took a big bite in

the meat.

Hector stand up and grabs Ethan face squeezing it like a sponge and look at him in the

eye.

“Don’t

worry we are here for you, and I’m she already aware of your feelings for her”

“Hector” Ethan said.

Groom pats his head and smiles as he gives him thumbs up that give Ethan the courage

he needed, he stands up started to search for Lila by asking people around a he

finally found her sitting in the hill alone watching the stars, he stops for a

moment and clench his fist as he took a deep breath and starts to approach her.

“So this is where you are, I’ve been looking for you” Ethan said as he sit beside

Lila.

“Ethan, sorry I’m looking at the stars, It’s been a while since I watch the stars in

peace” Lila replied with no trace of any emotion on her voice.

Ethan look at her as the cold wind blows, he clench his once more to gather courage.

“Say Ethan what will happen now?” Lila suddenly asks Ethan an odd question that

leaves him puzzled.

“What do you mean by that?”

Lila look at him with no hint of change of her expression but deep inside Lila was

trying to answer that she cannot determine also, she doesn’t know why she ask

that kind of question in the first place.

“The demon lord was defeated, the world is at peace, some people are happy but what

about those are still lost? It seem I cannot understand this is really what we

wanted”

Ethan realize that Lila is in lost, since the demons are defeated, there are people,

soldier who live throughout the war but now that is over their purpose are now

gone.

“Lila what do you want to do?” Ethan asks with serious voice.

Lila looks at him surprise but seeing his face in seriousness, Lila let out a bit of

smile in her face and said “Remember I said this to you once, that after all of

this I want to take on journey I’m not really sure what is the reason but I

just want to take on journey”

Ethan smile in realization that telling her his feeling won’t do that she decided

what to do in, he respect her decision and Ethan knows that they live in

different time, it just happen they live in the same era.

Before they knew Hector and Groom standing behind them, Groom gives Lila a barbeque as

they look at the sky, and everyone was surprise to see shooting stars.

“Ten years of adventure has come to end huh” Groom said with slightly sadness on his

voice.

“Yeah I cannot say it was easy but I enjoy the decades we are together” Hector said.

Lila looks at them while chewing and swallowed “It was merely ten years”

“What are you saying Lila, ten years is a very long, we been adventuring for over a

decade”

Lila look at Ethan while she took a bit and said “It was merely a ten years, I don’t

really understand”

Ethan smile looking at Lila that is looking on the shooting stars as he lay down to

get a proper view of the sky as the wind blows.

“Meteriod stars are what they called these shooting stars that happen only every fifty

years” Lila said.

“Now the hero party are officially disbanded, thank you for decade of companion it

was tough and we faces countless battles that almost ended our lives but it was

enjoyable” Ethan said it as loud as he can.

“Enough of gloomy stuff let’s enjoy our last night together” Hector said as he walks

back toward where all the party is going on.

People see the hero party is coming back to the party everyone began to cheer as Ethan

and others began to dance as the music plays, everyone has having a good time,

everyone has smile on their faces.

Lila look at the peoples happy faces as Ethan, Hector and Groom happily dancing with

everyone, she sat down in one of the table near a empty stall smiling as she

still observing, thinking her journey with Ethan and others maybe comes to end

and after this they will walk on different path not knowing when they going to

meet again.

When people having fun the time flew by, the sun started to raise indicating that

the new has dawn, the first day of peace and new era began, everyone look at

the sun as it’s shines, replacing the dark and birds began to sing.

Lila stands up and walks back to the inn where she rent a room and began to pack her

belongings as the sunshine began to lights the city she open the windows, as

the sunlight brings lights to the dark room revealing how messy it is, she look

at it and let out a big sigh on defeat and squat as she one by one picks up the

books scattered across the room.

After a while she finished cleaning the room she look at the now clean room and let

out big smug with self satisfaction with herself and she pick up her bag and

left the room with the sound of the door closes, she slowly went down on stairs

as expected no one in the front desk it was no surprise since everyone been

partying up until now, she left the key room on the desk and left.

Walking on now empty streets, there some open shops but there is no customer, the city

is rather quite like an abandon city, but Lila likes every silence off it since

last night it’s very noisy that she rather got uncomfortable but she didn’t

want to spoil the mood of everyone she end up coming.

Now she notice she didn’t Ethan and others, thinking maybe they already went home

to take a rest since they couldn’t get a proper rest ever since they left after

the battle is over, after that they help tending to the wounded soldiers who

bravely fought alongside with them.

Reaching the city’s gate she saw Ethan and others are waiting for her she ran toward

them and put her bag down.

“I was worried that already left without saying goodbye” Ethan said and he looked

at Hector who passes out on the side.

“Hector passed out when we rushed to gate and didn’t see you here, he thought you

already leave” Ethan added.

Groom walks toward Hector and slap him and said “Hector wake up, Lila is still here”

“I went back to the inn to get my belongings and also it took awhile to clean it

so” Lila said with low voice and bit sight of sadness to it, knowing after this

the hero party is going to officially disbanded.

“What are you going to do now?” Lila asks.

“Well I got recommendation to be a instructor to the royal palace I was thinking

accepting it, because even though we are the party of hero who defeated demon

lord we still need money to live” Ethan replied.

“I see, what about you Groom?”

“I haven’t think about it yet, maybe I guess I’ll return to my hometown for the

time being and try to figure out what I’m going to do”

“What about you Hector?”

“I got recommendation to the royal city so after this I’m going there, I’m going

to be the high priest there” Hector replied with smug face.

“I’m worried for the unfortunate soul who will fill victim to this pedo-priest” Lila

replied with obvious disappointment voice.

“How cruel, it’s true that I love young girls but I haven’t gone in the line, I just

adore how innocent and cute they are” Hector said it while laughing creepily.

“The royal city is going to be alright, even me is worried now” Ethan remarks with

worried voice and Groom just nod in agreement in Ethan.

“Come on guys! You know me I haven’t touched any young girls throughout our journey

right” Hector defends his self.

“But you tried to peek on me once while I’m taking a bath in the forest lake” Lila

said with disgusted voice.

“I told you it was a misunderstanding, I got hung over the night before and I was

just trying to find some water to drink I didn’t know you there” Hector was

desperately defending himself.

Everyone just laugh seeing Hector desperate face trying to prove himself he is not that kind

of person they think of him, but of course everyone knew about it they just

messing to him.

“What about you Lila what are you going to do?” Ethan asks.

Lila pick up her bag and said “I going to travel around to collect magic’s as I

always wanted, and maybe visit her on the way back, I’m going to visit once in

awhile and let me know if Hector receive death sentence in near future I will

surely attend his execution”

“Oi!” Hector angrily said.

Lila turn her back and starts to walk as the three watches her slowly disappearing

on their site and in a while she completely gone they look at each other and

smile and starts to walk back to the capital.

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