Chapter 95: Vol. 2 – Chapter 41 – A Sweet Reunion

Vol. 2 – Chapter 41 - A Sweet Reunion

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The old lady, still in her rocking chair, glanced at Mathias and later at Vek, and with a curious expression, said while pointing at the young kobold.

"That little pet of yours, is that a kobold?"

Vek wanted to refute such claims, yet Mathias told him that he had to play along if he didn't want the humans in the city to feel threatened by him.

'Humans are so weird. It's clear I am not Mathias's pet and they still insinuate that aspect. But I can manage it, so far they have been good with me without treating me like some monster.' thought Vek when hearing the old lady comments, later raising his head at Mathias to see what he would do.

"Madam, he isn't my pet, instead is a friend of mine who journeyed out with me. He wants to become a famous adventurer, exploring the wide world, and testing himself with the challenges the world has in store for him."

"So, the kobold isn't your pet? You should be careful since there are people who feel too arrogant to even accept that a person of a different species entered Titan without the supervision of someone else. Hah, I am too old to be bothered by those things, so better tell others the kobold is your familiar or pet to not get dragged in some unnecessary things."

"Thanks, madam, but it will be fine, it is not my first time in Titan." said Mathias with a calm smile, while the old lady got up from her chair, wrapping the blanket around her body, complaining slightly about the weather which had turned colder.

"Ahh, I should start acquiring wood for the winter, it already gets quite chilly at night that I have to use this blanket. By how the weather has turned, the first snowfall isn't that far."

Soon she went to the part of her booth and took in her hands some masquerade masks she showed Mathias, a full mask of silver-white color that could cover his entire face, but then added when gazing at Vek.

"There's nothing for kobolds. I might sound hateful, but those masks were only created for humans and elves, maybe they could be worn by dwarves or gnomes if I gave them a child's size. Sorry, but this old lady can't do anything about it."

Vek, who saw Mathias fiddle with the white mask that had a clean design, with only some decorations around his temples, looked at the old lady, telling her in a calm tone.

"I am okay without a mask. Thank you for trying to find something for me."

"Ohh, he even knows to talk in the common language. Good boy, for that I will try searching harder, if I am not wrong there should be something for the dogs of the noble ladies when they take them to The Masquerade."

While the old lady went back to search a mask for dogs, Vek turned his head at Mathias who took his hat off and started gathering his disheveled long hair arranging it before pulling it back and starting doing some braids, which confused Vek making him want to throw a question about something he didn't understand.

"Mathias, what is 'The Masquerade' the old lady mentioned?"

"Hmm? That's an annual Carnaval staged by the Imperial House to bring together the young of the city and act as a matchmaker. Going there youngsters can find their partner, but the interesting aspect is that everything is shrouded by the intrigue of the mask. Apart from this, you might lay your hands on some high noblewoman and that will come to haunt you later."

"Apart from this, there will be all sorts of spectacles, from people performing music, theatrical acts, and even exotic spectacles."

"I still don't understand what you said, but I guess I will have to see it with my two eyes to have a concrete image." replied Vek while Mathias only chuckled, agreeing with the assumption.

He was still arranging his long hair, reaching the finishing touches where he used the braids he did to tie down his hair in a man-bun, before placing his black hat on his head.

{What's the reason for the new hairstyle?}

'Nothing big, I just felt those stares hitting my back feeling annoying, so I opted to make my hair shorter by tying it down. Why?'

{Never tried growing my hair, since my tribe had a law of men having their hair cut short. Ahh, I feel like an old man now thinking about those humble origins of mine.}

'Glad to know that, it makes you more relatable and easier to approach, compared to a high and mighty being who started haunting me, such as a forgotten God.'

{No need to mention, young pup. Right now I am just an old fart without any power}

.

By the time Mathias finished putting in order his new hairstyle, the old lady, Ann, returned from her booth holding in hand a mask that was a large cone mouth, along with all the rest of the mask parts, and when she got to the boys, she placed the mask on Vek's head and saw if it was fitting him.

"Seems a bit large at the snout, but you will handle it, right, little boy?"

"It's all good, lady. Thank you."

Ann shifted a smile on her old face, and patted Vek's head, before turning to Mathias who held in his hand the mask, with the hair now tied down.

"It seems you want to surprise someone or want to hide from something. While I never saw red-heads in Titan, those eyes I feel I saw them before. So they aren't really that special if I have seen them in my life."

"It's the later part, madame. How much would the masks be?"

"2 gold coins." said the old lady in a casual way, as she returned to her chair, gazing at Mathias with a face seeming to tell, she knew something.

Handing her the money in a careful way to make sure she would drop the coins, he smiled at her when he closed her palm, making the old lady also smile, mentioning.

"I am not that old that I would drop the gold coins. Not a single coin from my palm got away from me. Thank you, young man, for buying from this old lady and not from those shrewd people who raise the prices of their goods, calling it "Better Quality". It means a lot to me."

"I know." told Mathias with a genuine kind expression, knowing the old lady's backstory, which was rather bitter tasted, thus he opted to buy from her knowing she needed the money for her granddaughter's sickness.

How did he know about the old lady's story? Mainly because Fayrene bought a lot of house decorations from her, and himself acting like a carriage for her, he found certain things, which made him sigh, at how unfortunate certain people could be even in this Fantasy World.

If someone would even think for a moment, that a Fantasy World was all sunshine and rainbows, without people suffering from sickness or poverty, and all the hurdles the outside was experiencing was like wearing a blindfold and remaining blind to such aspects of life.

.

.

Departing while buying from Lady Ann some other gifts for Fayrene and Jeanne, still unknown if they would remember him, it made Vek and Haycien question his choices again, to which he preferred to remain silent.

{Ohh, I get it, those are the gifts for your ladies. But didn't you already get the earrings and the bracelet? Don't tell me you got encroached with some courtesan that would dry you of all the low amount of money you have?}

'That's not it, old man. Don't stress yourself about my personal life. Fayrene and Jeanne are sweethearts who don't even care about my financial situation. Hah, this makes me tell you a story, so perk up apparently because I will only tell this story once.'

He began telling Haycien about the Beta Phase while omitting certain details which were unnecessary for the old man to know, but in sort, he explained the hurdle the outlanders had to experience before. They relieved their life again inside the World and acquired a plentiful amount of experiences or even bountiful relations.

Thus, telling Haycien about how he met Fayrene, how he tasted death for the first time because she wanted to test a spell on him, and later going into small details about how the feelings for her started brewing with the time he had to spend constantly close to her, from learning to tailor, and even magic from her.

The old ghost was silent for all the process of the story, but Mathias could still hear some sounds of emotions from him, then when he told Haycien about how he passed the Ancient Tree before, it made the latter scratch his white hair and beard.

{It seems familiar, you said you heard some sort of voice while passing correct?}

'Yes, but at that time I thought it was just me imagining voices, and it was already late for me to explore more into details.'

{No problem, it must be those gods who got angry at you outlanders not knowing how to put you in check.}

'You can take it as such.'

As he walked off the Grand Market, he started going toward the Wallmor District, his home inside Satisfy while reaching the end of his story.

Vek could see many interesting places left and right, with people crossing the streets making this place feel alive and full of spirit. The people he saw since entering Titan City, overshadowed the population of his tribe so much that it was scary thinking what such force could do to his home.

Many interesting shops appeared in his sight, enabling him to grasp certain ideals of the humans that would prove useful for himself and his people. From taverns to clothing shops, as the young kobold walked close to Mathias who was hiding his face using the Masquerade Mask, there were more shops he didn't understand their utilities, similar to the Grand Market.

'This adventure is worthed. I would have never seen so many people in my life, if I didn't go together with Mathias. So many people and they seem to have simple clothes unlike some of the people in that 'Grand Market' Mathias mentioned.'

Mathias didn't even bother himself to check each individual place knocking on the door of the shops, because he knew each of them by heart, and even knew each owner of the shops, then when he entered the square of the Wallmor District where the small fountain was residing, he could see people gathered around and have a party.

'That's my story before everything had to end.' said Mathias to Haycien before walking toward the fountain and taking a place on a bench close by, watching the people drink, and celebrating something.

They didn't even bother with the newcomer who was masked, feeling it normal, and it was obvious since Wallmort was the home of the Clark Syndicate and all sorts of dangerous people lurked around this place. Yet, everything seemed calm, and the atmosphere was enjoyable to the ear to him, because of a man called Michael. He could see this NPC with a silver nameplate with lights of gold around it, who had a rather big level compared to most of the NPC around him with the exception of certain individuals.

[Michael - Lv. 215] (???)

The other guys, Mathias knew as his followers were level 180 and 190, yet the way he glanced at them was respectful without any hostility, something Michael picked when he gazed into his ruby eyes while drinking alcohol.

{Lad, your story was really intriguing and so touching that it reminded me of my first wife and early marriage days before I found my inner power. She was someone from my tribe, who gave birth to two of my sons, and who I treated as part of my soul. Those two girls, Fayrene and Jeanne, are good dolls. All I can wish for is that everything will be alright. So be courageous, son. You are now a Saharan, not some insignificant sissy to worry about what others will think about you.}

'I hope it will be alright, but I will not drop into despair. I am not that type of person, instead, I will win their hearts again.'

{That's my boy. That's how a Saharan lad should be. Dignified, Charming, Courageous, and Resolved.}

Whilst Haycien was trying to encourage Mathias, the latter patted the young's kobold head, asking him quietly.

"What do you think of Titan, little Vek?"

"Huge. With a lot of interesting places that have shining rocks on top of them."

"Sure, but you can't take them away otherwise we will get in trouble." remarked Mathias, when hearing about what Vek was thinking, implying he saw the gold on certain decorations in the Grand Market appealing, awakening his kobold instincts.

"Mathias, I know I shouldn't do anything bad, such as taking the rocks from certain places, and also the shiny ones. I don't want to trouble you since it will put a stop to my adventure."

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"Haha, so you still know your priorities." chuckle Mathias before, telling Vek about certain things that might seem interesting about this place they were, from the dangerous people here to the interesting people and activities one could do here.

"What is beer?"

"Is like the wine made by the Elder, but it tastes totally different. Right, how old are you, little Vek?"

"Hm, how old I am?" asked Vek before beginning to use his fingers to count his age, until he turned ar Mathias and telling. "I am 8 years old."

"Wow, so you are that young?"

"Indeed. Is something wrong?"

{That would be equivalent to 24 years old in human age since kobolds have a faster growth, and they multiply like rats. I mean it. I am even surprised the kobolds I settled in Gravelmark didn't reach numbers that would make them take over the mountain itself.}

'There are monsters in the mountain who prey on them, so the number is kept in check.'

{Most likely.}

Returning his focus back to Vek, he shook his head while responding casually. "I was just curious, nothing to worry about."

After another couple of minutes passed, he got on his feet, attracting the attention of the guys at the fountain, before they returned back on their drinking and partying, Mathias took Vek with him toward a small building with small decorations at the windows, but nothing extravagant like how the buildings in the Inner City area were decorated and built.

Vek could see immediately the shift in Mathias state, where the Red Energy around his body started to swain around like a flickering lightbulb. Looking around himself, he could see at the window a small candlelight, and later saw the placard with the name of the place.

[Night Fay Tailorshop]

"Hah, I am finally home after so long."

When Vek heard Mathias say that, he got closer to his back, and looked toward the door as Mathias knocked in a balanced way on the door.

There was no response from inside, even with his senses enhanced by Haycien's transformation, yet he didn't hurry to baseless conclusions. Still, with the mask on his face which hid the expression of worry on his face, he knocked on the door again.

Minutes passed and no response and another knock followed suit, where he placed his head on the door awaiting a response.

Thankfully no one had seen his expression of worry, but then with seconds passing, something new entered his ears, with the footsteps of someone being heard by him. Before the door was opened, Mathias removed his head from the door and went standing straight, awaiting.

"Haven't you read the placard, I am taking orders only on Mondays and Fridays. Why bother me at this late hour?"

The voice of the woman, he was awaiting rang in his ears which settled all his stress down, and when she opened the door she was holding in her hand an oil lamp to see in the darkness as a simple girl.

It was Fayrene, Fayrene Arundell, his Arcanist, standing right in front of him, unchanging. As elegant, and mesmerizing as when he left her, with silky raven hair reaching her waist, milky white skin, and violet eyes that could be noticed even with the lamp light, with a small fragment of perfume being sent off by her clothes, and hair.

On another hand, Fayrene, who didn't expect any visitors with except to players, where she behaved as if she was the apprentice of the tailor, never taking an order from them, to be entangled in unnecessary relations with the outlanders who behaved so friendly with her.

Their words were irking strongly in her mind, such as "You are lucky for getting a crafting class already." and so on, which she had absolutely no clue how to explain. Her Arcane Tome wasn't of use even with Mathias's notes.

Thus, with her new visitor, she tried to look for his name as she saw the players who acted friendly with her, but because of the hat he was wearing, it was impossible. It was a man of average high, with a silver-white mask made from ceramic with delicate ornaments which made her feel it was too expensive.

His clothes also looked too expensive and unique, never seeing them before in all the time she worked as her mother's assistant and as Tailoress inside the biggest city of the World, Titan. A black suit with delicate touches, assorted with a white-shirt and a red tie, making his ruby eyes, the only thing she could see from, along with some strands of crimson hair.

"Sigh, gentlemen you must be a noble who wants to make an order for a dress? Your lady dress perhaps? Hello? Sorry if I might be rude, but at this hour people are sleeping, so please hurry."

Fayrene said that while staring at the man with the silver-white mask, where she later noticed how the man placed his hand at his mask, making this encounter slightly awkward, but she remained quiet, awaiting a response.

"Good evening to you too, my lady. My apologies if I disturbed you from your studies." replied Mathias, who removed his mask, and also placed his hat back in his inventory, revealing his entire appearance, where Fayrene could see a young man with tied crimson hair and ruby eyes.

"Do I know you by chance? Your voice?"

Mentioning that, Fayrene could see in front of her eyes the name of the young man, making her look surprised, before shocked.

[Mathias - Lv. 32]

"My lady, if I am disturbing you, please tell me, so I can visit you another time." said Mathias, with a calm voice, stirring all sorts of emotions inside of her.

"It is you! Is it really you? MAT!" exclaimed Fayrene who dropped the lamp on the ground and dashing in the young man's embrace, placing her head in his chest and starting crying.

"I thought it was just a sweet dream since you have never come back after a month. But you returned to me."

Even Mathias started shedding some tears as he hugged Fayrene into his embrace, caressing her back before casting [Isolation] around themselves, and later saying with emotions in his tone.

"Everything worked out. From now on everything will be fine. No one will split us apart."

"Dear, what happened to you, your hair, and eyes? Is it really you, or am I dreaming again?"

"Don't worry, love. I will tell you everything that has happened to me. This hair and eyes mean nothing right now, all that matters is us."

"How have you been, Fay? Have you been healthy?" asked Mathias after kissing Fayrene on her lips, with Fayrene also making out for all the blank times she had to endure, with all sorts of perverts hitting on her from a large selection of people.

"I've been fine, there's been some problems and things I see which I can't explain or make in words how to describe them, but I will try. You have just returned to Titan, right? Come inside first, since your Isolation range has grown a lot since the last time I remember you using it."

Holding her in his arms, picking her up effortlessly, and touching her face with a delicate caress, he remarked calmly.

"A lot of things have changed, dear. Wait, your name is white?" inquired Mathias after taking a better look at her nameplate.

"So this is what your kind sees. I have not turned crazy after reading your letter. Hah, I can finally confess to those struggles I've been holding inside of me for so long."

"Wait, Fay, you have to take me slowly since I am still under the effects of emotions. Before we talk in private, let me introduce you to an interesting fellow who decided to follow me for my future adventures."

Fayrene turned her gaze on the masked smaller creature, whose name she could see it without problems as [Vek - Lv. 45], making it easier for her to understand certain things, but she had no idea what creature Vek was.

"He is called Vek, I can see it too."

"Indeed, Vek, please let me introduce you to my soul mate, Fayrene."

"Fayrene, Vek is a Dragonwrought of the Gravelmark Kobold Tribe."

With Mathias placing her down from his embrace, Fayrene took some steps toward Vek who removed his mask, revealing his kobold features that had some closer resemblance to a humanoid rather than a kobold and later lowering herself to his level, she extended her hand for a greeting.

"Lady Fayrene, I heard about you from Mathias along the journey here. It is my pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise, Vek. I hope you get used to living around with humans and don't get upset when some of the humans will throw insults and look down at you for the way you look since I too have my own defects which I welcome fully."

Then, she picked up the lamp she took, and while holding Mathias's hand, she got back inside the house, lighting up the candles for the salon where Mathias used to relax, while writing and sewing.

"Wow, there's so many things here." commented Vek before Fayrene even lit the candles to welcome back Mathias.

"I've tried to keep it as it was back then, but there are lots of decorations missing." replied Fayrene to Vek, after making some light in the salon room, and with the couple of Mathias and Fayrene opening up to each other about their times separated, she mentioned to him in a calm voice.

"Mat, there is also someone else who is waiting for you night by night, so you better didn't forget about her."

Fayrene could feel some tremble in Mathias's hands, before she gazed at his face giving off a relieved smile, while later feeling his caress.

"How can I forget about you two. How could I? Even if my letter wouldn't be imprinted in the Tome, I would still return for you and win your hearts again."

They kissed again, before leaving Vek inside the salon room, and walking toward their private room, where they settled her reading table, glazing at each other, and sometimes at the Ancient Tome giving off a white-purple light, a brighter color compared to his Arcane Magic.

He even extended his hand and released his arcane energy to make a sparrow which made Fayrene surprised by how easily Mathias formed his spell, and also the dark-purple color of his arcane.

"The arcane, it changed for you. What grade have you managed to awaken by yourself without me?"

"This time I managed to gain the Grade A, and this dark-purple light from what I managed to figure out myself, it is linked to the Chaos Element."

"You've been 'Chaos Blessed'?" inquired Fayrene in a soft tone while she took the sparrow in her hands, and looked at it.

"How do you know?" asked Mathias back, the woman who initiated him on this path.

"Because I am blessed by the 'Order'."

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