"You are boy?"
Morgan, who walked side by side with him, was surprised by the notion, having thought of Genno as a girl because of his looks, as she wasn't expecting this feminine boy to be male. On the other hand, she wanted to believe their savior was lying, but looking at their current situation, jokes or lies aren't what they need at the moment.
Nodding expressionlessly, "Yeah," was all the long-haired teenager answered in his soft and monotone voice. He did not seem bothered by this; perhaps he is used to being mistaken for a girl or could care less about what others thought of him.
She wanted to say something else but stopped doing so after glancing behind her shoulder, seeing Billy far back and clutching his musket with a melancholic look. The poor boy looked incredibly tired, completely drained from seeing their friend die, as he continued focusing on the ground, barely acknowledging his surroundings.
As they continue to walk with her hands still holding the unconscious Seth, Morgan doesn't know what to do after Guan Yu died. She felt weak without the man who held all of them together like family. Without his leadership and insightful speeches, it seems she has to be in charge now.
But how can she do it? Being the only adult in this group, she must be able to guide these children through their trials and tribulations with her guidance, but unfortunately, after everything that has happened, the witch isn't sure anymore about herself.
It bothers her how everything was under that man's guidance; she felt useless for being an adult who lacked conviction in her own decision-making, as her confidence in becoming a leader was quickly destroyed upon learning how dependent she is on her deceased comrade.
There is nothing she can do but feel sad for the person who has done so much for her and others, a man who has become her strength and solace in the uncertainty of the world. He was her support for who she is today and for everyone else as well.
Now he's dead, and it feels unbelievable how anyone can lose their life in any moment, seeing how they managed to form strong friendships before all of it came crushing down when unfortunate circumstances led him to meet his end. She will forever grieve for his loss, for he was a good man, inside and out.
"You three were the only ones alive I found from the village."
The sudden response from Genno broke away her troubling thoughts: "Did you live with them?" She asked, curious and worried in general about how the person who saved them would react to this news: "I'm sorry about it; if only I had arrived sooner."
"No," blunt and swift was his answer, "it wouldn't have made a difference in saving their lives," clarifying everything that she had expected to hear once again: "everyone there was dead except you and him," glancing back at the blond boy and then her before focusing on the road ahead.
"I see..." Her voice trailed off with a sullen undertone. The truth hurt her more than ever before, but she accepted it for what it is: "What's done is done," which is far too late to do anything. As such, she decided to move on. "Where are we going?" Finally realizing how unfamiliar territory they are currently in.
"To a hideout I own," he said without much to add, "once we arrive, we can rest up for the night," pointing at a light source coming across the darkened forest, "is there anything else you want from me?" expresses his own disinterest in engaging in pointless small talk.
Morgan stared at him for a long moment before speaking, "Why save us?" Confused of stranger's motives to intervene, "we never met," in fact, she couldn't remember encountering or seeing him, "so why bother?" Wanting to know the reason for saving their lives.
For a moment, she saw a glimpse of a horrified and sad expression on the boy's face, but it faded quickly before she realized it. She then blinked to make sure it was not a part of her imagination as Genno began to explain the reason for his actions.
"Someone I promised to," was his simple and brief response. "That's all you need to know." The matter of the discussion was finished as he turned around to observe the woods in silence. He frowned, not liking how he was getting questions from someone he had decisively rescued.
While she wasn't sure the reason for his motives, Morgan felt the need to show appreciation to those who had helped them, saying, "If it wasn't for you, then Guan Yu's death would be in vain," wanting to give proper thanks after seeing his demise.
Interest piqued in his mind: "Was that old man your father?" He curiously asked, remembering seeing the blond boy sobbing over the man's death, interested to see who the giant is as the man shared some similarities of Asian descent: "He wasn't really your kin, was he?" Trying to confirm his doubts.
The question made her feel uneasy: "Sadly no," he wasn't anyone related to him but wouldn't mind if that were the case; "Guan Yu is a good man and warrior, the best person I know," closing her eyes briefly to respect the dead. The old warrior has earned her deep respect for many things, but not enough words can express her gratitude: "He died to save us just so we could get a second chance at living."
Upon hearing this, Genno glanced over his shoulder with a neutral look, seeing how distressed and depressed Billy appeared to be. "He almost..." The boy mumbled, shaking as he spoke to himself with a quiet whisper, "I want to know something first." There was suspicion in his voice.
Morgan nodded, "Whatever you want," being polite and willing to answer his inquiries. If there is anyway she can repay the favor for saving them, then it is answering any question the boy has for her: "I will tell what I know," she says without hesitation.
"Is he Chinese?" He asked, assuming from what she explained to him that the old man was possibly of eastern nationality. In which case, the Asian man's fighting style reminded him of traditional samurai in his homeland, using the polearm as his primary weapon with great skill to maneuver it around and strike his opponents.
Surprised by the question, she nodded with an answer, "Yes, he is," unsure of what he was trying to accomplish here. "Is he related to you in some way?" I wanted to know more about his strange answer. She didn't want to pry, but curiosity got the better of her.
Seeing how uncomfortable the woman is, he gave her a reassuring glance, "There is nothing to worry about," making his reassurance known to her, "just wondering," crossing his arms as he added in with contemplation of the matter, "for I did not expect anyone else to be transported into this fantasy world," his bluntness taking the witch aback in surprise.
"Your...you are one of the heroes that the king summoned?" Wonder and awe were in her tone: "I didn't know there was someone who also shared the same fate as Billy and Seth," having presumed that these people were summoned to save the world from The Dark Lord.
Genno simply shrugged in response, "That explains the strange attire," mentioning the party's unique clothing and appearance in general as a small smile crept upon his face, "to think that some are actually foreigners to this world," finding it less lonely after discovering that he isn't the only outsider in this new home of his.
Silence then followed, letting the sound of crickets fill in the emptiness around them. The moon shines brightly overhead while darkness continues to linger amongst the trees and bushes that they passed by, illuminated by the few fireflies that glowed around.
Wherever they are, there is no sign of civilization anywhere nearby; only the sounds of wildlife and rustling leaves fill the air. To say this is reassuring would be a lie for her since there are many dangers in the forest at night, like the undead monsters that roam around or bandits who prey on travelers.
If those don't kill them, then starvation or dehydration certainly will. "How far until we reach there?" She expressed concern for their survival along with their growing exhaustion, and Seth is still unconscious as of right now and is unable to defend himself when they're attacked.
"Not far," pointing toward the light again from the distance, "less than ten minutes if we are lucky," he said, quickening his pace as the two follow behind him. They needed to rest since staying out in the dark with a bunch of monsters and beasts that lurk in the shadows isn't a smart idea.
But for Morgan, it is better than being far away from that village. But as she thought of it, something else came to her mind: "I never saw you before," she suddenly said, catching Genno's attention. "I used to live with their village, but I never saw you."
After thinking for a few seconds, he only came up with one logical reason for this: "because I was summoned late." He answered in a calm, casual, and smooth manner, "I came to this world by Midas, who fancy himself as king," gritting his teeth at the last part, "after I was forced to leave my own home." Anger and sadness well up inside, feeling both resentment and hatred towards the one who took him away.
The information caused the woman to become confused and troubled. "Forced?" She repeated, her eyes wide as realization struck her, "You never wanted to be here?" Processing everything as fast as her brain could handle, the words didn't seem to click for her: "You were brought here against your will?"
"Yes, and likely the others before or after me had also experienced the same," his frown grew deeper as he recalled memories of old days back at the capital, "that is another reason why I saved the three of you," deciding to disclose some of the truth to her since he already found her to be trustworthy enough.
His explanation made sense to her, but something else was amiss: "How did you know it was us?" I find it hard to believe since no one aside from the king has information about what and who they are. Only the identity is known by Midas himself.
Sighing heavily, "your strange attire and looks," repeating himself from earlier, "that is how I realize you people weren't originated in this world," he clarified for the second time what he meant by foreigners in general, "but then again, I have only spent a few months living in seclusion," casually told her in regards to his experience in this fantasy realm.
Morgan nodded while still thinking on his words, "That is a good enough reason," taking a couple of minutes to analyze every detail of his explanation and considering it to be reasonable enough for her. "Now that I think of it," she said, muttering to herself as she remembered something important: "The dark lord must be a threat for King Midas to continue summoning many people."
Nodding back to her statement, "He's a fool for not recognizing his error in bringing innocent people here," she huffs angrily with narrowed eyes in disdain for this act, "kidnapping them to a world filled with monsters, undead, and beasts." Then the boy went silent, clenching his fists at this.
Realizing that Genno has some degree of contempt for this peculiar man, she decided to be silent and wait until the boy was willing to speak or do anything that involved explaining himself to her. But the chances are slim when they finally arrive at their designation.
Standing in front of a hidden small clearing behind the trees and bushes was the wall part of a large hill. Its rocky appearance, however, wasn't what caught their attention, for it had a wooden door with lanterns hanging on each side of the wall, giving it light and the potential to attract insects or unwanted guests altogether.
