The Quest

After saying that, Aimer stares at Abelard lightly.

“So, Tell me young Abelard! How many types of enemy have you fought?”

His voice sounds quite sexy and relax. Even when it was women who were talking to him, they would definitely be provoked by everything he said.

"Okey Let’s see… Well, there are so many of them, So I can’t remember it one by one.”

“Alright then, Let me change my question. Then, have you fought the human type?“

Abelard’s eyes getting wider as he heard Aimer. His back gets stiffened up to his throat that he could barely speak.

“Human type??”

“As I thought… You never met them, right?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then congratulations…. I think this time on this quest. You are going to meet them.”

“What?”

His face looks strange, his mind confused by the intent of his interlocutor. Slowly, he turns to Aahva in the hope that he would know something from Aahva, but Aahva was just looking at Aimer.

“Well.. Actually, young Abelard, you have met the human type.” Said Aimer.

Aahva’s eyes getting wider, his back gets tightened, his breath stopped in one jolt. When he finally reliaze, he was going to stop Aimer.

“But…, perhaps you don’t remember it for now. You can ask your old man if you’d like to.”

Aimer’s looking at Aahva with a smile on his face, but in the other hand. His heart stopped beating for a moment, then very quickly started beating again. His nerves tightened, which made his whole body stiffen. Aahva was a little surprise. To get rid of his awkwardness. He purposely coughed lightly.

“Well, boy… If you are asking the one we fought then, perhaps I can’t answer it now, but as you heard from Aimer, perhaps this time you’ll find the answer by yourself.”

“Hhhmmm… Okey. I’ll see myself later.”

Abelard might look obedient. But deep inside his heart, he suspects that there’re something they are hiding from him because of their unusual behavior.

“Hey, perhaps now. You guys want to hear some more?.” Say Aimer.

“Go ahead.” Say Aahva.

“From the information I got from the locals, there is no trace of blood other than the corpse. You could say the devil this time has a mind than an ordinary wild devil. But that wouldn’t scare you, would it, young Abelard?”

“Heh, I have been hunting demons with old man Aahva since I was sixteen. You think this will make me tremble?”

Aahva’s lips purses, A very low laugh comes out a few times, his eyes are sparkling. Little by little, relief grows in his heart. His gaze turns to Abelard with his right hand sustaining his head and casually crossing his left leg over his right leg.

 “Did you hear that Aimer?, This kid has grown up right?”

“Yeah, you could say that only his body grew.”

Abelard is offended by Aimer’s words, and Aahva is somehow toying with him. Their faces are looking at Abelard with funny looks.

“Hei, hei, hei..! You old dudes are making fun of me, huh!?”

Aimer’s face grows even more suspicious with an expression that holds back his laugh at Abelard’s funny reaction.

“Yah, that’s not it, young Abelard. I’m just a little carried away because of your behavior. That always makes me want to laugh, but I can say you’ve grown up.”

“Hhmm, alright. I will let go of your lies this time.”

Aimer encourages Abelard with a sweet smile etches on his lips.

“Ha ha ha. Young Abelard, you are indeed a child who always sets the mood. So this time, do your best!”

 “AHEM!! Alright Aimer, that’s enough joking, this time tell the host in front of you more detail information!”

Aimer stopped the joke that was directed at Abelard and now his face turns serious too.

“The location of the incident in the western region, the inner Sufyan forest.”

While Aahva sips the black tea that Abelard brewed, Aimer continues to share all the information he knows.

As soon as Aimer finishes, he takes a sip of Abelard’s tea. While enjoying the tea, he’s glancing at Abelard.

A thought crosses Aimer’s mind. A sly smile appears on his face. Abelard can feel an unsightly aura being directed towards him.

“Hemm, ahh…”

Aimer smells the sweet smell of Abelard’s very thick black tea.

“As usual, your tea is absolutely delicious. Every sip tastes like pure honey combined with the aroma of white roses.”

Abelard is starting to lose his smile, and now his straight face is back.

“Hah!, Is that a compliment?, It’s unusual for you to say that. Plus, you’ve felt it many times.”

Abelard never really liked every word that came out of Aimer’s mouth because, since Abelard was a little, he liked to tease Abelard so much. But even though Aimer behaved like that to Abelard. They are chummy at each other.

“No, it’s not like that. I really like your tea, really. You should also bring a cake or some biscuits next time!”

“Heh! You don’t know how to say thanks, huh?, Then where are your souvenirs, Sir?”

“Ha ha ha ha, Yah, I think in the next few years I won’t be bored with you.”

“Ah, that’s enough Aimer!, Abelard! Prepare the weapons and horse carriage! Let’s get to work now.!”

“Alright… While you two are on the work, I’m going to stay here for now and lazying around…..”

“Well, get some rest then. Wait for us to return.” Say Aahva.

“Got that, Captain….”

Abelard immediately stands up when his teacher orders without protest, but his eyes still glare at Aimer with disapproval while Aimer is still smiling at him.

Abelard prepares various knives and, of course, his flagship sword that Aahva gave him when he was eighteen years old. Aahva always uses firearms, so he only needs a lot of bullets.

After all the luggages, get packed up to the horse carriage, which was prepared for various trips. A tall man wears a round black hat with a red ribbon wrapped around his hat, which has a white bird feather on the right side of his hat. He’s wearing a black suit and black trousers that fit very well to his body. As he’s walking, he puts on his coat manly. Aahva, who has suited up with a formal clothes like a high-ranking officer that makes him look authoritative, approach him.

 “Hei boy!”

Abelard couldn’t turn his eyes away from Aahva’s charisma, that looks handsome even though he is quite old.

 “You always look dashing every time the coat and that hat are at you.”

“Ha ha ha, you definitely want it, right?”

“Yeah. Not meaningful, but I always imagine every time you look like that, when would I can have my own styles? “

“Ha ha ha, Abelard, someday you will get your own styles and when you do. Make sure you have something that is meaningful to you.”

“Hhmm, I don’t get it now?”

“Yeah, I think it’s not in the near future. So everything is ready?”

“Of course! Bullets, knifes, and others are packed up.”

“Alright, you drive!”

When Abelard is about to sit down on the horse carriage, Aahva remembers something that he wanted Abelard to know.

“Abelard!”

“What?” Answered Abelard nicely.

“What if someday….”

“What? tell me!”

“What are you gonna do if you found out something that is not you woundn’t beliave yourself?”

At the same time with Abelard, who just sit, he hears the sentence which is not easy for him to understand.

“Hhmmm, what are you trying to say?” Abelard narrowes his eyes.

“Nothing. Anyway Abelard, I have a plan for you to do. But before I tell you that. You must ride this carriage. I’ll tell you while on the ride.”

Abelard still narrowed his eyes. His gaze was very sharp, even though it was not directed at Aahva. He senses that something was wrong with Aahva’s words before. He could feel something that is bugging him right now.

“Hey old man… You know, I always wonder why did you become the devil hunter and why are you always avoiding every time I ask you how did you adopt me? ”

His voice is very relaxed and deep. He is not tense either, but his eyes are very sharp. Abelard can’t hold any longer his suspicion. He finally got up the courage to test his guts on Aahva.

On the other hand, Aahva’s breath briefly stops when Abelard asks that. But he remains calm. The atmosphere between the two becomes silent.

“Sorry uncle… I shouldn’t say that. Let’s go.”

Abelard closes his eyes. Trying to clear his suspicions and calm himself, he takes a deep breath. Then run the horse carriage.

Besides that, Aahva was holding his mind back.

‘Sorry boy.. But I can’t let you know about that now. You should wait longer to know everything.’

The carriage is starting to run. When they come out of the base, there is someone Abelard knows is standing by the side of the road and Abelard stops by before him.

“What?, Don’t look at me with that sad face of yours, young Abelard!” Say Aimer.

“Hurry up! Just tell us what you want!”

“I just wanna remind you about what we talked before, Young Abelard. Don’t be mad at me, okey”

“Just that?, Okey good bye..”

“Ohh I forgot Aahva, the time is near. The choice is yours. They’ll be here soon.”

“Got that. Take good care of everything while I’m gone!”

“Don’t you worry about it.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Ask Abelard.

“Oohh, it’s a secret between me and your old and of course, a surprise for you.”

Eventually, they depart from their place. In Abelard’s mind, he’s still confused by Aahva’s words just now.

In the middle of their journey, the atmosphere of passing through the trees with the cool morning breeze where the birds are chirping and flying around. Two horses run, pulling two people. One is inside of carriage and one of them is a horse courier.

“Hey, tell me about what were you going to say!”

 “About what?”                 

“About your plan for me, of course.”

“Actually, I was gonna tell you when we were home. Alright Abelard, Are you ready to hunt on your own?”

His voice sounds very firm. The tide of his eyes aims at Abelard from behind his back sharply.

 “What?”

Abelard’s heart stops beating for a second, the nerves in his brain are electrocuted with such high power that his eyeballs almost popped out. He also looks at Aahva through the window behind him.

“I want you to hunt down the devils in the other areas which are quite hard for us to reach right now!”

 “Are you sure about it?”

“Of course… It is your responsibility, too. Besides that, I have a little surprise for you on this plan”

“What?? Why don’t you just tell me now?, While we haven’t arrived at our destination.”

“It woundn’t be a surprise if I tell you now, But I think you would like it when you find it out.”

A smile is etched on Abelard’s face. His eyes are sparkling with curiosity in his heart. So happy he is, a silly idea is flying in his head. He laughs lightly.

“Hahaha, what kind of surprise did you prepare for me?, At least you’ll throw me out, right? Or am I going to be sacrificed for some strange ceremony somewhere? Oh wait! Aimer said if someone came earlier, So I will be sold as a bodyguard or a slave then?”

“Heh? Very funny! Where did that thought come from? Your fantasy is too wild, you know.”

“Who knows?”

 “You know Abelard, Someday I’ll die, when that day comes. I’d like you to take my place, at least just for a moment. And I hope you can do everything better than me. And also I hope you…”

“What?”

“No, nothing. Just remember what I tell you just now. Cuz I don’t know how much longer I can live by your site.”

“Hey, Don’t say that! You’re creeping me out!”

“Every living thing would die someday. Why can’t I say that? Besides that Abelard, we are the devil hunter. We destroy the devil to protect humanity from their interference. In doing our work, of course, we risk our lives. So when will we die!? We can’t know that.”

“You’re right… It is true… but every fallen tree will give a place for another new tree that will replace it and with another tree lives, many others would get benefits from it.”

“Heh! You are too much talking, boy! Someday there will be a girl who will not accept your sentence just now”

Abelard laughs out loud because of relief over his teacher and return to his good mood.

“Hhmmmn, I think we’ll just see about it and hey.. Perhaps I should practice how to treat a girl more nicely. Besides, I think I’ll never get closer to them with my own condition now. Don’t you agree, old man?”

Aahva is smiling at Abelard. He realizes that his mind had already found the right answer that Abelard himself would never have thought. But his heart holds back that thought and choose not to tell Abelard now.

“Yeah, perhaps for now.”