Chapter 91 - 90: Chipworth Town

My gaze was fixated on the flickering flames of the campfire, I was thinking about various different things. 

As I was gazing at the campfire, a little girl walked in front of me obstructing my view of the campfire.

Even with the darkness of the forest, I was clearly able to see the sparkly blue eyes of the little girl. 

"Big brother, what are you doing here?" asked Illya. 

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would sit near the campfire, till I fall asleep." 

"So, I will sit with big brother to keep him company!!"

Placing my hand over her head, I gently patted her saying "As much as I would love company, but you should sleep. You are a growing girl, you should sleep enough to grow healthier."

"Big brother sounds like a father." 

I could help but chuckle, "I do?"

Puffing up her cheeks, "Big brother let me stay with you!!!" said Illya, pouting. 

Giving up, I said "Fine, since you will be going back to your parents tomorrow. I will let you stay awake, but not for long." 

Her previous lit-up face saddened up as she said "tomorrow, big brother and Illya will say goodbye. Where will big brother go?"

Oh, that's right!! I never told her that,

Clearing my throat, I spoke up "Ahem, my house is actually two hours away from the Chipworth town, so I will be able to visit you frequently." 

"Really!!!" she exclaimed, her face lit up with happiness. 

"Shush! everyone is sleeping," I said shushing her, 

She laughed as she said "Shush!" repeating me. 

"When will big brother be sleeping?" she asked,

"Ummm, when Illya will fall asleep, after that big brother will also fall asleep" 

Squinting her eyes together, she stared at me,

"Liar!!!!" 

"Eh?"

"Big brother is a liar!!!"

"Eh?!!"

"You won't sleep, you are lying." said Illya, she grabbed my hand as she dragged me to her tent, "Come with me big brother." 

Dragging me to her camp, she made me sleep beside her. Wrapping her little arms around my head, she started patting my head. 

"My mom used to make me sleep like this," she said.

She started humming a lullaby, why doesn't it have any lyrics in it? most probably because she doesn't remember any.

I closed my eyes, I might as well try to sleep. But it won't work since the voice will start anyways. 

"Please... spare ---"

The voice stopped? the voice disappeared, it was overlapped by the voice of Illya's humming.

My eyes were getting heavy as I seeped into a peaceful slumber.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was morning, I opened my eyes to find out that a tiny set of warm hands was still wrapped around me. 

It was the hands of Illya as she was sleeping beside me, holding me tight.

I turned my head to the right to find that Aetna was seated beside me, 

"Good morning, Grey." 

Her warm smile was a pleasant sight to see as the first thing in the morning.

"Good morning, Aetna."

"You were finally able to sleep."

"Yes,"

After a brief pause, she opened her mouth saying "Now I understand."

"Understand what?"

"That the secret of making you sleeping is holding you tightly as you sleep."

A cheeky smile curved up my lips as I asked "Are you sure? you know, a couple do this sort of stuff."

Hiding her face between her hair, she spoke up,

"I don't--- I don't mind being like a couple with you."

she tried her best to hide her embarrassment. But it was a failed attempt to hide her rose-colored blush.

Cute cute cute cute, CUTE!! 

I found myself speechless, couldn't be able to reply with anything in return. 

At that very moment, Rudi called out to me from outside the tent "Grey, let's go!! we are getting late."

"Okay," I replied to him as I picked up sleeping Illya in my arms.

Later we mounted on the horse, I held Illya in one hand and controlled the horse from another. 

After an hour of travel, she woke up. She turned her little head around to look at me,

"Good morning, Illya." I greeted her.

"I wasn't on a warm comfortable bed?" she asked, confused.

"No, you were sleeping in my arms. You can sleep more if you want because there is still a little time left to reach the Chipworth city."

"No!!! I want to spend more time with brother Grey!!!" 

"Okay." 

After a little pause, I asked "Illya, what are your parents like?"

"Illya's parents? they are really really hard-working people. Even when there was no food in the house, papa would give me his portion of the food. Mom was a very kind and wonderful person, she thought me how to write.

She even tells me different kinds of stories about the God Demis. Mom and dad really believe in god Demis, Even Illya believes in God Demis, Illya also believes in Nyx." she said, then she turned to me as she continued,

"But, Illya believes in big brother Grey more than Illya believes in God Demis and Nyx."

I couldn't help as a smile curved my lips,

"Thanks for believing in me. If your parents are such a wonderful person then we should give you to them as quickly as possible, since they might be worried."

"Yes!"'

We traveled through the forest for about three hours, before finally reaching the gates of Chipworth town. We have arrived here just before the sun was about to set. 

Chipworth town was not originally a town, it was a place that was originally owned by the Demis church. But later a young noble decided to make this place a town since he saw potential in this place.

The potential is that this town is just located near the border between Amay and Frey nation. So it could become a great spot for tourists or travelers to rest and spend time here. 

Well, of course, the young dutch must have more seen more potential than tourism, or else he wouldn't have taken such a risk.

We passed through the gates of Chipworth town, which was still under construction. The town itself was under construction, but most of the local residential houses were properly built structures.

"Would you like this visit our church?" asked the man that have just approached us, he wore a white cassock robe.

"Not now, since we had just entered the town. We will first find an inn, then we will consider visiting the church." I replied.

"Young kid like you should devote their life to god, come to the church with us, we will arrange your stay there." Insisted the man in a white robe, 

"No, I would decline your offer," I said, politely. 

"As an adult, I would advise you, kids, to devote yourself to our god. He will take on all of your sufferings, he is the only one that will show you the right way."

"Okay then, I will come back to you whenever I am looking for the 'right way'," I said as I walked away. 

"What a rude young man!!! surrender yourself to the gods or divine punishment is waiting for you."

The thing is, I am controlling my anger. But I can't control everyone else's anger, specifically Ulrich's anger.

I am ignoring that churchman for his own good since if he stands before us anymore, he might get killed.

But, I guess Ulrich was at his limit, 

"Oi holy bastard, next time you open your mouth, I will cut your tongue off," said Ulrich as he turned around to face the Church guy.

He was emitting dense killing intent, dense enough to pressure the church guy is backing away. 

Before anything bad happens, I placed my hand over Ulrich's shoulder as I whispered "Stop it, now is not the good time. We have kid's with us."

"I understand," he said as he retracted his killing intent. 

"You insolent child!! you will burn in hell!!! you will face divine punishment, I will purge an evil child like you myself!!! From tomorrow all the evil of this nation will perish once our true master will be born"

But on the contrary to what he said, he just walked away without doing anything. Might because of the presence of guards, they must be working for the dutch. So the church can't do whatever they want under the rule of the dutch. 

That's good to know.

As we were walking away, I spoke up to Ulrich,

"I won't mind if one or two holy men were to disappear tonight, you know what I mean right?"

"That's a nice idea, even I wonder what it would be like if one or two holy men were to disappear tonight." agreed Ulrich.

"We are on the same page today."

A smile curved on his lips "We always were on the same page."

"Can't deny that."

Church took our loved ones from us, so it's a not bad idea to at least have a little fun with them before we destroy them. 

But destroying them still seems far-fetched. As much as I would hate to agree to it, we lack the power to do so. 

I need to use status as a prince, to destroy the church from its roots.