Chapter 177 - As Sweet As A Micahberry

"So--how long was I out for exactly? Felt like roughly an hour."

Ren asked after retreating his hand before the flustered girl could chomp it, stretching his arms as he had to stop himself from fully sitting up. 

"Three days."

"...Three days?"

Repeating her answer quietly, Ren's question was confirmed as Aiko nodded her head, her tinted cheeks dissipating back into their pale complexion. 

"That's…quite a bit." 

Ren scratched his cheek with a nervous chuckle, lamenting the time that was completely swept from him. 

"Anyway—where's Iris?" 

The sudden question from Ren seemed to make Aiko fidget a bit before she responded while fiddling with a strand of her straightened hair, "Last I saw, she saw playing with the children."

"She really is a nice girl, huh?"

Ren commented, nodding his head a few times as if talking to himself. 

"Yeah…She is."

Though she agreed with him, there was no joy in her voice. 

"Anyway—you might want to leave the room."

Ren told the young girl, pointing towards the bedroom door.

"Huh? Why?"

"Urr…I kind of have to get dressed, ya' know?" 

Not wanting to be any more explicit than that, Ren pressed his palms together—clearly getting through to the girl as she fervently nodded her head before leaving the resting quarters. 

Finding his attire sitting on the olive-tinted chair by his bed, he noticed a certain softness regained in the cloth. The bloodstains that littered the entirety of the fabric was now washed out from it, he also found that the smell of such battle had also been cleansed. 

"Wow, they've got some powerful laundry detergent, don't they?"

Ren smiled, looking down at his body before getting dressed. 

At the sight of his own temple, he paused for a moment as he ran his fingers over his abdomen. Though he was guilty of doing this during his first few months of training out of admiration of his newfound muscles, this was not the reason. 

Scars littered his body, etched into his flesh from his chest down. 

Arms, abdomen, sides—even his legs weren't exempt from the sea of scars. 

As painful as the process was for his sore, aching body, he committed himself to his much-needed, daily stretches. Caressing his calf muscle after sitting down to do toe-reaches, he massaged his own foot, wincing a bit and letting out a sigh.

I guess even with healing magic, some things can't be covered, Ren thought. 

Sliding himself back into his comfortable, yet protective attire once more, strapping his utility belt on and attaching his sheathed blade to his hip—he felt brand new. 

"I just now noticed—where the hell is that Bifrons?"

Asking this, his question was answered as the enigmatic feline popped into existence, directly into his left shoulder.

"You asked for me-nya?"

"Not exactly…Where the hell are you even going when I'm not looking?"

"The business of a demon is none of your concern-nya."

Given such a mysterious reply, Ren decided to withhold his own quips in favor of seeing the girl he fought his way here for. 

It was something that didn't register in his mind while he was solely focused on seeing Iris; the strange structure he resided in finally took notice in his eyes. 

The roof was low, furniture was made either out of dirt or stone—and somehow it was warm despite the lack of proper utility. 

Occupying the main space of this primorelf home, Aiko and the familiar elder were seated at the low table, sipping from what Ren guessed was tea of some sort. 

"Ah, tea really is a constant through all cultures, huh?" 

"Are they fond of tea in your land, Ren?"

Heldjrim asked as he lifted his gaze, holding the curved cup between his small, hairy hands as steam rose from its surface.

"My land?…"

Looking at Aiko, Ren didn't know whether or not it was fine to disclose his origin to the primorelf, to which Aiko let out a soft sigh.

"Heldjrim knows you're an otherworlder, Ren. Iris already told him about you two."

"Really? And he doesn't absolutely hate my guts?"

Although Ren joked about it, it was a genuine question at the same time. 

"I won't deny that otherworlders hold an unusual standing in this world, it is only because of the whim of Mastorn. Most people know you aren't monsters or devils out to harm the world, Ren."

Heldjrim assured the young man, speaking with his wise tone that seemed to solidify his words even further. 

However, they had the inverse effect on Ren; who felt those words as prickly maledictions spoken from a place of ignorance more than anything. 

"Is that so? And when's the last time you've seen that world for yourself?"

"Ren--"

Aiko could tell by the expression on his face that the young man wasn't in a position to dull his words, attempting to halt him with just his name--to no avail as he took a seat across from the elder. 

"I haven't."

"Then you know even less than I do, don't you? The only thing I know about this world is that it despises me, wants me dead--wants me to suffer and burn in hell. I've yet to find any reprieve beyond the existence of my own comrades; so do I really belong in this world?"

A fire billowed in his eyes as he spoke, an intensity came from his words that shot Aiko into silence while Heldjrim pondered this response with another sip of tea sliding down his mouth. 

"You're right; you may very well know more about this world than I, who's lived in Purgatory my whole life. However, can you truly deny the hospitality shown to you now? Are you able to deny the care this young missus has shown you during your most vulnerable time?"

Heldjrim's words alluded to Aiko, who lowered her head out of embarrassment as Ren took notice of this development. 

This whole time, she was by my side? Ren thought. 

"I…"

"Don't let the actions of one rotten group dictate your view on this world, Ren. There is a place for you here."

"What about you?...Your people are living in Purgatory. If you're stuck in here, you don't exactly have a place yourself in Gaia, do you/"

The rebuttal from Ren stopped Heldjrim's cup from reaching his lips once more as a somber shade came over his silver eyes. Even Ren knew the words that he parted with the elder were nothing short of cruel and insensitive, but he wanted the truth--he needed it. 

"My people were subject to genocide a time long before my own birth; hunted and chased out of our homes."

"Then--"

"But it was because of my people's predicament that I believe in the kindness of this world." 

Heldjrim's words held no doubt in them; it was his complete conviction--a belief he held close to his heart. This much was obvious in those sharp eyes of his that didn't seem to dull with age at all. 

"By all odds, every string of fate woven, my people were supposed to be eradicated--yet the kindness of those born of this world gave us a new home--a new place to flourish. Who would I be to scorn all of this world if I was saved by it?"

"--"

Ren couldn't find it in him to reply; the unmoving resolve in Heldjrim's eyes kept all rebuttals sealed behind his lips. 

"You're right...Thank you, for taking care of Iris, and me."

Standing up from his chair, Ren gave a slight bow of his head to the elder before he made his way towards the door. 

"Not going to stay for some tea, Sir?"

Stopping the young man just before he could exit through the front entrance, Heldjrim raised the pot, still emitting a lofty bout of steam from the kettle. 

"Hm, I might take you up on that later! Cya, gramps! Aiko!"

Hearing those words from Heldjrim dragged a hidden core out from Ren; something he didn't recognize before. 

A simple act of kindness; a simple act of evil--those two don't cancel one another out. It is simply the way the world functions. What good does it do to scorn the world for those who are evil while those that are good still exist? Ren thought. 

Stepping outside of the elder's abode and into the domain belonging to the village of the Ender clan, Ren once more found himself in awe at the existence of this unorthodox place. 

"Seriously? Homes, normal people that don't want to kill me...I think, crops--it's hard to believe." 

As he was busy taking in the view that Heldjrim's estate brought; placed on an upward slope that allowed him to get a good overview of the humble village, Ren wasn't prepared for the sudden appearance of a fruit in front of his eyes. 

"Eh?..."

Pulling his head back from the close fruit, he looked down to see the bearer of this naturally grown food--a primorelf girl who held a cheeky smile as if pleased with his reaction. 

"Hey! You're Ren, right? You really slept for a long time."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Averting his gaze from the embarrassing first impression that likely spread to all the villagers, he felt the vermilion fruit be placed in the palm of his hand by the short primorelf. 

"I'm Uylia, Heldjrim in there is my grandfather! Nice to meet you!"

"Urr, nice to meet you too...What is this?"

Ren asked as he brought the red-skinned fruit up to his nose, taking a few sniffs of it as he tried to discern the tartness level of it. At first glance, he would've guessed it was an apple but the stem was the same shade of red as its skin, almost like a giant cherry. 

"A "Micahberry"--it's good!"

Told to Ren with such enthusiasm, he couldn't help but trust those words as he took a fearless, large bite into the body of the micahberry. Chewing it came with a surprise of its own; it felt solid and sturdy when held in his hand, but was as soft as can be the moment it reached his teeth. 

"Sweet! Kind of sour as well. Not bad, not bad."

Ren gave his review with a few nods, bouncing the half-eaten fruit in his hand before he began to walk off. 

"Oh--thanks for the, urr...micahberry!"

Giving his thanks, he waved off the daughter of the elder with a smile. Seeing how happy she was to aid him in some way was infectious; he felt as if his mood had been amplified by a rainbow beam as he strolled down the windy hell, avoiding the branches that jutted out from the divided path.