THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

The next morning, I take my exams without trouble then go to the church's hospital. When I arrive, I find Lanuvel sitting on a chair, near her mother's bed. She is reading something with trembling hands.

"Lanuvel." She doesn't even notice me when I call. I touch her shoulder and she shudders like a rabbit, jumping from her chair.

"W-who?!! Kevin…Ah, it's you."

"Are you okay?"

"I-I am fine. And you?"

"I have seen better."

"Fufu, you and your silly jokes."

I wasn't joking, though. I read her mind and it seems Romas has started acting already.

"Kevin, I-"

"I don't think you should do this."

Apparently, Lanuvel received a letter stating that his father was alive and that he was found in Titanium. The letter also said that she should come as fast as possible. That letter is a real problem. If it is true, she will know that I am the cause of part of her suffering. I don't know why but I don't want this. I don't want this atmosphere to change. I don't want to see people looking at me with hatred in their eyes. Not anymore.

Even if it is a lie, there is the risk that she will be captured as well or killed. At least she found her mother, she doesn't deserve to go through the same hardships as me. And I want to repay Rose's kindness. Even if just a little.

"You haven't even heard what I was about to say."

"I know what you have in mind. I have been through this way more than you will ever be. So I know the path you will take and ai also know it is the wrong one."

"Sob…Then… sob… what should I do?" Her red swollen eyes finally free the tears from their prison and they start racing on her cheeks.

"Let it go. It's not worth it."

"To let it go?!!! How could I?!! Do you have any idea of how much I will regret it if I don't do something when I could have?!!"

"I have more than an idea. My current state is the result of such choices." Even my hair and eyes color change because of my past choice.

"And still, you are telling me to simply let it go?!!! I will never!!"

She tries to pass me by grabbing my shoulder and pushing me to the side. But I don't bulge. Has she gotten weaker? I grab her hands and look straight into her crying eyes.

"If you can't, then let me be the one to do it."

"W-what?" Her pink-like cheeks become even redder. She also tries to hide her face. "What are you saying?"

"I am saying that I will be the instrument of your vengeance." At least that way, I will control the informations you will get.

"B-But…I…I don't really-"

"Don't worry. I won't have regrets. At least not anymore. They haven't help me until now." If that way, I can ease my regret from killing your father even a little, then, it is fine.

Lanuvel removes her hands and hugs me. She is shorter than me so the top of her head reaches my chin. The smell of her hair immediately reaches my nose. That smell, it is more aggressive than Farner but still, it smells good.

"Thank you…Sob…Thank you very much."

***

After that, for three days, I had to camp at night in the dark near the church, waiting for somebody to come. Thankfully, the other classes I had to take the exams for were not difficult. Though, I would have liked to study more.

Finally, today, on the last day of my exams, somebody walks in the dead of night. He is dressed in black and is making his way to the church without being seen by the patrols and guards at the entrance of the church. I am on a rooftop nearby so I have a good sight of him. After he enters through a window, I follow and enter as well.

The guy knocks down a guard and moves forward. He is good. But…

"Good evening."

I greet the guy as I pounce on him. It seems he felt my presence already. Without panicking, he swiftly spins around, launching daggers at me. I use Disperse and reappear behind him then grab his arms and pins him down.

"Argh!" Before he can do anything else, I pull and dislocate both shoulders using physical Angas.

"Uaa!!"

"Shut…. There are people sleeping." The guy screams a little then his foot moves and kicks my back. What is he trying to pull? I step on his knees and look closely at his feet. There are blades sticking out of his shoes. How does he walk with those?

"You shouldn't kick people with sharp objects, you know." I grab his legs and break them one by one.

"Agh!!-" I kick his head to the floor to prevent him from screaming anymore.

"I told you that people were sleeping."

After his breathing calms down a bit, I carry him and get out of the church. It is good that nobody came while I was dealing with him. I bring the guy to the forest outside the city, then I undress him up to his underwear and tie him up to a tree with a rope he had on him.

"A short sword, ten small daggers, a rope, a bottle of poison. Damn, you were well equipped."

"Who employed you? We can discuss this calmly, you know. I won't get in your way since you are more skilled than me. You don't have to-"

"Where is Romas Silonia?"

"Romas?" I stab his leg and leave the dagger in the wound. "Argh!!!"

"Don't act stupid with me please." I can read your mind anyway.

"O-okay, okay. I understand. You were- Argh!!" I stab again.

"I asked you a question. You can only answer it and nothing else."

"Ah shit!!! Argh!!" I stab again, no, two times now.

"Why do you all always act tough in the beginning only to beg in the end?" It is always the same every time. It is getting boring at some point.

"You don't even know the basics of torture and you think I will talk. With the way you have stabbed me, I am going to die soon any-"

I remove all the daggers and heal the guy.

"You said something?"

"I-impossi-ARGH!!!" Then I start stabbing again.

"I can do this all night, you know? Even tomorrow if you want to." I don't have any exams anymore.

"Shit!!! Who told me to accept this stupid contract?!!"

"Yeah, I know, I know, you are unlucky. Just tell me what I want to know."

"Argh!!!"

***

"Phuu…And now, let's go and see Romas." Thirty minutes later, the guy spilled the beans about everything he knew and even things I didn't ask. Romas isn't in town but has established a small camp nearby. There are skilled knights from the Floras's army as well as some from the Flolerl household.

I burned down the guy to crisp until just charcoal remained and then prepare for the fight. I bring out my broken raizen and dress just like the guy. His clothes are a tight fit.

When I reach the camp, there are three people sitting near a campfire, two in armors walking around with torches and two tents. The bigger one has lights shining inside. He said that Romas is staying in the bigger tent so I suppose it is the only target I should avoid. I start flying in circles around the camp then bombard them with crescent bullets.

"Gya!!"

"We-we are under attack!!"

I see people coming out of the bigger tent and the smaller one as well. Those from the bigger one are all fully armored. Moreover, they are wearing the Flolerl's emblem. I intensify the bombardment and most of the knights are hit and die. The bullets I am sending have less explosive power since I wouldn't want to kill Romas too fast.

"Uaa!!"

"How are they?!!! UGAAA!!"

"Fuck!! Hel-GYAA!"

However, suddenly, when there were about four knights left, only the Flolerl ones, one of them pull out a big human-size shield and block my bullet. The middle of his shield has a crystal onto it and a light wall appears as the bullet knocks into it. I send two others but the result is the same.

"He is in the trees over there!! Fire!!"

As a knight says so, the other two fires a lightning ball and a wind ball in my direction. Well, sadly, for you, I wasn't really there. However, that shield is trouble. I wonder what kind of enchantments they manage to put on it.

"Stay vigilant!! He is still alive!!"

While I am flying around to observe the situation, I suddenly see two people getting out of the bigger tent while riding horses. There were horses inside? Their heads are covered by hoods so I can't see their faces. But I am pretty sure Romas is among them.

I pursuit them and launch crescent bullets on the horses. The two persons on the horses manage to cut the bullets before they reach them. Their swordsmanship is good. There wasn't any fire or wind Angas since I didn't want to accidentally kill him but it seems it is unnecessary.

Is Romas really that strong? Then this is going to be difficult. I send another set of bullets, this time made of all types of elemental Angas. They still cut them in the air but this time, they explode loudly, hurting them as well as the horses.

"HYIIII!!!"

Their horses fall but the two guys manage to recover their balance quickly and get on their feet, ready for battle. However, their hoods went off with the explosion and both of their faces are exposed.

"Shit!!!" This guy got me good. Neither of the guys is Romas. It was a diversion!!! "Fuck!!"

I fly back at full speed to the camp but it is already empty. None of the four soldiers who were still up are present. There is not a soul present. Only the corpses dismembered by my bullets.

"Impressive." I anger me to say this but you got me this time, Romas. You got me like a child.