The Laughing Swordsman

Once the third set of trays were emptied, Apollo was finished eating.

The number of people in the restaurant began dwindling, though it was still fairly crowded.

Seth had a pained expression on his face, while Willow was smiling mockingly.

As for Apollo, his eyes got heavy, and began sleeping. His snores were faint and his body curled up in Willow's arms.

Seth shook his head.

"Anyways, were you the one who taught him his swordsmanship?"

Willow shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose I taught him a little, but most of it definitely does not come from me."

Willow sighed.

"For some reason, he thinks I am the one who taught him his skills and also thinks I am his mom. Hopefully, his real mom never sees him calling me that."

Seth's eyes narrowed.

"...Apollo's mother has passed away."

Willow's eyelid twitched.

"I see..."

Seth sighed.

"He used to be such a kind child before. Now all he does is get others caught up in his antics."

Willow brushed Apollo's hair.

"Oh... I suppose Apollo misses his mother. Perhaps Apollo learned his swordsmanship from his mother, then since he thought I also taught him, he connected the two."

Seth rubbed his chin.

"Perhaps..."

Willow tilted her head.

"Did her mother teach Apollo swordsmanship?"

Seth shrugged his shoulders.

"I wouldn't know."

Willow sighed. Her subtle attempt at probing had failed.

"In any case, it seems he has been through plenty, whether it is his swordsmanship or family."

Seth nodded.

"Indeed, he is a pitiful child. Many of the townsfolk have tried to help him, but it must start with him. If he doesn't let us help him, there is nothing we can do."

Willow peered at Apollo, smiling in his sleep.

"Hmm... I've only seen him smiling and laughing so far."

Seth chuckled.

"Maybe you're the reason why. How did you even meet Apollo?"

The corner of Willow's lip twitched.

"It's... complicated. Also, saying I'm the reason why is giving me too much credit. He probably just deluded himself into thinking I was his mother."

Seth shook his head.

"Delusion or not, he is happy for now. It may not fix the problem, but let him be in his fantasies for a little longer."

Willow smiled bitterly.

"Haa... Alright."

Willow continued brushing Apollo's hair, then smirked.

"So, do you regret making that bet?"

Seth laughed.

"A little, yes."

Willow raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, how much did it cost you?"

Seth shrugged his shoulders.

"Five silvers."

Willow blinked. She realized she had no concept of how currency in this village worked. After all, she had stolen all the food she used to feed Apollo so far.

"How much do you earn?"

Seth looked confused.

"Uh, thirty silvers every month. A bit on the low end."

Willow raised an eyebrow.

"So those five silvers were a big loss, no?"

Seth laughed.

"What are you talking about?"

Willow frowned.

"Is it not a big chunk of your paycheck?"

Seth rolled his eyes.

"If you don't ask for too much, you can get food for free. Did you not know that?"

Willow's eyes widened.

"What? You must be jesting."

Seth chuckled.

"The market price for the food was 10 coppers or a tenth of a silver. I simply gave a tip. If you requested food, they would give you some without asking for anything in return."

Willow took a deep breath.

"So why did you look so pained when we kept ordering food?"

Seth leaned back in his chair.

"I simply decided I would pay a certain amount more for any food I buy. Food is very cheap, paying for it in the first place is a formality."

Seth looked out of the tavern window.

"The reason I pay anyway is to remind myself to be grateful. Before I was accepted into this village..."

Seth shook his head.

"Nevermind."

Willow nodded, with no intention to ask further. However, she was having trouble maintaining a neutral expression.

Her eyelids were uncontrollably twitching as a thought passed through her mind.

'Why did I go through so much trouble stealing food...'

Willow shook her head, putting the past behind her.

"Anyhow, why is food so readily available?"

Seth smiled.

"This village has what is called a greenhouse."

Willow raised an eyebrow.

"What is that?"

Seth chuckled.

"It is a large structure made from metal and glass. On the inside, there is a boundless amount of fertile soil. Anything that is planted will grow quickly and to great sizes. Not to mention, the quality of the food is the highest I've ever seen."

Willow tilted her head to the side.

"That sounds... like a miracle."

Seth sighed.

"It truly is. We always grow more food than our entire village can eat. As such, the most resilient village members brave the forest with this extra food. If they reach a far-off village, they will trade for anything interesting they find."

Seth looked at the bokken by Willow's side.

"Apollo's wooden sword was one of them."

Willow nodded absentmindedly. She was not paying attention to what Seth said after he explained the greenhouse.

"So... who made this greenhouse?"

Seth laughed.

"Haha, who do you think?"

Willow shrugged her shoulders.

"Enlighten me."

Seth rolled his eyes.

"Haa... taking the joke this far is not only blasphemous but plain ungrateful."

Willow was at a loss for a moment. She then forced a smile.

"I apologize, I am a forgetful person."

Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Are you an outsider?"

Willow was panicking on the inside, but other than a few beads of sweat on her forehead, she did not show it.

"No, no, of course not. I am just a recluse."

Seth sighed.

"No matter how much of a recluse you are, you would know his name. The only people who don't are kids still learning the language."

Willow could feel the tension in the air, but wouldn't back down.

"And how are you so confident that all villagers here that can speak know?"

Seth's hands clasped together and his elbows laid on the table.

"Because they are not outsiders."

Willow put her hand on her knife.