MONOCHROME: Choice Of Destiny

Chapter 43 Memories

We all went to where people prepared food.

It was basically just carpeted soil so it was less suitable for eating but how else.

This place was as crowded as when I first arrived even though everyone was no longer panicking.

The current situation is quite calm but residents have not been allowed to go home because there is a possibility that there are still bandits hiding somewhere.

"Good morning, hero."

"Sir hero do you sleep well?"

"Ahaha please don't call me by that name, we're all working together to hold back the bandits so we're all heroes here."

"It's humble."

"Haha."

I don't understand why everyone thought of me as a hero when we didn't fight alone.

"It just so happens that Mr Ryu did you see Cheryl? by the time I got back to the thing that she had disappeared, I had been looking for her everywhere but I couldn't find her."

Lina greeted me with food in her hand, maybe she was looking for Cheryl while handing out food to refugees.

"This morning Cheryl came to me asking me to be trained on how to use the sword and at this time she was asleep being fined for exhaustion, please don't get mad at her."

"If master Ryu says so, sorry he must be troubling you."

"I'm not even very grateful to him."

"I'll give him another meal later, Mr. Ryu please this way Mr. Carolyn is already waiting for you."

"All right."

.

.

.

Everyone ate cheerfully though the meal served was quite simple as it was only soup and bread.

"Don't kid!"

I was quite surprised because this food had a very good taste.

"Hehe I helped in the making of the soup."

"really?"

"Why is your reaction so flat?"

"Mr Carolyn was the main chef in making this soup, she was very good at cooking so you should be more proud."

Lina sat in front of me while carrying her own plate.

"Hehh I thought you were just helping to cut vegetables, I was so surprised really."

"But your reaction is still very flat, isn't that good enough?"

"Ahh not so, it's really delicious it's just that."

I can't complain in front of him but when I saw his face the dream became as clear as before.

What if I don't meet Carl here? will he suffer the same fate as my other colleagues? I'm afraid it's happening.

I have to go to human territory after this.

After breakfast I went into the woods alone and practiced a little.

If I remember that dream they all seem to have fought many people at once.

I shouldn't have learned mass destruction magic like Gizel suggested but then there was Ana who was very good at mass destruction magic and now she's not here.

I could have used the magic that I had previously used in the baron residence but it was extremely unstable and nothing more than allowing my magic to explode and destroy everything.

I need magic that is capable of killing many enemies at once, not too damaging to buildings and of course using a little magic.

I must become stronger, stronger and stronger to protect all my comrades.

When I thought of this a magic instantly popped into my head and matched perfectly with what I wanted so I decided to give it a try.

That night I went back but not to the refugees and went to the meadow outside the forest and sat alone there looking at the star-filled sky.

Seeing the sky at night can always give me the feeling of being accompanied by others and it can always help me calm down.

.

.

.

I was sleeping in my room after I got home from my trip.

"Ryu what are you doing? the others are ready for dinner."

"Come, I'll eat myself later, you guys please eat first."

"You're not smart at lying."

"Haha it looks obvious well."

"Come, come with me."

Akari immediately pulled my hand and walked out of the house.

He walked out of the city until he arrived at a meadow not far from the city gate.

"What are we doing here?"

"You must be homesick, right?"

"Why do you think that?"

"I know because I do that a lot, sit down."

I obeyed him and sat down while looking at the stars scattered in the sky.

"It's beautiful."

"Can? when I miss home I always look up at the night sky, I believe that the stars are where the dead look at us."

"But that's not true."

"Hehe I know that too but it doesn't matter what matters is that I believe in it and it can take away my longing."

"It makes sense too."

"I've considered all of you as family more than my real family so I hope you think that way too."

"I'll try it."

"Try to depend on us because that's what the family does."

"Thank you."

"is better? how about we go back?"

"All right"

We're back home.

"Yet you're back!"

"Hey eat it already cold see?"

"Where have you been!?"

"Show?"

We were outside for a few hours but they didn't even touch the food.

"Because the food is cold we better heat it before eating."

"Hey Ryu I'll beat you up if you go again!"

"Ryu I can't believe you took the opportunity to get ahead of me to get Miss Akari!"

Everyone starts to be noisy like always but Akari always goes ahead and wins everything.

"Here you go, let's all sit down."

"Food is over, drink is over, and most importantly it's all a TOAST!!"

"""REPEAT!!"""

.

.

.

"Thank you Akari."

I really feel stupid right now, just because of an uncertain dream I was shaken up this great and forgot the most important thing.

"You guys must still survive somewhere I believe it so please wait a minute."

I pulled out a carpet and a blanket and then started to lie down while looking up at the sky.

The sky feels so much more beautiful today.

Above the city walls of Zephyr stood gazing towards the distant meadow.

"I thought I should give you a few punches before you came to your senses but it's good that you can handle it yourself."

The Zephyr disappeared from its place like it was a very natural thing.

.

.

I returned to the evacuation in the morning after finishing my daily training.

It turned out that everything had gathered faster than usual.

"What's going on here?"

"This morning the guards came to say that the city situation was safe and the residents were able to return to their homes so everyone agreed to hold a big party today."

Zep replied without looking at me.

"Good, where's Carl? I have to apologize to him."

"She is currently helping make dishes for the party."

"I hope he's not angry."

Zep breathed a long breath.

"Haaah if you think like that means you're just a pathetic man who doesn't want to accept reality."

"Eh? why are you upset like that?"

"I didn't know him long enough, but I knew that he was no longer the child you knew."

"But he's still the same in my eyes."

"That's why I think you're stupid."

I never understood what he said.

Many people started walking with food and arranged it on the floor neatly.

Different from the usual that only contains simple bread and soup, now there are many types of food provided and looks quite expensive.

"Gulps."

The sound of gulping is heard where it is because of the smell alone I all know that it is very delicious.

"All are gathered together."

Carl and Lina show up with soup and bread in hand.

"This is for you."

Carl put the soup in front of me followed by Lina who put the bread.

"Because everything has been gathered there is no need for an opening or anything so everyone please enjoy the dish!"

I don't know since when Carl became this familiar with the citizens.

Everyone began to eat with a very lively laugh.

Carl sat down next to me and then took a bowl of soup for himself.

"Why does only my soup look different from the rest?"

"Hehe it's because this is a special soup so it can't be eaten by anyone other than brother."

"Heeeh, then good-bye..."

I put the soup in my mouth and immediately dropped the spoon on the floor from being too surprised.

"It is impossible. the shape and ingredients are a little different but it tastes very exactly like the soup made by Akari."

"Thank God it turns out to taste the same, Akari always made this soup if there was one of us who was sad so I thought brother would be better if I made it too."

"Thank you this makes me feel better, really."

This time I really feel the change that is happening in me, since I live here I never remember the good memories with colleagues no, my family made my mind filled with negative things.

I did not pick up the spoon and immediately raised the bowl and ate the soup directly.

"It's so delicious really, it's been years since I've eaten such good food."

"It's good that it suits your taste, I'm quite worried about the taste because I use different ingredients but your words make me feel relieved."

"I'm sorry about the previous one."

"Hehe doesn't matter I know that I won't be able to help in that."

"Thank you, but I'm quite surprised you're so good at cooking."

"Hehe honestly all these years I've been doing is learning to cook, all this time we have to be surprised if we want to find spices and even then we can only go to the outskirts of the forest but all this time I lived in the middle of the forest and I was very surprised it turned out there were so many spices and rare foodstuffs growing in the forest."

"Especially I can use it freely because there is no need to fight with monsters, well there are some aggressive monsters but they are nothing."

"You may already know that I'm leaving but today I will continue my journey towards the human Empire, what about you?"

"Eh? of course I'll come."

"But don't you have to stay in the forest to look after him?"

"That's true but take it easy they'll let me go after I ask permission, ohh right! what if my brother comes with me to the house? I'm sure big brother would be very surprised at how beautiful it is."

"Good idea, I also want to thank them directly."

"Yey!"

.

.

.

The party quickly ended and everyone started working to dismantle the tents one by one.

We were already farewell at the party so we prepared all our luggage and prepared to leave.

"Mr Ryu."

Lina ran towards me and I finally remembered something.

"What's wrong?"

"It's disrespectful, but can you talk to Cheryl before you leave?"

"Ahh since that day I haven't seen her, where is she?"

"He was training in the woods, I asked him to stop but he didn't listen to me. Can you persuade him not to practice in the forest anymore? I'm worried if he's attacked by monsters or bandits."

Sweat ran down my neck, plus I felt a gaze looking straight at me from behind.

I did always train in the forest but it was because I learned magic that was quite dangerous so I could use it without fear of harming others or damaging buildings so what was this child thinking?! did he also see me while training in the forest?

"All right, I'll say hello to him."

We went into the woods and my feelings got worse because the road we were walking on was exactly the same as the road I used yesterday.

We arrived at a place where the tree had fallen apart because of someone.

In the middle Cheryl was holding the wooden sword I gave her and not only that now she could occasionally swing it.

As we approached her, Cheryl, who noticed our arrival, lowered her sword and looked at us.

"I came here because I wanted to say goodbye to you."

"Ehh?! brother is leaving already?! I want to show you the results of my training."

Cheryl looked down sadly, I honestly feel guilty now so I came over and stroked her head.

"Don't be sad like that, I believe you will become a very strong knight, we will meet again someday so show the results of your training at that time."

"Promise?"

"Yes I promise, so please listen to my last suggestion you should listen to your mother and don't make her worry okay?"

"All right."

"Receive this, this is a gift from me."

I handed him a ring and put it in the middle of his left hand.

"It's a dimensional ring, you can keep things there."

"Ohhhhh!"

"Carl can you ask one of your friends to look after this part of the forest?"

"I did guard the entire part of the forest including this region but it seemed better to give him one monster as a friend."

Carl says it then stays silent for a while.

After a while I felt a monster approaching.

It was a horse monster that looked to have armor covering its entire body, it was the kind of monster I had never seen before.

"Include him is Kaval, he does look like a horse but originally he was a monster with the blood of a land dragon but because it was not dominant so he only inherited the physical strength of the dragon's property."

"This is not the peak yet, if you give him enough food and experience he will be able to evolve so please take care of him properly."

"Caval now this kid is your new master and please take care of him okay?"

"Neigh!"

"Ehh? ah alright alright, but please take care of him okay? if he gets hurt I'll hate you."

After a short conversation between Carl and this monster called Caval.

"Well good, then, Kaval is strong enough to protect you and he is also very good on the road because he can use earth magic so he will not be shaken even though on the field is damaged even ohh and also he is faster dozens of times compared to a warhorse though so this is a perfect friend isn't it?"

Isn't this overkill?

Kaval came forward and bowed near Cheryl.

Cheryl hugs and rides on her back, Kaval is a fairly tall horse whereas on the other hand Cheryl is just a child so she has to sit on the ground for Cheryl to ride.

"You guys seem to fit in so I don't have to worry, it's just advice but don't treat him like a pet or just a mount because he has a pretty high pride."

"I'll remember it."

The one who answered was Lina because Cheryl would not understand such a thing.

"Umm she doesn't eat meat, does she?"

Lina asked doubtfully, I also wanted to ask that earlier.

"He's a pretty intelligent animal so he can eat vegetables or wheat even though he doesn't really like it, take it easy he won't eat you and if you want to eat meat you just have to let him find himself in the woods."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"When it's done it looks like we should go."

We came out of the forest with Cheryl riding Kaval.

"We're leaving then."

Outside the forest we parted, Cheryl went to town with Lina while we rode Ryu's wyvern and flew into the forest.