The next day arrived pretty fast...
The reason for such a thought was none other than our messed up sleep schedule. Me, Elda and Albert somehow stayed up late till night because we already had a good fair of sleep in the afternoon.
And obviously, I slept the most.
But it was also not my fault, yes it was the fault of the hard work I was forced to do.
All the work I did and the battles I had fought in the past week had exhausted me. This fact was clearly unavoidable, after all, no matter how cold-heartedly I killed from the outside, from the inside a deep sense of guilt and pain was still there.
And sometimes I could also feel my mind deteriorate at a fast pace, if this is what people call being insane then I am sure...
That I am not insane... After all, I heard someone say a madman who knows he is not right in the head can't truly be insane.
Hence I am only half mad.
...Wait, isn't that worse?
Shaking off such thoughts I leaned back on my chair.
I was currently in the office of this building, this place seemed to have the most cozy and used feeling.
The desk and chair looked pretty decent, the shelves hold some books but most places are still empty.
This place was probably used most by the previous owner of this house.
Creak—!
The chair creaking sound soon got my attention as I tried to move it.
"I will need to change it later," I mumbled and took out a pen and paper from the desk.
I was finally free from all the jobs that needed my urgent attention and my investigation had been put on halt unless Morgana could let me pry into it or tell me directly herself.
And it will take time, she is probably still busy working under those piles of paper.
How pitiful.
I also wanted to avoid Temple as much as I could.
So I am absolutely free...
Thinking like this I started to write the letter before anything else came in the way.
This letter was supposed to go to Anny and the others. The context of the letter started normally with usual greetings and how she and the others were doing.
This was my first time writing a letter to someone, so a new kind of excitement was also present there.
Following the greetings the main contents started.
But there was a problem, with what should I tell them. No, the main question was how much can I tell them.
If I told them everything that has happened since I came to Atlas, their worry for me would reach sky-high.
It may be my exaggerated thoughts, but all of them were kind... Very kind people. Worrying them over something such trivial events would not go well with me.
Let's keep it down for now.
Thinking like this I started to summarise my time here. How I met someone here with a good sense of humor, how that man helped me and taught me to tell jokes. But he was no more among us anymore due to various reasons...
But that was not all, I had also made some friends almost of my age. The first meeting was not the best with them, but we have gotten pretty close.
I was sure that Elda and Anny would get along very well. But that was not the issue here.
I chuckled at this thought. They both worry too much, such a common trait would make them get along very well after all...
Following such words, I started my main quest here. To look for anything that could help me reach the goal I have been searching for.
But alas that was not something I could do in a single month.
"The gangs who had been terrorizing the city all this time had fallen, before you ask how? I am sure you can already guess I was also involved in it. But don't worry I didn't do anything reckless like fighting them all on my own... I had just attacked their base that's all."
"...The fight between transcendents happens in front of my eyes. They fought majestically as if they were conquering the sky with each move they made. I am sure Liber and Gian would have been as shocked as I had been seeing them... Seeing their fight, I realized how small and insignificant we truly are in front of pure strength."
I sighed while writing this, rubbing my head with both hands, I leaned forward and continued.
"But that's something to discuss for another day... The friends I made here have a peculiar past as well, to tell the truth, in a way they are ordinary while also extraordinary."
"But I am mostly worried about all of you. I think about it daily, how the House of Orgus has reacted to their son's death, is there any kind of retaliation? If yes. Please come here, I should be able to lend even a bit of help as well now."
This so-called help was not coming from me but rather from Morgana herself, she has not said it herself but I was sure I could exploit a bit of her kindness.
And I have a feeling...
All the requests I have made to Temple get accepted, not easily of course there are some debates and negotiations hidden but even my most reckless plan was accepted.
This fact was strange in itself Why would the Temple help a nobody to this degree?
And the mark of Heaven's judgment had made this theory a bit more solid than I had hoped for.
This led me to start avoiding even thinking of the Goddess' name. After all from the prayer chant's explanation, I understand Morgana's hidden message as well.
Words also have power in them.
I don't know the principle behind it, but without any doubt, the name of a God ought to be strong.
Calling her by title should not be considered rude, right...?
Sigh...
"Hearing this much should have made it clear, why I was unable to write a letter till now. So, I hope you can forgive me this time. I bought a house just yesterday, so you can send me letters to this address..."
Concluding the letter by filling the rest of the story and recent events the letter finally came to an end.
'Oh, I forgot to write this.'
"Your eternal friend,
Asher."
'Writing anything related to eternity makes me tensed.'
This has been my most guarded secret, after all, from day one of my awakening I have been crafting a delicately woven web of lies...
Sometimes showing myself as a speed-realted awakener... while at other times as a space-related power.
But this was also being shown secretly as an interaction with time.
So, in a way, I have three covers above me.
The first one was speed... The second was space and lastly, the third was time.
But all of that in the end was false source elements, my true element after all was Eternity.
Luckily I do not need to go beyond my cover of space till now.
Creak—!
Standing up from my creaking chair, I finally left the room and came downstairs.
Walking toward the dining room I witnessed Elda and Albert sitting together.
Elda looked tired...
Meanwhile, Albert looked strangely embarrassed...?
What kind of banter is this?
"What happened now?"
Looking up, Elda saw me her face lit up. As she finally had some hope.
"Boss, actually—"
"Shut up!"
Before Albert could tell something, Elda immediately interjected and stopped him from saying anything.
"Um, what is happening...?"
"Asher, I have been teaching him since morning and do you know what I found out?"
Elda's eyes looked empty, she was strangely looking scary even though her complexion had improved since her days in the hospital.
I glanced at Albert... Who for some reason averted his gaze.
Sigh...
Taking a seat beside them, I leaned back on the chair and tapped the arms of the chair.
"What did you find?"
"He actually knows how to read... But this idiot has not read anything in six years somehow that's why he was having trouble reading all this time."
Eh...?
Wait doesn't this mean—!
I swiftly turned my head to look at Albert who seemed to be trying to dig underground with his gaze.
His face was flushed with embarrassment as he continued to avoid my gaze.
"So, he just forgot how to read due to never reading anything in all those years."
This explains his words. How he could barely read and write.
This guy was not a half-fool but rather a complete idiot altogether.
"Boss, Um... can you stop looking at me, as if you are looking at an idiot."
I couldn't help but chuckle at Albert's plight. His embarrassment was palpable.
"Don't worry, Albert. It's not your fault. Some things just slip our minds."
"Really...?"
No, of course not idiot. But I can guess why he never read.
So, I will let him off the hook this time.
"Elda."
I looked at her and stood up from my seat.
"Yes." She replied and turned her gaze towards me.
"Forget the gentle approach, make sure he learns how to read and write within a week. If he doesn't I will cut his salary in half."
Elda nodded, her eyes glinted with excitement, she had found a new way to tease Albert.
"Don't worry, Boss. I will make sure he becomes a scholar before the weekends."
She was so excited that she even called me Boss, I prayed for Albert before getting ready to leave for guild.
"Oh, when do you plan to recruit the others from slum..?"
I asked turning back to look at them.
Albert thought for a moment before answering back.
"It's morning right now, so everyone will be at work right now... same with evening. The only time we can contact a large number of them is either in the afternoon or night."
That makes sense.
"Both of you go together, and remember to tell all the offers we had decided previously."
"Boss, but the details you have told don't sound like a business at all..." Albert muttered but didn't speak it out loud.
Elda could understand his reasons after all she felt the same.
'It's more like a charity organization rather than a business to make money.' She thought to herself.
Asher may have been trying to cover it as a business but with his detached nature and aloof words toward his work. This fact couldn't be hidden.
He was trying to help people... This was kind of him.
But there was one thing that was troubling Elda the most.
It was Asher's detached personality, unlike others who get attached to their work or think of how to improve it no matter how big or small it may be.
Asher looked like he could just leave it if the results satisfied him. This thought terrified Elda.
That one day when everything is done and he has accomplished his goals.
Asher would pack his bags and leave them behind...
The thought lingered in her mind as she nodded at my instructions.
"Oh, also where did you buy those sandwiches?... The one you brought to me in the hospital I mean."
I asked with a smile, Elda who had been in deep thought raised her face to look at me and replied with a soft smile as well.
"Not far from the hospital, Just before market starts, there is a wooden house... Um, it should be broken by the monster's attack.But I can't guarantee if they are still running the business. There is a small sign hanging outside the door named 'Sweet Deliverance'."
"I see... I will just check them out. No need to make lunch for me."
Saying that I left the house.