Chapter 97: Got No Game

The trip back to the kingdom of Aria is not only exhausting physically but also mentally since Ian and Imogen stay silent most of the time. Only under rare occasions, when Ian and Imogen would speak with each other, Laurel would hear a bit of noise aside from the carriage.

The entire experience in the town of Bristol has changed her life. She is all alone now, without her friends and brother by her side. The entire town of Bristol has become empty after the dome disappeared and the ghouls spread to who knows where. In four days, all lives have changed in that town.

Feeling empty as she is heading towards the Kingdom of Aria, she watches over Kyrie, who is in a deep sleep. None of them are sure what to do with Kyrie's condition. The old shaman has not completed the ritual because the fallen god has stepped in to stop it. So, none of them would be sure what happened to Kyrie's memories.

Worse then, the people responsible for prying into something so personal as someone's memories got away just like that. Laurel feels a knot in her heart. She has never seen someone from another world; moreover, someone who has crossed to another world like that to save a person. 

The novel that she saw in the mirror haunts her because she cannot believe that their future is written in words. However, she has no idea of the novel's contents since everything shown in the mirror was just Kyrie reading it or thinking about Ian.

She lifts her head to look at Ian, who hasn't taken his gaze off Kyrie unless he talks to Imogen. 

Ian's aura has completely changed. The naiveness and nervousness that she used to see plainly on Ian's face have now been concealed under a mask of cold and unexpressive facial features. Not only the aura has changed but also tendencies and postures. Something that would normally take years to change in a person has happened in front of her in matters of a few minutes. After mana wrapped around Ian and a magic circle appeared without a sight of a single caster, another person with the same features as the Ian she knew appeared. 

His fluidity and experience in fighting with the monsters make Laurel's skin crawl. As a merchant, she has seen all kinds of people, but not many have a fighting style as precise and deadly as Ian's. He sometimes seems as if he is not in the right body and often overestimates his strength.

The other mystery is, of course, Imogen. Laurel can see that Imogen conceals a lot of her strength if she does not need to fight strong opponents like the fallen saintess and fallen paladin. Her style is very similar to Ian's style, as if they have gone under the same training.

She has not been able to figure out most of what is happening yet, because she has not voiced her mind due to the heavy atmosphere. There is too much going on and too little to piece things together.

However, she is sure of one thing. Nothing can be a coincidence; not after what she has seen in that chamber and that town; not after Kyrie has voiced out her name in his memories.

She has to find out why, maybe because she has no longer a place to belong to, and she is now looking for one. 

Laurel's eyes look over to Imogen as she remembers the hatred in Imogen's eyes.

She also wants to find out the story behind those eyes. 

"What now?" Laurel does not take her eyes off Imogen when asking.

Imogen finally turns to Laurel, and after a long pause, she says, "We wait for a sign."

<Two months after>

"A sign… What sign?!?!" Laurel sits up from her bed as her fists hit on the duvet.

All she has been doing this entire time is to eat, sleep, train, and eat. Yes, two 'eat'! All that eating is showing on her waistline, and both Imogen and Ian have been stressing the hell out of her. 

"Has someone sewed their lips or what?"

She lets her body fall to the bed again and stares at space.

"I can't take it anymore! This will kill me!" She flings her arms and legs around as she rolled side by side, throwing a tantrum on the bed.

She sits up and hugs the duvet as tight as she could, "I am going to spy on them!"

After getting ready, she quietly follows Imogen and Ian to visit the temple. They have been visiting the temple almost every day after Ian has detached himself from wanting to glue himself to Kyrie. 

'Did they find a way to wake Kyrie up?'

She holds vegetables up to hide her face as she watches Imogen and Ian turn to another street.

"Young lady…" 

Laurel quickly turns to look at the stall owner, who has her arms crossed on her round stomach as she looks at Laurel with a deadpan face. 

"Yes?"

"You realize that you are acting very suspicious!"

Laurel looks at her, shocked like she does not follow what the stall owner is telling her.

"No one hides with stalks of celery to their face! Unless you have found a new way to determine that my produce is not fresh!"

"They are not?" Laurel checks at the celery stalks, "They are pretty fresh and... crunchy…"

The stall owner scuffs, "Of course they are! Young lady! If you are interested in that young man that you are stalking, it is better to be more direct!"

"But… But I am not interested…"

"Aiyah… Don't look so shocked lah that I can see through lah!" The stall owner takes out a small book ironed to her figure's frame from the pockets of her apron that is excessively stretched by her stomach.

"Here! Read over it, and take that man's heart lah!" 

Laurel looks at the book and sees, <Quenching the Thirst! A Hundred Super Effective Pick Up Lines!>

"But I…" 

The shop owner puts her index finger on Laurel's lips, "Shhh…. Listen, there are no undesirable women in this world! Only PRIDEFUL ones who can't get a bite of the cake and buns!"

She flips to the first page of the small-sized book and reads the first paragraph, "Have you ever asked yourself, why in the millions of fishes in the ocean and you have to pick one? Oh! Wrong question… Let's try again... Have you ever asked yourself why there are millions of fishes in the ocean, and you still cannot fish one? Well, let me tell you the harsh reality; you got no game! Fear no more! This book is your solution!"

Instantly hooked, Laurel draws closer while looking at both sides, hiding the book on her chest as if she gained gold, "Does this work on women?"

"W-w-w-w-women?"

Laurel nods while looking like she is trying to earn a fortune.

The stall owner instantly understands and gasps while opening her mouth, voicing understanding. She looks around as if she got the best tea, "Of course lah, girl! But just tell me, who bent you?"

"What are you doing here, Laurel?" 

Laurel instantly pockets the small book when she hears the familiar voice. She turns around and smiles at Imogen.

"No… Nothing… Just buying a book."

"In a produce stall?" Imogen lifts an eyebrow.