Chapter 23: Chief Bruce

"Show your pass, please," the guard asked.

"I went to the dungeon with my friends, and only I was able to survive," said Emilia.

"Weird." the other guard looked at Emilia and asked, "You are Emilia, right?"

Emilia nodded. "Yes, I am Emilia. And I met this…" Emilia turned to Nero. "I met this gentleman in the forest."

The guards looked at Nero. "What is he carrying? An injured person?"

"Yes, they were attacked in the forest, and his companion needs emergency treatment. So if you could please let us pass through the gate."

"We would love to, but may I see your pass please?"

"I may have dropped it in a hurry."

"Then your guild card, please."

"That also… I may have dropped."

"Then I am sorry, but we can't let you pass—"

"What's going on!" a voice said from the other side of the gate.

One of the guards opened the gate and said, "We have some travelers, but they don't have any pass or guild card!" the guard yelled.

One guard wearing a different armor than all other guards came out of the gate and looked at Emilia. He looked in his late forties.

"This is Emilia, so why aren't you letting her in?" asked the guard.

"But chief, she doesn't have any pass and—"

"What does it matter? You are aware that she lives here, so…" the guard stopped after finally noticing Nero.

He walked to Nero and inspected him with his eyes, "And who this might be?"

"He is a traveler, and he was passing through the forest. He was attacked on his way, and his companion was badly injured. I met him in the forest, so I brought him here so he could—"

"That's enough. I understand." The guard turned around and shouted, "Open the gate, you morons! What if that person dies because of you?"

The guards opened the gate and made way for Emilia and others to enter.

"Thank you, chief Bruce" Emilia nodded,

"No need to thank me. I am just looking after my daughter, nothing else."

Emilia passed through the gate, and Nero followed her.

After the entry gate, the first few buildings were rest houses for the guards, and after that, some stalls were closed because of night, then there were stores and houses.

After walking for a while, Nero asked, "Who was that person?"

Emila stopped walking and answered, "His ancestors have been looking after me for hundreds of years."

Nero glanced around and said, "Not a bad town."

Emilia turned around and looked at Nero with a frowned face.

"What now? I did as you said," Nero stated.

"I lied for the first time in my life because of you."

Nero furrowed his eyebrows and spoke, "I never asked you to lie."

"I know, and I am not blaming you. I was just informing you that I can lie for you," Emilia then turned back and started walking.

Nero was confused by what she meant. After thinking about that for a while, he sighed and began walking.

"Hey! Wait up! Emilia!" a voice called from behind.

Nero and Emilia looked back to see chief Bruce running towards them.

"If he found out about me, then I will have to kill him," Nero stated.

"You are not hurting him!" Emilia hissed, then stood in front of Nero.

Chief Bruce hurriedly walked to Emilia and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Emilia, are you going home? Can you tell Lace that—"

"No," Emilia shook her head and answered, "I am not going home. I will stay at the inn with this gentleman and heal his injured companion."

"Is that so," he looked at Nero and smiled, "Please take care of her. She is just like my daughter."

"You don't have to worry about her as long as she is with me. I can take care of her better than you ever did."

Chief Bruce stared at Nero with a serious look on his face, then laughed. "Haha! I will take your word on that."

'This person reminds me of William. I wonder how he is doing.' Nero wondered.

William was one of Nero's few true friends who Nero trusted with his life. 'I just hope he isn't dead.'

Normally, any person would be dead over a long time, but Nero didn't know how many years had passed ever since he was sealed— though, Nero was confident that William would be alive because he was the first immortal Nero had met.

"Bruce, you had something to inform Lace?" Emilia asked.

"Uh.. no. I would do it myself when I get a break after an hour. Don't worry about it," Bruce patted Emilia on the head. "Make sure you heal his companion."

Emilia bit her lips and nodded.

"What's wrong. Emilia? Are you okay?" BRuce asked in a gentle voice, just like a father would ask his daughter.

"You know that I went to the dungeon today, right?"

"Yeah."

"Matt and Venus… they are… they are…"

Bruce hugged Emilia and patted her back. "It's fine. Things like that happen, and you need to get used to it. I am just glad that you two are safe."

Bruce let go of Emilia, then uttered, Now go and heal that injured person, then get a good rest, okay? We can talk more about it tomorrow."

Emilia nodded and walked to Nero.

Bruce looked at Nero and nodded, "Take care of her; she is too naive and kind."

Bruce left for his duty, and Emilia and Nero made their way to the inn.

Emilia was so silent all the way to the inn that Nero started feeling uncomfortable.

'Being all quiet doesn't suit her.'

"Ahem!" Nero cleared his throat and tried to start a conversation. "So you live at his house?"

"They have a big family of thirty people."

"So… he has twenty-eight kids?"

"No..." Emilia looked at Nero with a disgusted face. "His father, and brother, and sisters, and their spouses and kids."

"My bad," Nero decided never to start a conversation again.

After walking for some minutes, then reached the inn.

"We are here."