Chapter 52

52 Through the distance

“Anne, someone’s here for you.”

Her matron’s voice came from her bedroom door, she looks at her table clock and tilted her head in confusion. This is too early to have a guest. Though she figured there was no harm in going down and seeing the guest herself. She put off her pajamas and wear one of her shirts and skirt. She tied her hair up and go down to the lobby.

A beautiful mature lady was sitting on the sofa, she never saw her before.

“River Anne?” asked the lady to her, they shake hands for formality.

Anne tried to remember her face, maybe the woman on the B street, a vendor or a café owner, but nothing came to her mind. “I’m sorry, but, have we met?” She politely asked the lady in front of her.

“My name is Amaris. I’m the chief alchemist in the Alchemia tower. You may have met my son, Brom.” Said Amaris to Anne.

Anne looks at her while trying to remember someone named Brom, and then she realized, Vale’s subordinate, the quirky one, his name is... “Brom! Oh yes, the quirk... I mean one of Vale’s subordinates, right?”

Amari’s smile was blooming and even had to be held by her laughter. She knows for a fact that her son is weird and appreciates that Anne holds the opinion that she has for herself. When Amaris looked at the purple hair girl, kindness and maturity came within the girl.

Feeling a little guilty, Amaris apologized to her, “I’m sorry to come here so suddenly.”

.....

“Oh, no, it’s alright, but may I know the reason for the visitation?” Said Anne, towards Amaris. She felt the lady was someone with a kind heart, but why she wanted to see her? What is the reason?

“I... I’ve heard from Vale that you have come from Viora village. That’s actually where I come from.”

Hearing the excuse that came from Amaris, Anne’s eyes got lit with excitement. “Really?! Oh, I was so happy to see a fellow Viora villager here in the capital.”

Pulling Amaris into the seating area, she was excitedly asked for anything about Viora village at Amaris.

“I’m sorry if I was looking eager, that must be scared you a bit.” Said Anne with a giggle.

The chief alchemist could see how adorable and lovely this young girl. Although her face is not a beautiful one, her face is what you called as the pretty one, not to mention her kind attitude. If it’s not for the bewitched spell, Amaris thought the four of them will be eventually smitten by her naturally.

“That’s alright, miss. I just wanted to see your face. It was so rare that I’ve got to see my fellow villager as the exam participant, let alone a silver pass recipient.”

Anne blushes at Amaris’ compliment. “Ah yes, thank you very much. It was a coincidence and very grateful and honored by it.”

“I’ve heard that you are taking the exam to become a certified healer?”

“Yes, my parents are the healer of the Viora village. Since childhood, I hoped to become a certified healer.” Said Anne, her mind goes away, reminiscing about her days in Viora village.

Amari’s heart immediately skips a beat, she turns her head to Anne and asked her a question, “Ed and Martha, they’re your parents?”

Anne nodded her head, and smile, “Oh, did you know my parents?”

Her lips perfectly close together, a forced smile came to her face, “Yes, when I was still living in the village, I know them very well, although...” A hesitation came into Amaris, but she told her anyway, “I know that Ed and Martha couldn’t have a child on their own.”

A sour taste came into Anne’s mouth. She bitterly smile while her eyes stared at the floor, “Well, I was adopted, seven years ago, when I was just a ten-year-old girl.”

“Oh child, I’m sorry, I... I don’t have any intention of prying in.” Said Amaris, and she feels guilty about it.

Anne then raised her hands and said to Amaris, “Oh, don’t be. Ed and Martha are good parents for me, and I love them dearly.”

“Yes, I can see that. They raised you well.” Said Amaris, with her hands holding into Anne’s hand, “Well, I don’t want to take your time anymore, Anne it was so nice to meet you, let us meet each other in the future, maybe after the second exam?”

“Yes, I would love that, chief,” Anne confirmed it, with real enthusiasm in her tone.

“Please, called me, Amaris.”

Amaris opens her hand and embrace Anne. It was a short hug but meaningful to the two of them. Although the word meaningful here was different for Anne and Amaris. Our heroine sees her off from the dorm, but before she goes inside her carriage, she turned around to Anne and spoke about Vale.

“Oh, I know you’re a friend of Vale and Henry. The two of them will go away for a while.”

A surprise came into her face. “Wait, where are they going?”

“Defense mission, in Gaftan. I know of such a mission because Brom will also go with them,” Once again, hesitation came from her face, but she then said to Anne, “They lived in the captain barracks, Go and said to them best of luck child, they will need it.”

As the carriage disappears from the street, Anne holds her hand together and runs as fast as she could to her room. Before she reaches the stairs, she falls to the floor with a loud thud. One noble tripped her until she fell on the wooden floor. There are a handful of nobles in the hall. Everyone just stared at her, some even giggled.

“Oh, look it here, the golden peasants of the capital have fallen.” Said the smug noble.

With gritted teeth, Anne tried to stand up on her own. She ignored all of them and ascend the stairs immediately. For her, she just wanted to go as soon as possible to see Henry and Vale. It will be too late if they went for their mission. Ignoring the stubborn pain that came from her knees and her elbow.

Her familiar rubbed his body into Anne’s leg. While Anne was busy packing two bottles of her energy potions, Chikara jump into the basket and settled himself inside. She brushed the fur of her familiar and put on her straw hat and her shoes.

When Anne arrived at the Z street, she asked the pedestrian and run as fast as she could to the location of the captain’s barrack, how glad she was to see Henry and Vale. Both of them run into her, a bit surprised to see Anne.

“I am... I’m glad that I could catch up with the two of you.” Said Anne to Henry and Vale.

“What are you doing here?” Asked Vale, even though he was so happy to see her.

She looks at the two of them, and smiles, “Someone told me that the two of you are going into a short-term mission, so...” She took two bottles of potion from her basket, her familiar also sleeping soundly inside the basket, “I wanted to gave you this, energy potion, it will be good for your fatigue.”

“Oh Anne, you shouldn’t have.” Henry feels guilty. He still feels a certain feeling toward her, but now he tried to blame everything at the spell. He forlorn the feeling, it doesn’t feel so right for him.

They have the kind of reaction that Anne couldn’t even predict. There was something wrong with them. They were distancing themselves from her. She could feel it, and truthfully, she felt a bit hurt by it.

“You... you don’t want it?” There’s a sadness in her voice and her eyes reflected the sadness, although she tried to hide it.

“No, of course not!” Said, Henry. He took the bottles and gave one to Vale, a smile came to Henry’s face. “Thank you, Anne. This will be useful for us.”

Vale awkwardly looked at the clock tower, and said to Anne, “We really need to go,” Unexpectedly she took Anne’s hand, the one that is wearing the wood bangle from him, no one saw his eyes glow for a bit, and transferred a bit of his magica to the wood bangle, “Remember to wear this all the time, and take care of yourself, okay?”

Anne nodded her head. She is fond of them, and with a warm smile, she holds Henry and Vale’s hand. “You take care of yourself, alright? Be safe.”

They depart after, with our heroine looking at them until only the sound of the galloping horses at the Z street. She took a long sighed and saw Justice step inside his carriage. Xavier on the other hand, walks toward her.

“Anne, are you alright?!” His concerned face looked at her thoroughly.

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“What do you mean? You’re bleeding!” Shouted Xavier at her.

A bit took aback, she finally looks at her elbow and knees, scrapes and blood were visible on her body. Xavier asked her to step inside his apartment, but she refused to do so.

“It’s alright, I could easily treat the wound in my dorm.”

Xavier looked at her. He bet she was leaving the dorm in a hurry, with a straw hat and mismatched clothes. He felt sorry for her and wanted at least to reciprocate the kindness that she gave to Henry and Vale.

“At least let me accompany you to the carriage station, okay?”

“I would appreciate the company.” Said Anne, smiling at Xavier.

While they were walking away, another carriage go away from the shadow of the alleyway. Amaris looked at the couple, while her hand carry a bottle with rainbow color water and a strand of purple hair inside the bottle.