Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Avoid cursed objects, please! part

An uneventful night was followed by a loud clanking sound that woke everyone up a lot sooner than they wanted. Most doors opened immediately and people poked out of their rooms to see what had happened.

“I’m fine! I just fell off the stairs”

Ryu grunted as he stood up.

“Come on Ryu, you can’t be that clumsy! I need more sleep...”

Anne shouted from upstairs, all she got in response was yet another loud noise that seemed to come from the bar.

“Geez Ryu, what are you doing so early in the morning?”

She walked downstairs hurriedly and saw Ryu lying on the floor.

.....

“Ryu! Ryu answer! are you ok Ryu?”

As she leaned close to him she noticed a stream of blood coming out of his nose.

“Help! Helena come here! Ryu is badly wounded!”

Anne said in between sobs, Helena came outside her room before even finished dressing herself properly. By the time she reached the last step in the staircase she was still tying down her silky dress and rubbed her eyes to brush off the hangover.

“uhm, Anne, I don’t think he’s that hurt”

“How can you be so calm! hurry up and do something”

Anne said in an accusing tone as she pressed Ryu’s face against her bare chest.

“Anne, think before you act for once”

“Uh? what do you... Eeek! I’m naked”

She started shaking Ryu, who was obviously faking to be unconscious to avoid the awkwardness. Anne’s vein popped in anger as usual and she kept shaking Ryu until he had to drop his act.

“Stop Anne you’re hurting me, I’ll end up dying if you keep doing this!”

“Then go and die you pervert!”

“Who are you calling a pervert? It’s not my fault you came down naked! also, please stop moving so much, you’re literally rattling your breasts in front of my face”

Anne blushed and covered her upper torso with her hands.

“What’s going on over there?”

Hiraku went out his room scratching his rear, he had a sleepy face and he seemed to be tired.

“Don’t come downstairs!”

Anne said in despair. It was only after she got dressed that things settled down and they headed out to the mayor’s house. Due to Ryu’s constant incidents he was forced to ask everyone to come with him so they can protect him in case something happened.

The mayor wasn’t expecting visitors and, since Kaya was no longer at his service, another maid opened the door. They had to walk in formation to prevent people from bumping into Ryu, even inside they kept protecting Ryu since he was so weak any accident could be the end of him.

It was somewhat comical to see such an exaggerated display and the maids would have burst into laughter if it wasn’t because they worried for their lives, since they were armed and ready to face any eventuality. When the mayor saw them, instead of worrying, he chuckled the minute he saw them enter his office.

The first one was Hiraku, who checked the door and the chair where Ryu would sit, Helena looked outside the window, Anne stood watch behind the door and Ayumi walked Ryu as if he was sick.

“Good morning everyone, what brings you here in such... unique manner”

Karl chuckled, but Rudd who came running after hearing that a group of armed men and women got inside his father’s office was not amused in the slightest.

“What’s going on? is everyone alright? Where’s the enemy?”

He rushed in front of the mayor and covered him from an invisible threat.

“Enemy, what enemy, you’re speaking nonsense Rudd. Now, mister Ryu, this is not a social visit I presume”

“You are correct mister mayor, to be honest I’m desperate”

Ryu said as he sat on the chair Hiraku had previously checked thoroughly.

“How may I help you then?”

“You see, I’ve been experiencing a bad luck streak for a while now”

“I see... but there’s not much I can do about it”

“Please, you have to listen to me, you’re the only one who can help me with this!”

Ryu pleaded energetically until the chair creaked and he froze in the spot.

“I see your worries are real and you seem scared too, so, please calm down and tell me everything”

“Uhm, ok. I don’t know why or how, but everything I do fires back at me. Before you say that’s not true, I thought so myself, at first it was subtle, like hitting my toe on the corner of furniture”

“That sounds painful indeed”

Karl nodded.

“Yes, and I would get it if it was a one time thing, but then it happened twice in the same day. Now I cant walk barefoot at all because It happens every single time I walk by the dresser, desk, table, any piece of furniture”

“is there anything you can do to prevent it?”

“Yes, If I focus I can avoid it, but If I’m distracted in the slightest I’d hit my toe”

Ryu said with a tear on his eye.

“Just the toe is it?”

Karl asked and Hiraku replied by shaking his head.

“It’s even worse than what he says, we thought he was exaggerating, but on the way here people on the streets seemed to be seeking to bump on him, people threw garbage and heavy stuff from their windows, and his shoe laces got untied about ten times”

“Hmm... this is strange, maybe it could be... no, impossible, or perhaps...”

The mayor muttered as he pondered what could be the reason behind it.

“Is there any other symptoms? have you seen someone outside your window staring at you? maybe you had nightmares or something like that”

“I’ve had nightmares, but the same goes for everyone who sleeps near the amarok so...”

“The what!?”

“The amarok”

“Please mister Ryu, please don’t tell me that your dog is an amarok”

“Do you think maybe that could be the cause?”

Anne barged in.

“No, I don’t think so, but it would certainly explain some other supernatural phenomena going around town”

“If it has nothing to do with my situation, then I don’t see the point in discussing it right now. Things have gotten so bad I won’t be able to even work properly”

“why is that?”

“Isn’t that obvious mayor? his life is in danger”

Helena exclaimed stomping her feet in frustration.

“No, actually is not that, Helena. I’ve been feeling so tired and hungry lately, Even getting up is difficult sometimes”

“That’s it!”

Karl exclaimed.

“You’re under the influence of a cursed object!”

“How can we know for sure?”

The chair creaked again under Ryu.

“I can’t tell with just a glance, is there any object you feel you cant part from, something you can’t leave home and if you’re far from it you start feeling bad. It can’t be something you made yourself, but it could be something you picked up or... maybe stole”

“Who do you take me for? I’m offended you...”

The chair creaked again and Ryu fell on his butt, the mayor did his best to keep the composure.

“I didn’t mean to offend you mister Ryu, Its just the way cursed objects work. Let’s say your ex girlfriend made a scarf for you, and you broke up with her afterwards. You need to return the scarf to your ex after you break up, or else her bad thoughts may inhabit it”

For some reason everyone started staring at Anne.

“Come on guys, that’s not funny, I wouldn’t do something like that to Ryu. Even if he’s a piece of trash, I’m indebted to him just as anyone here. Hold on a second, Ryu! it’s the sword!”

“No, it can’t be it, I’ve been carrying it for a long time and things started a lot later. Also, I can leave it home whenever I want”

“But, can you? let me try something, I’ll buy that sword for a gold coin”

.....

“Hah! nice try Karl, but It’s obviously worth a lot more than that!”

“Uhm, I see... then I’ll pay ten gold coins”

“Stop lowballing please”

“Actually, Nikolai bought that sword for just three gold coins, and he overpaid if you ask me”

“Still, I’m already familiar with that sword and It has saved my life many times...”

“Ryu, now that I think so, every time you attempt to use it you cant even take it out of its scabbard”

“I’ve seen him do that too, it’s the funniest thing. When he faced Bianca’s captain it seemed that Ryu was fighting against his sword rather than his enemy”

Anne said in a mocking tone.

“It was my fault, I didn’t have enough strength, anyways, I- I could sell it, I just don’t feel like it”

“Ryu!”

Everyone exclaimed as they took distance from him.

“What are you doing, put the sword down!”

“You’re just saying that because you want to take it for yourself!”

“Ryu, at least put it back in it’s scabbard”

Anne said holding her spear tightly and pointing it against Ryu, who was now holding his naked blade from the hilt waving it around.

“Wait miss Anne! it’s not his fault! Curses do everything in their power to avoid people from noticing it’s effects. At least now we know the sword is cursed.”

Karl sighed.

“Can you tell us what are the effects?”

Helena put into words everyone’s concern.

“I’ve seen my fair share of cursed objects and they all had different effects. The only thing they have in common is that they drain the user’s stamina to grow and only a priest can undo it”