The Winds of the Past [Rune Factory 4]

Chapter 21

There was no sign of Avani in her study, but the heavy door leading to her workroom and smithy was slightly ajar. From within, I could hear the furious clanging of metal on metal. I passed through the doorway and found her there, pounding vigorously on a sword blank. From the manner in which she worked, it was clear that she was simply blowing off steam with some hard physical labor rather than trying to craft a quality weapon.

She paused when I came in and looked at me, her eyes still sparking with anger. She wiped the sweat from her brow, leaving dark streaks across her forehead in the process. "Well? Is he gone?" she said, tersely.

I shrugged my shoulder. "No idea, I didn't wait around to make sure he left. If he hasn't yet, he probably will as soon as he gets his sea legs back," I replied drily. She looked at me questioningly, and I explained, "He looked seasick, as though he might pass out or puke any minute."

She snorted, saying, "Good. Serves him right. I still can't believe...." and with that, she turned back to her work and began hammering again with a vengeance.

After watching her for several minutes and seeing no sign of her anger subsiding, I put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "Hey," I said as she looked up at me, "how about we go clear out some monster infestations? It might be a more effective use of your energy."

She set her hammer down, and thought for a minute. "Sure," she said, "but I'd like a bath first—I have sooty sweat dripping into my eyes!"

I laughed, and we headed back downstairs. Dylas had indeed left by then, so we grabbed our gear from her storeroom and headed out the back door, through her gardens and towards the inn. I spotted Dylas down the road as we reached the inn, looking utterly dejected as he slowly walked up to the restaurant door. Serves him right, though, I thought angrily to myself as I held the door for Avani.

We enjoyed long soaks in the fragrant baths, then met up in the lobby. I bought a cold juice for her, then we went to my room to pick up a few things and check on my foxes before setting out for the airship. Avani asked if I had any place in mind, and I suggested we return to the cave in Sercerezo Hill where the Sechsons had installed their secret lab. I thought it likely that a number of vicious creatures still roamed those maze-like caverns. She agreed, and off we went. We reached the cave after a few small skirmishes with monsters in the wild, and after taking a moment to check our gear and prepare ourselves, we headed in.

As I'd suspected, there were still numerous monsters lurking in the large, shadowy caverns. Avani fought like a demon, venting her fury and frustration on the unlucky monsters that crossed her path. I could barely keep up with her, she moved so quickly, and she was unleashing such power in each blow that I could barely get in a jab with my spear or cast a single spell before she'd entirely annihilated the denizens of each cavern. So for the time being, I kept back and let her have free rein, conserving my energy for healing and backup, should either be needed. I was concerned, though, about how much energy she was using, and wondered if she had enough food at home—I knew that at this rate, her appetite would be enormous by the time we'd finished.

Sure enough, by the time she'd had enough and we returned to her rooms, she was drained and famished. Looking in her kitchen, I thought to myself that she really needed to go shopping, urgently. For the time being, I tracked down Vishnal and asked him to order some food from Porcoline's, giving him enough money to cover the expense. He happily obliged, always ecstatic to do anything for his dearly beloved Princess. As he left, it occurred to me to wonder if Dylas would be delivering it—that could be awkward. But as it happened, Vishnal waited for the order and brought it back himself. When I asked him why Dylas wasn't doing the deliveries, he said that Porcoline had mentioned that the waiter was feeling unwell and had gone to bed. As well he should, I thought grimly as I took the food into the kitchen.