A Bouquet of Crocus

Chapter 4

The sky dyed in flaming red, orange, and a layer of dark blue. The forest were filled with shadows and lights mingled and intertwined in contrast. The night had yet to fall, but danger already came.

The reverberated sound of colliding metal had yet to halt. The sound was neither so far nor close. If the three just hurried home they might be able to avoid being caught up in the fight, yet following the twins pace they simply walked as leisurely as always.

As they strode through the dry path, they were still absorbed in their own thoughts, especially Venrie. When he heard the sound of the sword fight, the danger inevitably reminded him of the twins contradiction. Previously the twins said that they could handle the monster just fine, yet they also said they couldn't help the villager. It might be a mere courtesy, but their expression that time were sincerely bitter it were too good to be an act.

Also usually the twins had an unbelievably indifferent and nonchalant demeanor, as though nothing concerned them. Yet when they were separated for a split second back at the village, they looked obviously anxious and apprehensive. It was simply mysterious and incomprehensible it piqued Venrie's curiosity, but he restrained himself from asking and became reticent, he felt bad to pry at people that had saved and taken care of him.

Venrie was dazed while the corner of his sight catches a glimpse of a bright red thing up on the trees. It was an apple, one of his favorite food. Actually he hadn't eaten anything beside vegetables, rice, and buns since he arrived here. He was longing for fruits yet the twins have none.

He stopped and stared at the apples with his lustrous sparkling eyes, "Hey.. Ah-shun, Ah-shi.."
(ah- intimate way to call a younger person)

The twins also stopped and turned back to look at him.

Venrie pointed up to the trees, "could you wait for me a bit? i want to pick those apples" he said with a longing expectant expression.

The twins set their sight towards the direction Venrie pointed at, their eyes immediately shines, "Apples! yes yes yes! we like it too! we will help pick them too!" the twins turns out to be just as excited as Venrie. In fact, previously they had stocked lots of apples but because they liked it too much hence it depleted way faster than they predicted.

The three had sparkling excited eyes as they jumped right to the trunk. Venrie was slightly startled, not expecting the twins to have such agility, but he ignored it and shifted his attention to the apples right away.

In this world, Venrie also learned about magical items for daily use. One of them was a magic bag. It looked just as small as a book, but inside was a dimension with 8 m3 volume. It was so convenient Venrie gritted his teeth out of envy, his world didn't have such item and bringing things were simply heavy and troublesome.

The twins gave him one before they departed. And he used it to stuff his harvest, a whole lot of apples from three trees.

After they satisfied harvesting from tree to tree, they met up under a tree and simultaneously nibbling messily on their apples. If not for their good looks and elegance, one would have a hard time differentiating them from a pack of monkeys. Even the previously anxious and thoughtful Venrie had totally became a clueless nonchalant monkey, apple was all it needs to turn him stupid.

The night had fall and it reminded Venrie of the monster. The stupid apple effect had ceased hence the sword fight sound that had been muted unconsciously could be heard again, "Let us return quickly."

The twins nodded while chewing their second apple.

Suddenly a whirling thing flashed right in front of Venrie's nose and snatched his apple. It stabbed his apple into a tree beside him. Venrie was dumbstruck, his body hair stands on its ends, his veil had ripped. He glanced at the thing,