A Place Without Heaven (Remake)

Chapter 44: Bait (Part 1)

     "You are to stay here, is something you surely won't obey right Ed?" Dad said. We were planning on how to keep me safe. "You got me" I chuckled. "I have a plan...Although it might be too reckless, especially for Ed..."Herd said. Dad looked at me, before he gulped. "It's better than doing nothing but wait, spit it out, Herd..." Dad said. Herd smirked, as he stated the plan.

"Well, since we know that these guys we're against with are targeting Ed, why don't we take that knowledge as an advantage?" Herd said. "Like how...?" Al-nii asked. "Bait...!" Herd laughed. "So you're saying we'll let this brat on loose, to lure those guys out?" Theia said. "Yes, but well...with a certain condition...!" Herd said. "What is it?" I asked. "Even if you noticed them, you won't take that awareness as an advantage to attack first. Lure them to a place no one can and will be able to see you. Can you do that?" He asked, with very passionate and somehow desperate eyes, staring at me. "Wait a minute, it's not like we have already agreed on doing that, Herdrad...!" Al-nii resisted. "I can do it, as long as you give me permission, Dad..." I said. "You might get killed, is that fine with you? Going on a battle with only knowledge, are you ready to do it...?" Dad said. "Dad...!" Al-nii complained. "Told ya, as long as you give me permission..." I smiled. "Fine, in one condition...!" He shouted, as he stood with his back in front of us. "Come back in one piece...!" He said. "Yes sir..!" I nodded.

"Strolling around the village...." I mumbled, as I walked around the village, with Reina and the others. "I haven't shown you around here, yet so Al-nii said it might be a nice opportunity for the plan" I said. "Well, we're fine about it, but is it alright if we're this big group" Reina whispered halfway. "I guess so, look we're just kids, you know, they won't suspect us" I winked. "Well, if you say so" She mumbled.

We went over the library Forth wanted to go to. "Can you even read those language" I asked him. "Imperio de Doghanik-Historioj" He said. That is surely an Esperanto over my world. "It is Ulirk Empire's Language, Ulirkiane" he said. Here it is called Ulirkiane. "I see, then that one" I asked, pointing to another book. "Ah, this one is למען השם, God's sake, it is Hebrew words of gods" He said. That is the same on my world's knowledge. We stayed there for a bit time, and I continued to ask Forth languages. While, Ana accompanied Cia on picture books.
The next place we went was a flower shop. "Hmm, aren't you doing a great job there, Flora!" I called out to my childhood friend. "How cocky, you haven't changed even a bit, Ed..!" Flora came out, as she saw me. "You too, nothing has changed..." I giggled. "Who's that girl? You're girlfriend?" Gino asked. "Like hell, she's my childhood friend, Flora Kirlean...!" I said. "Nice to meet you...!" She smiled. "How suspicious that smile is..." I whispered, beneath my breath. Though, Flora was able to hear it, and the result ended up with my feet being stomped over by her.

"Are you visiting Liassa-sama's grave today too?" She asked. "Well, yeah, but what do you mean by too?" I asked. "You see, earlier there was a large man with black coat covering his whole body, buying a Strelitzia here. She said it was for the Empress...I don't recognize him, though" Flora said. "Maybe a friend from a distant continent, or like that..." I mumbled. "Maybe, we don't know for sure...." Flora agreed. I took some strelitzia flowers. "Sorry that I can't go with you, the shop is busy, with lots of knights going back and forth. I'll accompany you next time" She said, as we bid goodbye.

We went over the cemetery. My mother's name was engraved to her grave. "She was right, there was someone here before us..." I mumbled, as I put down the flowers on her tomb. "This is her favorite flower, Strelitzia, birds of paradise flower" I mumbled. "How old were you when she died?" Reina asked. "Hmm, well I was 7 when she died..." I said. "Sorry..." Reina said. "Sheesh, why are you all gloomy?" I asked. "Because..." Reina stumbled. Anna hold Cia's hand tightly, with a bit of guilt. . "Cia's not lonely, Ed-onii chan and the others are here for me, that's why" She smiled at Ana, who smiled back bitterly to her. "I suddenly remembered, Mom loved this flower so she named Cia after it, taking the word Elitzia, and changing it to Elicia" I said. "She seems a kind mother, wishing for her child's freedom" Ana said. Probably, she means her understanding on those words. "She is really a kind person" I said.

"Sorry to interrupt your warm chatter, but you with the blonde hair there, are you Edward Collins?" Two persons in black appeared. "Yeah, what do you need?" I asked. "You..." One with bangs covering his left eye said. "Eh..?" I mumbled. "It's them, get ready Ed...!" Russell said. "And as expected, they are looking for Ed" Forth said. "I was waiting for you two!" I said, as Kirt binded them with his shadow.