The Eternal Family



Floating in the pond, hearing the murmur of all the children playing around in the water, Ace was not here, but inside his thoughts, "What can beat speed?"

He couldn't help but sigh.

Speed was a very quire strength to have, it almost seemed to have no weakness.

What was the use even if he had overwhelming strength? Nothing if he couldn't touch him. And if he could increase the speed of even projectiles, his own body's speed should be monstrous. Not to mention the experience.

Shaking his head, he looked around, it was noon time so there were not many in the pond, just him and some kids playing in the water, with Rome and Raina among the kids.

Looking at them, he couldn't help but be curious, "Rome," He called aloud.

"Right there!" Rome exclaimed and stopped playing around in the water, and swam towards Ace, "What, brother Ace?" he asked.

"No, I am just curious, why do you all wear these leaf clothes? Isn't it uncomfortable?"

They were wearing underwear sewn out of leaves and vines now… if they were sewing anyway, why not use animal fur and make true clothes?

And was it the same everywhere in Mystry? He hadn't ever heard such a detail.

"Ah, that!" Rome chuckled, and then said, "The Wall remember, it was made of trees and those trees are not dead, it's all alive, and their leaf is also very unique, it keeps all kinds of infections away, and it feels like fabric to the touch. So we make it into fabric for the wear, it feels like clothes but is better, so it's our Blueflame settlement's specialty."

"Ah, I see." Ace nodded with a smile and then asked, "Can we move out now?" he was already fresh from the dirt and clean and he was somewhat eager to battle that uncle guy. Maybe that might provide him with some inspiration…

Rome chuckled, "Haha, sure, Uncle Bamboo should be waiting for us to go. You don't know but he is a very good person and he is also our chief's right hand. By the way, our chief is also very intelligent, you should ask him for guidance if you want to get into the academy."

Ace nodded, quite interested. The chief built a wall and used a Gu on it to make the whole place habitable. That's what he would call genius.

Maybe that person can give him some guidance?

He didn't have much hope though, after all, even someone like Valeria, a very rare Stage 5 gifted, someone at the very top of the spectrum couldn't guide him much. How can some random Stage 3 chief guide him better than his Grandma?

But it was worth a shot, what if, just maybe…

"Raina! Come lets go!" Rome yelled out at Raina who was among the kids in the pond and she yelled back, "Right there!"

Ace couldn't help but smile, they were just like him and Lilly when they were young. Always going everywhere together, like a tail and a head.

He couldn't help but feel well towards them.

With a chuckle, he climbed out of the green pond from the side and then asked Rome, "Is there any way I could get some of those clothes?"

Some of the girls looked from the side, their faces slightly blushing, Ace was bald at the moment but he looked very manly with his caramel skin and ripped body. Even though he was quite the shorty compared to them, he was just 175 cm tall after all.

But the fact that he was only wearing a towel was very charming for some women who were looking after their kids in the water, some were even whistling.

Ace didn't even look at the women for now and looked at Rome, he wanted to buy some dress. For shit, he was wearing that knight's sweaty and reeking clothes earlier and now he wanted something better, something like those leaf clothes seemed nice.

And he had some silver to buy it since the package he stole contained it.

Rome hesitantly chuckled, "Sorry but we don't sell our clothes to outsiders even for gold coins, our chief gets quite angry if someone gives or sells it. He says it kills the tradition."

Frustrated, Ace asked with a slight frown, "Is there any way I could get some ordinary clothes at least? The ones that won't stand out like a beggar and at the same time, not too flashy like some royal clothes."

"Yeah, you can buy it easily at our Hut shop, they sell all kinds of clothes and even some weapons like bows and arrows, their arrows can even pierce leather."

"Okay, let's go there after the duel then."

"Okay!"

But what can he wear for now?

"Take this kid," came a voice from the side, it was an old woman among the five or so mature women looking after the kids in the water, "This is my son's clothes, but you can have it." Saying that she threw some white clothes at him.

Oh? Ace looked at the clothes in his hand and then at the old woman. They were white robes and quite a good one for him to wear. Were all the people in this place that nice?

"Thanks, may I know your name?" Ace asked.

"My name? Why? Don't bother. Those clothes are just cheap clothes bought from that store, it barely costs an hour of work. But I heard you want to get into the Academy, so if you do get in…" sigh, the old woman sighed, her wrinkles spreading, "If you do reach there, just check if my son is there."

The women's chatter and the kids' noises turned silent.

Ace was also silent for a second and looked at Rome for an explanation, he shook his head and whispered, "Let's go."

Ace said to the old woman, "Sure Grandma, I would check it out." And then got dressed.

Then slightly bowing at the silent grandma, he left with the boy, Raina ran behind them.

Quite some distance away, Ace asked, "What happened to her son?"

"I don't know truly," Rome sighed and clasped Raina's hands, then clarified, "But I know he was killed by some Animal or something right infront of her. That left her traumatized. She now comes to wash his clothes every other day, it's said he was a scholar and all so everyone respected him, but people are people in the end… they die."

Ace nodded, "Yeah, people are people in the end…"

But he couldn't help but imagine, then why do people have all these Gifts and capabilities, and for what reason… just what was the reason for existence if it was so shallow as to end up dead in the end.

He shook his head inside, such childish questions… he already had too many of them.