The soothing sound of the water from the river beneath us added to the beautiful scenery in front of us. The orange sky slowly turned black as the sun disappeared from the atmosphere.
The gentle touch of wind passed through us on its path towards the marketplace behind us. The stars were starting to emerge to once again act as tiny light to the wide dark sky.
I shifted my eyes towards the 2 people with me and found them watching the scenery with a contented smile on their faces.
“Karoon, I want to ask something, if you don’t mind.”
Karoon responded with a welcoming smile. “Sure, what is it?”
“How come you have no problem with me overtaking the control of the Spriggan faction from Tanya? Why is it alright for you that she gave me the leadership even though it’s painfully obvious that I didn’t win against her.”
She just stared at me for a few seconds before unleashing a huge exhale while stretching her arms. “Hmm. Maybe because I know that you are a good person. Tan-tan has her full trust in you, so why wouldn’t I?”
“That’s the biggest question in my mind. Why does she trust me so much? If I’m gonna be honest, it’s really unrealistic and suspicious. Why would she easily throw away everything just like that?”
She looked at me as if the answer was pretty obvious and it’s strange that I didn’t know it. “Isn’t it because all of it always belongs to you? She never treated anything in this place as solely her’s. She protected this place for 10 years because she knew that one day you will arrive to govern the town of Agrona.”
“She already knew that I would come 10 years before my arrival?”
She nodded while narrowing her eyes. “Yes. Don’t tell me all this time you still don’t know about it?”
“It’s the first time I heard about it.”
Her lips immediately formed an O. “Aye! Look at it, it’s already night time. It seems like our little tour is finally over.” She turned her back at me and casually hummed while walking towards the ladder. “Ah, I’m so tired, I wonder what would we have for dinner.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” I immediately grabbed the collar of her blazer.
“Kunyaa!”
I pulled her towards me, while getting pulled, she was giving me a terrified look.
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t wanna! You look scary!”
I exhaled and released the collar of her blazer. “So it’s true? She already foresaw my arrival ten years ago?”
I had a hunch about it, due to what I heard when Tanya toured me around the facilities of the Spriggan faction before. I was just so occupied that I already forgot to dig into this issue.
But what I didn’t expect was, 10 years? Yow, doesn’t that sound like a very huge deal?
“Forgive me that I have to force you to talk about something as huge as this. I had a hunch, you just confirmed it. Now that I know that I can get answers from you, I hope you understand that I won’t stop until I get the answer that I want.
She paused for a second and slowly nodded. “I get it, but I won’t call it a secret.”
“What do you mean?”
“To be honest, I am more surprised that you still don’t know about it, most of the people of the Spriggan faction knew that someday you will arrive. We just don’t know when, even Tan-tan didn’t know when exactly would you arrive. But she still waited for you all these years with nothing to hold on to but your name.”
“My name?”
She nodded. “Casimir. The imitator of the meruem tribe. Those were the words she’s holding on to while waiting for you.” She looked up at me with a gentle smile on her face. “The reason why she’s in this town is you, and only you. All those years, we watched her wait for you. We also saw how she gradually lost hope that you would actually come and thought that all of this was for nothing, but the very next day, we would see her again, still believing. Until you have arrived and finally ended her long wait. And based on her reaction, you didn’t disappoint her. And seeing her happy is my joy. That’s why I have no problem with Tan-tan giving you something that is destined to be yours in the first place.”
That’s a lot to process! Does that mean, the establishment of the 3 factions, the faction leader challenges, the prosperity of the Spriggan faction, and the defense in the past 7 years of war, all of these happened because she knew that I would come?
She did all of it for me?
It also means… I was not accidentally summoned here by a bunch of dark cult wannabes. I am here for a reason.
What could be this reason? Why was she doing all of these? I need to know.
“How did she know that I would arrive? Is she some kind of oracle?”
Karoon chuckled. “No. Tan-tan can’t see the future.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure.”
I nodded. “I see.”
So, she just knew that I would arrive. But she didn’t know when.
We decided to go home because it was already nighttime. As we walked down the carriage the maids immediately greeted us.
“Where is Tanya?”
“Lady Tanya is in the dining room waiting for you, Lord Casimir.”
We walked towards the dining room and found her sitting on her seat while sipping a cup of tea. There was no food lying on the table, she’s probably waiting for us.
“Tan-tan!” Karoon hugged Tanya.
I sat in my seat next to Misha. “Yo.”
“How was it?”
“Enjoyable, Karoon was quite fun to be with. Right, Karoon?”
“Of course, Mister Casimir and Misha were fun to be with as well.”
“It’s wonderful to hear that, however, now that you are here, how about we take our dinner? Waiting for you to arrive made me very hungry.”
“Now that you mentioned it, Tan-tan. I’m already hungry.”
“How? You just ate a bunch of food earlier.”
“Ehh? It wasn’t that many!”
We just laugh at each other for a few seconds.
As I shifted my eyes towards Tanya, she stared back at me with a subtle smile on her face.
“Why? Is there a problem, Casimir?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Anyway, did I make you wait for so long?” I cough. “I mean for dinner.”
As if she instantly understood what was running in my mind. Half of her lips rose with her eyes directed at me.
“No. Not really. You just came at the right time before I finally gave up waiting.”
