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After Frank had a more heartfelt talk with his friends, and promised he wouldn't use that accursed power again, Harumi continued the conversation, informing him of something rather important.
Of certain people he had completely forgotten about until now…
"Anyway, let's go. There's three other people I want you to see first, Frank," Harumi said. "They might be in the backyard I believe."
"We should go pick them up so they can have lunch with us," Matsuo said. "One of them trains a lot but the other two aren't that hard working, we have to pretty much force them to do something…"
"Three other people?" Frank wondered. "Who are you talking about? And you're forcing them to do something? Huh?"
Frank seemed completely clueless, despite these people being the ones he had also fought to protect from Medea's evil claws.
"Yeah, remember the students we fought?" Erika asked. "The trio of idiots that we bumped into that got caught by that old hag. The brainwashed ones."
"Wait… Huh? Was it Elfina, Sol and… Fiere? What about them?" Frank asked. "Oh… Don't tell me…"
"Well, a lot happened, and they joined the clan," Harumi said. "It wasn't my idea though, I had suggested to just wipe out their memories, my mom could do that with her magic but…"
"That's just way too cruel, and seeing how much potential they had, it was inevitable that even if we did that, they would eventually get caught into something again," Matsuo sighed. "And if that were the case we would have to protect them from afar, and we might as well just let them join the clan if that's the case, right?"
"Eh?!" Frank was surprised. "You mean they really joined the clan? That's unexpected… Were they okay with that?"
"They didn't have any other good option either way, their families had no connections with the underworld, surprisingly," Erika explained. "It was either this or being left alone to be kidnaped to be either turned into brainwashed slaves or have their bodies chopped into pieces and sold for high price. You don't come along two people with Fae Bloodlines and someone with a Heroic Soul in here that much, you know?"
"Did you had to be so graphic with your explanation, Erika? It isn't that bad; our combined territory is well protected…" Sighed Harumi. "A-Anyway, Frank, I hope you don't mind them. we're still trying to get along. At least Sol is friendly, but Elfina and her maid, Fiere are… Uh, not the nicest."
"I-Is that so?" Frank wondered.
He could recall some fragments of these strange memories he had, some where he interacted with Elfina, Fiere, and Sol.
But not in this world, but another… He wasn't sure what they meant now, but they could probably help him, one way or another.
"Ah right, where's Rubby?"
Before stepping out of the house, he quickly remembered he had left Ruby alone after everything happened.
"She was the one that kept you alive until we got here, you know?" Matsuo said. "She used her ability to heal by licking to constantly keep you afloat somehow… her willpower was big."
"We feed her after that, and she fell asleep by your side once you were healed by the Great Ancestor but… She disappeared," Harumi said.
"We've been trying to find her everywhere but she's nowhere to be found, sorry…" Erika sighed.
"Ah, she disappeared?" Frank wondered. "Hmm… Ruby? Are you there?"
Frank talked to the empty air, but suddenly, a small white colored portal opened, and a little winged dragon with bright crystal red scales emerged, flapping her wings cutely.
"Raaarrr!"
It was Ruby!
She jumped over Frank and began licking his face without hesitation, flapping her wings happily right the moment she saw him.
"Haha, Ruby! I'm happy to see you again too, but stop licking me ugh…"
Frank gently pushed her away, as he realized the little dragon was very happy to see him, as she was even crying a bit.
He had no idea these creatures were even capable of crying; most pets wouldn't just begin crying or something when their owners got wounded.
It seemed, that, rather obviously, Ruby was a much smarter girl.
"Sorry for worrying you so far, but I'm fine now," Frank patted her head. "Thank you for keeping me alive until I got back in here, you were a real-life saver."
"Raarrr!" Ruby nodded, feeling quite proud of herself after hearing that, she was definitely one of those that saved Frank's life after all.
"I think she deserves some reward later, Frank," Harumi said. "You better give her a nice treat."
"I'll try to find something of her liking," Frank nodded.
Once they opened the doors, the beautiful garden surrounding Matsuo's house was revealed to Frank, making him feel rather relaxed.
The breeze was nice and cold, and it wasn't that hot outside, miraculously. But once he began walking outside, he felt slightly fatigued, he seemed to be still recovering from internal injuries.
"Ugh…"
"Damn, calm down, don't walk too fast, you're still recovering."
Matsuo stopped Frank as Harumi quickly put Frank's arm over her shoulder.
"Use me to lean to, Frank, I'll help you walk."
"Harumi… Thank you."
Once he looked around, he found someone right there, training.
A tall young man, with fiery red hair and orange eyes, swinging a wooden sword while practicing his techniques against a wooden dummy.
A golem dummy, which moved and reacted to his attacks, and even counter attacked, although it didn't move and remained in the same position, as it had no legs but two long wooden arms.
"Ha! Heeya! Haah!"
The young man was rapidly grasping basic swordsmanship with long swords, and the dummy was having a hard time keeping up with him.
"Huh, he's not bad…" Frank looked from afar.
"He's strong, isn't he?" Matsuo said. "My father said that he has innate talents to certain things as someone with a Heroic Soul. Apparently swordsmanship and sun magic are his talents… No wonder he's called Sol! He was someone really compatible with our clan, so Lady Amaterasu had no problems recruiting him."
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