November 34th, one day after the awakening of Eleanor Lynn.
Eleanor Lynn, Camilla Buckley, Cauron Thorn, and Aaron Grimstall sat around a table, speaking in a hushed tone.
"You truly mentored him, of all people?"
The blonde-haired priestess had chosen a chair beside the Marshal of Ancients, curious and inspired by her presence.
"I honestly don't know what came over me when I thought he was some villainous monster. He's truly devoid of anything that could make him threatening in any way…"
Cam chuckled as she quickly bonded with the girl whom she had taken care of for the weeks she was aboard Aaron's Ghostship.
Directing her finger outward to point to the boy who was in a heated conversation with Lord Thorn, the indication of his 'unthreatening' demeanor was clear.
Catching her gaze out of the corner of his eye, the blond boy groaned and broke away from Cauron's discussion.
"I might be missing a leg and a hand; however, that doesn't make me incapable of hearing you from only a meter away…"
Beside him, the orange-haired Sea King shook his head before turning his gaze over to Eleanor.
The priestess' throat constricted as she felt the full aura of the man turn onto her, his eyes seemingly prowling straight through her.
"Aaron has been telling me of your exploits in the Great Beyond, specifically, about your interactions with certain individuals. If possible, would you have time after this to discuss those Angels of the Angelic Order and the so-called 'anchors' you made there?"
As he said the word 'anchors,' a flicker of something dark flashed past his eyes, perhaps a memory or a wish that had long since been smothered, that had been reignited in that minute.
Eleanor returned his question with a warm smile and a reply.
"Of course, though, it would have to be before Aaron and I depart for the Sea of Polar Storms tonight."
Cam twitched slightly, triggered by something the girl had said.
"Is there something wrong, Ms. Buckley?"
Cauron was holding back a laugh as he spoke, gently wiping his tea-stained lips with a handkerchief.
"N-nothing…"
Aaron sighed at her response, the discussion that they had resonating in the back of his mind.
He would spend the remainder of his lifespan training with the Swordsman of the South, Masaru Kurogane, in his homeland in order to attempt to complete his final two goals he had before his inevitable death.
The easier of the two missions he had was still far greater than he could ever hope to imagine: the total and complete death of Azaroth Pane.
At his level, it was impossible to kill that creature himself; therefore, his only goal was to work himself to the strength where he could at least matter in a fight, to stand long enough to be an obstacle to his victory.
Even if it cost him his life, he was certain that the Ghostship wouldn't let him die so easily, and even if he were to meet his demise then, based on the description from Eleanor's conversation with Death himself, it was unlikely to be a quiet fate.
If I can weaken him and allow a Sea King to get the final blow, that would be perfect… My life doesn't matter as long as his ends…
Yet, as he thought the words, the ringing in his ears and the pain in his chest seemed to flare, the egg that had attached itself to his very soul seething with an unknown emotion.
He didn't know whether it could read his thoughts or not, but it must know of his plans, and it was in opposition to his suicidal mentality.
"Well, if you're truly going to be departing tonight, then there might be a way to fast-track your sailing."
Cauron's smile widened as he revealed a small object from his pocket that resembled an hourglass.
"That's…"
The brown-haired woman's voice trailed off as she recognized the object that she had seen at the hip of Solister Lune for years.
"Indeed. I borrowed the artifact from Droskyn in anticipation of sending Urude to the Sea of Ancients to harvest a dragon, yet now I think it more appropriate that you use it and return it to him yourself."
Aaron and Eleanor tilted their heads to the side.
"What does it even do? It just appears to be a blood bank of some sort…"
The orange-haired man closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as did Cam, who sat across the table.
"I was on the verge of the explanation…"
Having had to deal with Grimstall's semantics for weeks, he had grown accustomed to the poorly timed questions; yet, sometimes, he lamented his former father, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, who had to deal with his bickering for years.
But in the end, it was only thanks to that boy that he could even remember such a deity, and therefore, he couldn't completely deny his strengths.
"This hourglass allows its wielder to gain a small portion of the power of whoever's blood is within it. Therefore, I've filled it with my own, and when activated with a certain spell in mind, it'll work up to three times. I anticipate at least two of its uses being on transport through the World Between; however, the third can be used as you so wish. Ah, and you'll also need to input some mana of your own to activate it."
Aaron paled as he took the extremely valuable object within his grasp, a hard gulp going down his throat.
"I'll take that for safety…"
Reaching across the table, Eleanor took it out of the boy's hand, clearly not trusting his ability to keep such a rarity safe.
Given how often he was attacked or separated from his belongings, he preferred her to hold onto the artifact.
Cauron didn't seem to mind either; the girl was already far more responsible than he could've ever imagined, given the type of people Aaron Grimstall seemed to attract.
I thought she would've been quite the devil… Perhaps that pink-haired child has competition.
Laughing to himself, he gently stood up from the table with a weak smile.
Then, he quietly turned towards the blond boy who held his cup of water within his grip, confused as to what the Sea King was doing.
"Are you—"
The sight of the most powerful man within the Sea of Mystery bowing his head instantly graced Aaron's vision, his heart freezing as he watched the scene occur.
"You're truly an enigma, my dear boy, yet throughout all of that, you've produced miracles beyond my wildest understanding. Your brilliant battles in the tournament, the choosing of that strange egg, the control of a Ghostship without aid, the successful summit of the Floriam Mountains, and even the saving of my wife."
The man closed his eyes.
"Each of these contributed greatly to my research, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to pay you back for what you've done. So I'll say this one last time, boy, and don't let your ego explode from this, but from the depths of my ancient heart, I thank you for your help, and I, and my subordinates, will never turn a blind eye if you are in need."
Cam and Eleanor were silent, watching the scene, their gazes focused on the boy who had begun to stand.
With a smile curling up on his lips, the blond child reached out and grabbed the Sea King's hand, shaking it firmly.
"No. Thank you, Lord Thorn; without you, I couldn't have revived Eleanor or learned to appreciate the library as you have taught me."
Chuckling as he added in the last bit, the two men patted one another on the back before parting ways, the King of Mystery vanishing into the vast alleyways of Blackport Ridge without a sound.
…
"Cauron Thorn had a wife…"
The words stuck in Eleanor's mind as she relaxed beside a fountain with Aaron, who was eating iced snow quietly.
It wasn't just the fact that she hadn't heard of the Sea King's marital status before, but rather, that book she had seen in the Great Beyond.
She had refrained from mentioning it in case the Goddess of Life and Fertility struck her down for revealing her embarrassing writing to her contractor, though now it seemed silly to do so.
Why would she write about such private information but then allow it on public display in the bookstore?
There wasn't even any reason for her to care about such a small thing, yet it irked her for some unknown reason.
"Aaron, how exactly did you save his wife? I didn't think you had any medical experience?"
Glancing over from his iced snow, he nodded and replied quickly.
"His wife had been infected with a zombification disease that targeted the core. I absorbed the core that was providing the infection and, in turn, removed that infection from her body, allowing her to return to normal."
Eleanor frowned, receiving more questions than answers.
I told you about nearly every day I was in the Great Beyond when you asked me for a little information, but when I asked you, was there something like this excluded?
She sighed, closing her eyes and trying to connect the dots.
"Would that woman happen to have a name?"
Waiting for the blonde-haired boy to answer, she allowed her feet to swing back and forth past the bench.
"Oh yeah… Her name was Audore, or wait…"
He paused, thinking hard.
"Aurora! Her name was Aurora!"
All at once, Eleanor's thoughts connected to form one massive puzzle, solved by a single name.
The bookkeeper in the Great Beyond was an unusual individual already, but who could've known she was a partially alive human similar to the girl herself?
Furthermore, she had a strange fascination with knowledge; her favorite book was one about Cauron Thorn. She struggled to get past the sections later in his life; she disappeared around the same time that Aaron saved Cauron's wife.
It made complete and total sense, yet she had overlooked the details due to the sheer implausibility.
Now, though, with the confirmation, she could, with near-certain accuracy, determine that Aurora was alive, and only a few kilometers from her, no less.
Aaron continued to stare at the girl's odd reaction, observing her as if she would suddenly leap away and vanish into the city.
Eleanor, however, simply kept smiling, one of the friends she had made in the Great Beyond alive once more, the same as herself, an equal, an ally.