Two days after the incident. Ignis and the knights helping with the kingdom restoration along with the elves lead by Valix since there's a lot to fix.
The day before, they've checking on the explosion site and finally see the massive crater with nothing but dirt remain. The mana flow doesn't changes when Ellie check on it. She command the mages to restore the hole with earth magic and erase all trace of it.
Meanwhile, Lisan's being tied at the city center to show the people who's the mastermind behind it. He's being humiliated and tortured as Lucas barrier keeping him still and quiet. A punishment fitting for traitor.
Everything goes well with everyone already recovering from the events. All the corpses were taken back to the graveyard and reburied them all. Everyone's focused on their doing while waiting for their savior to woke up.
Inside the palace where Nein's sleeping in the infirmary room. His hair stay grey as he still sleeping peacefully.
The door's open slowly and revealed Lucas entering the room with a basket of fruits. He take a seat next to the bed and examining the peaceful expression of Nein sleeping form.
"Everyone's doing fine with the restoration. We've buried back the dead and letting them rest once more. But people still asking me about their heroes, I told them that you need rest but...I wish you could see them as well. Their eagerness begin to overwhelm me you know." He jest and smiles.
"We're going to hold a celebration once you woke up. So please, don't make us waiting too long Nein." His voice filled with concern.
He gets up and adjust the blanket covering Nein's body before checking his vitals and exit the room. The door's open again shortly with Ignis coming to visit. She saw the basket and take a seat next to the bed.
"I want to apologize. The first time I saw you I thought you'd be the same as other mercenary I knows and doubting you. It was my mistake for not knowing the better, you've saved everyone here better than us." She pause and hold his hand gently.
"So please woke up so that I can thank you properly and maybe...I'll accept that apple next time." She gives his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and rose up from her seat.
She watch his face before turning around and leave. While in Nein's dream, he's standing in the middle of snow. No matter he looks and walks, he only find emptiness beyond the vast snowy plains.
"Nein." A gentle voice calling for his name.
He turn around sharply to see and stunned when he saw his older sister standing before him. He saw that confident and warm smile across her exhausted face and immediately rushed to hug her. Her white hair flowing against the gentle air before vanishing into the snowstorm.
"Sis..sister!" He calls desperately to reach her out.
He gasped and woke up. The sky's dark outside as he found his arm reaching out toward the ceiling. He calm himself down and sit on the bed. The dream still lingering in his mind since it's been a while for him to seeing that face again.
He spot the basket of fruits, picking one apple and take a bite. Peeling the skin off with his teeth and begin to eat. He stare at the ceiling and noticed his grey hair. He sigh immediately.
"Looks like I need to stay for a while." He mumbles before taking another bites of the apple.
He test {tracer} and found nothing odds beside Lisan's being tied in the middle of night under the freezing air outside, he chuckles and keep his search further.
"Looks like I need another spear now. It such a shame I lost it in less than a week, I hope the blacksmith will forgive me." He says with anticipation before finishing the apple and return to sleep.
The next day when the nurse about to check on him, she saw him standing on both of his feet and shocked before calling for her friend to inform the king immediately.
"Mr. Nein...are you feeling alright?" The nurse asked in concern.
"A little bit stiff but I'm fine and would you bring me breakfast?.I'm hungry." He says with a smile.
The nurse blush slightly and nods curtly before exiting the room with nervous strides. He's clueless and just continue his stretch.
Lucas barged into the room after a while and relieved when he saw Nein awake and eating on his bed.
"Thank goodness you awake. I thought you'd need a kiss to wake you up. Such a waste huh Ellie." Lucas said with a playful smile.
"Father...Stop saying nonsense!" Said Ellie upset from his tease.
Nein simply chuckles at their exchange and set the empty tray aside.
"So how about the aftermath of the incident your majesty?. Did you find something odds remain." He went work mode immediately.
"Of course you'd be more worried about work than my beautiful daughter."Lucas's mumble to himself.
"Well, nothing out of place. Everything's going smoothly, both the restoration and recovery." He adds as he closing the distance between them.
"Can you move Nein?. Your hair still...fading" Ellie said while looking at Nein's grey hair.
"I'm fine. The hair had nothing to do with my health. I'm storing the...mana in my hair, hence why it's black. My hair's naturally white you know." he says casually, adding a fun fact about himself before getting off the bed.
They begin to walk outside. Nein's still wearing his patient attire. He saw the peoples walking around normally. Lucas take him toward the place where the battle started and saw the knights along with the elf working together to rebuild and fix the place.
"Nein winter?." Ignis noticed him at the distance and approaching.
Everyone stop their doing and start gathering around him with a smile. Both the knights and elves giving the same admiring gaze toward him. He's slightly nervous from the weight in their eyes and clear his throat before speaking.
"Well... looks like everything's fine now." He says awkwardly.
Everyone laugh upon seeing such reaction from him, seeing him nervous makes him more human. They ignore his pale hair and returning to their task after making sure he's fine. Ignis stay with Nein and the others to follow them to where Lisan's were.
Peoples starting to gather around the kingdom central and finally sees their savior walking next to the king. They stopped Infront of Lisan who's covered in filth and bruise while still struggling to escape.
"He's still full of spirit I see." Nein says flatly before looking up at the string only him to see.
Lucas follow his gaze and puzzled. But he doesn't ask and let Nein decide his action. He take a step forward and coat his finger with smoke before severs the connection. Lisan face goes pale as he no longer feeling his power and begin to begging for his life. Seeing that reaction, Lucas face harden as he finally see something beside mockery from his cousin.
"Go on." Nein said suddenly as he step aside.
"He won't come back alive now." His voice clear amidst Lisan's muffled struggle.
That sentence alone bring peace to Lucas mind, he made a wise decision to wait for Nein to wake up before ending it all. He raise his hand for a sword, Ignis saw it and immediately hand hers. He take a step forward and looking down at his cousin with disgust and fury, he shift his gaze toward Nein beside him and manage to gather himself.
With a clean swing, he cut off the head from Lisan's body. Followed by people's cheering, he finally able to get his revenge. All the weight around his shoulder lifted as he shed tear of relief. He raise his sword with pride and shouts.
"FOR OUR KINGDOM AND FOR OUR SAVIOR!." His voice echoes before followed by everyone and lower the sword.
"Thank you Nein. For everything." He looks at Nein with respect and gratitude.
"I'm simply doing my job your majesty." He stay humble and only nod curtly.
And with that. The elves who's keeping their distance with human for what happened in the past, now being saved by one of them. A single human who carries darkness around him like a close friends that bring hope back.
Nein and the knights of Bellonia decided to stay for a while to help with the restoration as well to recovering. A celebration being held three days later for their victory and to thanks the hero who saved them. The road filled with people enjoying themselves.
Away from the bustle of the party, Nein sitting alone in the corner, watching every laughter that filled the air. He sit alone starring blankly.
"What's our savior doing here all alone?." Ellie's voice suddenly called.
She take a seat beside him and noticed his hair regaining it's dark color again.
"I'm not really into gathering. I prefer to sit alone and watch it from the distance." His voice calming under the moonlight.
They simply sat there silently. Watching peoples from their small and cozy bench. She shift closer and leans against his shoulder. He give her a sidelong glance before looking back to the crowd.
"Thank you for everything Nein. You saved everyone and restoring our trust to outside world. And thanks for... letting me see the face of my mother and sister again. I'm... truly grateful..." her voice weak and shaky.
World narrow around them as he stay beside her. He let her use his shoulder as a pillow. He looks up to the stars above and remember his sisters and is filled with determination to find a way to go back and finally hug them properly. He close his eyes and let the moment sinks.
One week later. Nein's packing his stuff and prepare to leave first while Ignis and her knights stay to discuss something with Lucas. He can't stay for too long since he had another duty. He received another spear after Sidir heard about his previous one broke, he's nagging him with harsh word but also stay all night to make it.
He walk toward the main gate and saw everyone's gathering to say their goodbye to him. Lucas went first to grab his hand tightly.
"I really wish you could stay longer Nein..." Lucas said with a droopy face as he hold Nein's hand.
"Sorry, I still have work to do." He replied casually.
"Yeah...it's a shame because I'm planning to discuss Ellie's marri-ugh." Ellie stop her father from finishing his sentence and stepping in their conversation.
"Ehem, don't mind him Nein. But still, make sure you pay us a visit okay?. Our gate will always open for you." Ellie said with a wide smile.
She looks better now and back to her usual energetic self. Ignis and her knights also sent their gratitude toward him.
"Be safe on your way back Nein winter. And don't worry about this ever reach outside ears. Well keep your retribution a secret just as you wanted." Her voice friendly as she reach her hand to him.
"I'm well assured." He accepts it and shake it firmly.
He finally take his first step outside the gate and give another look behind him before waving at everyone and walking away toward the woods and disappear.
Meanwhile, somewhere beyond the land. Ten figures sitting together on round table with two seat empty.
"We lost another one huh...is it the same person again?." Ask someone with heavy voice.
"It's remain unclear. Both of them disappear in a short time but the aftermath of their fight so differ." Said someone with big hat and slender body.
"We should be careful now with such individual roaming around. We still uncertain about their number, keep a low profile for now and reduce our activities until we know what kind of person messing with us." Said the leader with huge body and a pair of horn.
Everyone nods in unison and start to wary of this peoples interfering with their plan. While Nein, the person behind that simply swings back to Patio to make his reports and take another job.