Chapter 23: Silalai Town

  At the Silalai Town Patrol Unit office, Nitaan, Chief Sing, and P’ Phu were gathered in Chief Sing's office.

  "So, you will move to the capital?" Chief Sing asked, raising an eyebrow upon hearing his capable employee submit a request to leave the unit.

  "Yes, sir. There's something I want to pursue," Nitaan replied.

  "That's good. You're still young. Go follow your dreams. Don't stay cooped up in a small town like this," Chief Sing said, lowering his head and reading the documents in his hand.

  "You are very talented and also have a long future ahead. Going on an adventure in the capital would be a good option. Most people who are able to comprehend their word are those who have been through a lot," P’ Phu added.

  "And what are you planning to do in the capital? You're not that rich? You probably won't be able to live off your savings," Chief Sing continued.

  "I know someone in the capital. I think they might be able to introduce me to the City Guard unit or the capital branch of the patrol unit."

  "Someone from the Uthumpohn family from before? So you did do a good job," Chief Sing smiled.

  "No, it's not that. Even though Nong In might be able to help, I think I'll go see Colonel Lalanta first."

  The room fell silent. The cheerful atmosphere from a moment ago vanished. Chief Sing's face remained expressionless, but P’ Phu's brow was furrowed.

  "You should just go to the Uthumpohn family." P’ Phu suggested.

  "Colonel promised to help me. She said I should go to her if I need anything. So I thought I'd try relying on her."

  "But you know… Colonel kinda..." P’ Phu trailed off.

  A sigh from Chief Sing drowned out what P’ Phu was about to say.

  "Are you sure?" Chief Sing's eyes remained emotionless, fixed on him.

  "I'm sure," Nitaan replied, staring back.

  "Have you really forgiven her?"

  "It was never her fault in the first place."

  Chief Sing and Nitaan exchanged glances for a moment. Chief Sing lowered his gaze, under a grim face is a slight smile.

  "You've really grown up, haven't you?" Chief Sing smiled.

  "I'm 21 now, and also a bit taller than you, Chief," Nitaan grinned.

  "Shut up! In my eyes, I still see that crybaby kid from school running to me asking for help learning how to punch people."

  "Well, those guys only bullied the weak. Once I knocked them out, life became much more peaceful," Nitaan shrugged.

  "That was quite famous back then, 'The Hunter and the Man-Eating Dog,'" P’ Phu laughed.

  "That's too much of a nickname.”

  “It's true that I ambushed those guys with sticks, but Kiita didn't eat anyone, he just bit them," Nitaan said with a wry smile.

  "Woof!"

  Grrr! Kiita bared his teeth to show off how he got the ‘Man-eating Dog’ nickname.

  The three of them laughed heartily. Nitaan was sure he would miss this warm atmosphere when he moved away.

  Nitaan didn't have many friends. Although he could joke and chat with many people, the only people he truly felt close to were Chief Sing, who was like an elder and mentor, and P' Phu, who was like an older brother.

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  Many of his fellow soldiers and townspeople loved and knew Nitaan, but deep down, Nitaan remained closed off. For him, he won’t easily forget how he was treated when he performed Engraving Ceremony and destroyed his own potential.

  He doesn’t have that many people he cares about, so he is trying his best to care for what he has.

  "Oh, by the way, if you wanted to try something new, becoming an adventurer would also be a good option," P' Phu said.

  "I've been thinking about that, but I think I'll try working in the City Guard Unit first. Meeting different kinds of people might help me comprehend my Words of Power better. Besides, I've heard the City Guard pays very well," Nitaan explained.

  "That makes sense. Well, give it a try. With your skills, you'll thrive wherever you work. So when do you plan to leave?" Chief Sing asked.

  "In two or three days. I want to pack my things first, then I'll travel by Eight-winged giant bird."

  "I initially wanted to throw you a farewell party, but it seems you don't want to invite a lot of people."

  "Then let's go to the usual place this evening. Just three of us is fine." Chief Sing quickly arranged everything.

  "Sure! I haven't seen P' Phu drunk in a while. "This time, I'll have him chug," Nitaan grinned mischievously, glancing at P' Phu, who was giving a sheepish smile.

  "Woof!"

  Drunk and Wasted!

  Kiita jumped around happily. He was probably the one who loved parties the most.

  "Dogs aren't allowed to drink alcohol," Nitaan scolded.

  Seeing Kiita's tail droop, everyone laughed warmly.

  "You're still taking good care of Kiita," Chief Sing laughed. He admitted he'd be a little lonely without these two.

  "Kiita is my path to a glorious life," Nitaan laughed.

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  That day, Nitaan spent the entire day saying goodbye to people he knew in town, informing them of his upcoming move out.

  "My regular customer of almost 10 years is moving to the capital?" the owner of the grilled pork stall said regretfully.

  "Take care of yourself. It will be cold at night in the capital, so make sure you're well-covered," the auntie at the pastry shop said worriedly.

  "You take care of yourself too, Kiita. Don't be naughty, okay?"

  The townspeople bid farewell to Nitaan in advance. Nitaan felt a warmth in his heart. Having lost his family at a young age, he rarely experienced anything like this. He simply responded to everyone with a smile.

  After saying goodbye to people he knows, Nitaan headed to the Holy Grail restaurant. The three of them chatted casually, reminiscing about the old times. They weren't particularly sad. After all, Chief Singh and P’ Phu are still very young, and they would surely meet again in the future.

  But the place where they would meet again would no longer be Silalai Town.

  After saying their goodbyes, Nitaan and Kiita returned to their homes. There were many things he needed to take care of before moving out.

  Nitaan spent another day organizing his personal belongings. He didn't have much to carry. He simply packed his clothes and cleaning supplies into the large backpack he'd bought from Hidal's Magical Artifacts Shop.

  Palace Hold Bag was a type of Enchanted artifact infused with dimensional energy. Inside, it was much larger than it appeared from the outside, and the weight of its contents was greatly reduced.

  He had considered using a Palace Hold Bag in the forest, but its bulky size and price quickly diminished his hope.

  Nitaan recalled his last visit to Hidal.

  "This is my last purchase. Can't you give me a discount? It's 5000 Gaia!" Nitaan grumbled.

  "Discount my ass!! I'm doing business here, not charity! You know how many of these bags I have in the whole shop. And who knows when the next shipment will arrive?" Hidal snarled.

  "Well, since this is the last time, I'll give you this as a bonus." Hidal ducked under the table, fiddled with it for a moment, and then pulled out a small shoulder bag, only slightly wider and longer than his arm. On the side, the name of Hidal's Magical Artifacts Shop was embroidered.

  "This is also Palace Hold bag, but a smaller one. It can only hold about the size of a table. Unlike the big one that can hold about two cows. That one's a backpack, suitable for transporting goods or merchandise, not ideal for carrying around like this one, which is a shoulder bag," Hidal tossed him.

  "This one normally costs 3000 Gaia, but since it's you, I'll give it to you for free. You're the type who always carries a lot into the forest anyway. This should make things much more convenient."

  Nitaan picked up the small bag and rummaged through it, finding that it had more than enough space to hold his spears, knives, bow, and arrows. Nitaan grinned with satisfaction, slung it over his shoulder, and adjusted it for easy access.

  "That's more like it. Thank you so much, Hidal," Nitaan smiled.

  Hidal didn't reply, simply waved him off before sinking back into the pile of books.

  After arranging his belongings, it was already nighttime. This was his last night in Silalai Town, the town where he had lived his entire 21 years of life.

  Nitaan recalled various events in his life. Since birth, Silalai Town had been the only place he had lived. Even all his education was in this town. The moment he was supposed to be assigned to the Tinder unit was in this town. The moment he had to join the Patrol unit while waiting to reach the required age was also in this town.

  All the events of his life unfolded here: the loss of his beloved parents, his encounter with Kiita, and also his Engraving Ceremony.

  Nitaan first experienced loneliness when he lost his parents. He became a 12-year-old orphan. Because he was a talented child, many people were willing to adopt him, but Nitaan only perceived them as people who wanted to take advantage of him. Therefore, he chose to remain alone.

  There were only two people he believed were truly sincere: Chief Sing and Colonel Lalanta. After that, it was P' Phu, with whom he became closer later.

  Even though Colonel Lalanta constantly blamed herself for the tragedy, Nitaan never blamed her. He knew better than anyone that at that time, it was Colonel Lalanta who tried her hardest. Although the outcome was cruel to a 12-year-old like him, Nitaan understood that some things, no matter how much anger or sorrow he felt, couldn't be changed.

  He chose to refuse Colonel Lalanta's invitation because he was afraid. He didn't want to leave this town for the bustling capital, especially as the Colonel's adopted son.

  As for Chief Sing, although he was willing to take care of him, Nitaan didn't want to bother Chief Sing's family. At that time, Chief Sing had remarried and was starting a new family. He didn't want to disturb them, so he chose to live alone. Chief Sing still offered plenty of help, but he simply chose to live alone.

  With the help from Chief Singh, rumors of him destroying his own potential start to subside.

  His Word of Power ‘Fade’ was strong evidence of his desire to conceal his identity and live peacefully, unseen by others. Yet for a 12-year-old, it became a huge void in his heart.

  Until he met Kiita. Kiita became his new family. The void in his heart was slowly filled by fluffy black fur, little by little, until eventually the loneliness was transformed into warmth.

  It would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid. For someone so socially awkward, moving to start a new life in a different city was a challenge for him.

  Nitaan glanced at Kiita sleeping beside him. At least he wasn't alone.

  "Tomorrow…" Nitaan murmured.