"We've reached the park," Leonard said as he looked at an area in front of him filled with green and crime.
'The Reaper.'
Ariana was interested in the Reaper's tale. She didn't know such a figure existed, which surprised her; if such a person had killed a Feather as a normal human, it would have spread even among the royalty as a story to berate the Feathers. Ariana noticed that Leonard had stopped talking about the Reaper's tale, which filled her with disappointment as she wanted to listen to the full story.
Looking at Leonard, she asked herself a question.
'Why did he smile when saying the Reaper's first declaration?'
She was looking at Leonard at the time and happened to notice a strange smile on his face once he mentioned the Reaper's first declaration. There was no reason to smile at that moment, yet he did. This immediately caught her attention. Despite seeming to be at ease, Ariana was extremely cautious. Anything strange would immediately catch her eye.
'Then there is the fact that Leonard happens to have blonde hair and brown eyes, just like the Reaper.'
She took another glance at Leonard. 'What are you playing at?'
"Are you sure you want to go into the park? Unlike the areas we visited, the park has a higher crime rate due to the lack of Feathers," Leonard said to her.
'Mmmm.'
She looked into the park. There weren't many people there, but she could hear faint screams.
"Yes, I have ways to protect myself," Ariana said to Leonard.
Leonard responded with a nod and started to walk. They soon touched the grass in the park; unlike other places, the park was somewhat maintained despite its high crime rate.
"Is there anything in particular you want to see here?" Leonard asked.
"No, not really," Ariana replied. She didn't have a plan and just wanted to walk around. While walking, they stopped at a bench. Ariana looked at the bench and went to sit on it.
***
'Smart,' Leonard thought.
"Do you know of the story of the Crazed Dancer?" Leonard heard Ariana ask him.
'Crazed Dancer?' Leonard tried to think of such a story, but he ultimately couldn't recall hearing such a tale.
"No, I don't," Leonard replied to her and sat down a distance away from her on the same bench.
"Would you like to hear it?" Ariana asked while looking at her surroundings.
"Sure," Leonard replied, nodding.
"The story of the Crazed Dancer isn't about a killer like the Reaper, but a story about a girl. This girl was able to use a Class at the age of fifteen. Yet, due to her family's situation, she wasn't praised for her accomplishments; instead, she was pressured to increase her strength to solve her family's crises. The girl, wanting to make her family proud, agreed to this and worked her hardest to increase her strength, walking tirelessly day and night until she couldn't.
"She developed a unique swordsmanship style which was hated by her family due to it not being pleasing to the eye and how brutal it was. Her swordsmanship was said to be like a dancer who is dancing carelessly—or, in other words, a crazed dancer. 'Crazed Dancer' was the name she was given due to her unique style, but despite the criticism, she continued to train and perfect her skill."
Once she finished talking, she looked at Leonard. This time, her gaze felt penetrating, but Leonard returned her gaze with one of his own. His brown eyes illuminated Ariana's figure, while Ariana's similar brown eyes also illuminated Leonard's.
"Tell me, Leonard, did the Reaper have a child?" Ariana asked, her gaze still on him.
"Yes, he did," Leonard answered, looking at Ariana.
"Did the Crazed Dancer have a child?" Leonard asked his own question.
"No, she had a sister, though," Ariana replied.
"Tell me, Leonard, what happened to the Reaper's family?" Ariana asked.
"I don't know. You could always ask the Reaper," Leonard said, his tone flat.
"But didn't the Reaper die?" Ariana asked. Her tone was flat as well.
"Yes. But I'm sure the royalties know all about him. After all, they killed him," Leonard said. Once Ariana heard these words, she flinched a bit but quickly regained her composure.
"Tell me, Elizabeth, what happened to the Crazed Dancer's family?" Leonard asked.
"They lived a happy life. The end," Ariana replied, a smile finding its way onto her face.
"I see," Leonard said. He turned his gaze to the surroundings. He was looking at a bird flying above him; it was a crow, on closer inspection.
'Is there a dead body nearby?'
Ariana also looked at the crow, wondering the same thing. The crow interested both of them. It was close to the ground, yet it couldn't come down for some reason. The crow had freedom; it could continue to fly or choose to land. Whether it was the Reaper or the Crazed Dancer, both lacked such freedom. The Reaper couldn't commit his murderous acts, while the Crazed Dancer couldn't use her swordsmanship in peace. Whether she was able to bypass this, Leonard didn't know.
Both Leonard and Ariana were like those two; both lacked freedom. Leonard couldn't do whatever he wanted, and the same went for Ariana. Neither could act freely. The crow above them wasn't like this. It could do what it wanted without being burdened by the rules humanity had to follow.
'Truly an admirable life,' Leonard thought while looking at the bird.
Leonard closed his eyes. "Huff..." He breathed in deeply. He thought through recent events: from meeting the mysterious woman who called herself the Queen of Space, to discovering his Saber Class, to extorting the criminals, and now meeting a member of royalty.
Such a life was chaotic, but thinking of how his life had changed, a smile found its way onto his face. 'I feel free right now, working towards my goals.'
He slowly opened his eyes, then looked at Ariana. He opened his mouth and spoke.
"May I know what brings a noble here?"