Once Sorey finished eating and learned from the owner Alisha had left some items for him, he was eager to see them. The owner gave him his sword, a letter, bags, and clothes. What surprised him the most was the clothes.

"Oh, new clothes!" Illumia smiled.

"Ah, perfect timing," Mikleo said before nudging Sorey. "Go get changed, you kinda smell."

Sorey rubbed the back of his head with a small chuckle. "All right, then." He took the clothes and returned to the room to change. He returned a couple of minutes later with a proud smile on his face.

"Oh, my!" Lailah gasped in awe at the sight of Sorey.

"Not bad," Mikleo commented.

"You look wonderful, Sorey," Illumia smiled.

"How about it?" Sorey asked the owner and his family.

"It looks fantastic on you, Lord Shepherd!" The man praised.

"It really does!" The wife agreed with her husband. "So dashing!"

"Oh, man! I want one!" The little boy proclaimed.

Sorey felt embarrassed at their praise and smiled bashfully.

"It's the garb of the Shepherd handed down from tradition in Ladylake. You wear it well," Lailah said.

"So you CAN put lipstick on a pig," Mikleo teased.

Illumia placed her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing.

Sorey grinned at the water seraph. "Just admit it, Mikleo, you're jealous."

Mikleo crossed his arms with a scoff. "Yeah, you wish."

"Moving on from the clothes..." Illumia chimed in. "What does the letter say?"

Sorey pulled out the letter and opened it. "Well, let's see..."

*****

Dear Sorey,
I was surprised that you fainted so suddenly. I hope your rest at the inn was rejuvenating. When I learned that you can communicate with seraphim, beings of divine nature who cannot be seen by ordinary people... When I saw you draw the Sacred Blade from the Lady of the Lake and quell the riot at the festival before my eyes... My heart leapt with joy the likes of which I've never known.

The only thing I can think of to tell you is a sincere, heartfelt thanks. I hope you do not find this strange. Though I do not think that my true feelings do not come across well in a letter. I know that, as the Shepherd, you are soon to embark on a journey to save the world. But once you are awake, I would like you to come and visit me at my home.

P.S. - Did you have a chance to try on the clothes I got for you? They're modeled after the traditional garb of the legendary Shepherd. I hope they are to your liking.

*****

"My! What a kind-hearted young woman," Lailah said.

Sorey put the letter away. "Yeah, seriously. I should be the one who's thanking her!"

"Then you better thank her in person, Sorey," Illumia commented. "Let's go pay a visit to Alisha."

Sorey nodded with a smile. "Good idea. Let's move!"

Lailah returned to Sorey's body. The owner of the inn said farewell to the boy as he, Mikleo, and Illumia left. They headed to the Noble's District and discovered Alisha's home was the mansion where they had first encountered Lunarre within the city.

The knight stationed outside the gate saw Sorey and recognized him. "Ah, the Shepherd! Have you need of Lord Alisha? She's on the terrace as we speak."

"Thanks. I'll see if I can find her," Sorey replied. He entered the gates and located the terrace where Alisha was. He walked up the stairs with Mikleo and Illumia behind him.

Alisha turned when she heard his footsteps. She smiled at seeing who it was. "Sorey! You came!"

"Alisha!" Sorey smiled back.

"The Shepherd's garb looks wonderful on you!"

"Thanks!"

Lailah appeared on the other side of Mikleo as he said, "Some fine lipstick on that pig."

Sorey looked over at the water seraph. "Yes, Mikleo, we all know your opinion."

"What? Pigs are nice."

Illumia couldn't hold back her laughter and wound up snorting. Embarrassed, she quickly covered her mouth and nose. She looked over at the others to see they were staring at her in shock, causing her cheeks to turn red. She promptly turned away from them. "Y-you heard nothing!"

"Sure thing, Lumi," Sorey chuckled before turning back to Alisha.

The girl was looking around, wondering where the seraphim were. "I, uh, I take it there are seraphim present with you?"

He took a step closer to her, hope gleaming in his emerald eyes. "If I told you there were, would you believe me?"

Alisha continued to avoid eye contact with him. "To be honest, up until the events that took place at the Sacred Blade Festival this year, I wouldn't have." She then turned to him and met his gaze. "But even from the moment we met, I could tell... How can I put it... There was something... Something different about you."

Rubbing the back of his head, Sorey laughed.

"Well she's right, you know," Mikleo said.

Illumia, now recovered from her embarrassing snort, nodded in agreement. "You really are special, Sorey."

Suddenly, Sorey grabbed Mikleo and pushed him toward Alisha before introducing him. "Right here is a seraph. His name is Mikleo."

Unable to see Mikleo, Alisha carefully stepped forward. She came to stand directly in front of him. "Please, find it in your grace to forgive my rudeness up until now, Seraph Mikleo."

The water seraph was slightly embarrassed at how close she was. He crossed his arms and said, "Rudeness? You've never struck me as rude."

Sorey, with his arm resting on Mikleo's shoulder, happily told her what he said. "He says you've never done anything to offend him." Stepping away from the water seraph, he ran over to the fire seraph. "And this here is Lailah. She's the one everyone calls the Lady of the Lake."

Lailah politely bowed.

Sorey then rushed over to Illumia. He took her hand and dragged her over to stand next to Mikleo. "And finally, this is Illumia. We call her Lumi for short."

The name caused Alisha's eyes to widen. "Illumia? As in, the same seraph from the Shepherd's journal?"

Mikleo glanced over at the light seraph. "Looks like you're a celebrity too, Lumi."

This confused Sorey. "Huh?"

Alisha excused herself. A minute later, she returned with a book. "Many years ago, the journal of a Shepherd was discovered. Inside it, theologians found a drawing of a girl that the Shepherd described as being a light seraph by the name Illumia." She flipped through the pages until she came to the drawing. She showed it to Sorey. "Does she resemble this drawing?"

Sorey took a closer look. He then glanced between the light seraph and the drawing, eyes slowly widening. "Yeah! That's definitely her!"

Mikleo caught a glimpse of the drawing. "Wow, it really is detailed. But...never mind."

"What's wrong?" Illumia asked.

The water seraph's cheeks turned red as he looked away from her. "It's an amazing drawing, but it doesn't compare to the real you."

Lailah smiled while Sorey laughed. Illumia was surprised at what Mikleo said. She wasn't sure what to say and ended up blushing as well.

Turning back to Alisha, Sorey took the book when she offered it to him. "You don't mind?"

The princess shook her head. "No. Please, take it. There may be some information from a previous Shepherd that could aid you in your journey." She smiled as the boy turned and faced the seraphim with an excited expression. She slowly turned to gaze at the sky. "I truly believe in my heart that you were meant to become the Shepherd. Whereas I... I mean, all of us here in the city, can be standing right next to seraphim... And still not know."

"That's not quite true," Lailah stated.

"She can't hear you," Mikleo said, his embarrassment gone.

The fire seraph turned to the human boy. "Sorey. Try taking Alisha's hand in your own."

"Huh? Oh, sure." Sorey then addressed the princess. "Alisha, give me your hand."

Without hesitation, she offered him her hand. He took it and glanced at Lailah. "Like this?"

The woman cleared her throat and tried to speak with the princess. "Testing, testing. Check one, check two. Can you hear me? Hello?"

"Will that actually work?" Illumia asked.

Mikleo looked at Alisha and saw no reaction. "Doesn't look like it."

"Hmm..." Lailah hummed. "Okay, then. Sorey, try closing your eyes."

Doing as she said, Sorey closed his eyes.

Lailah tried again. "Testing, testing! Alisha! Can you hear me now?"

He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder. "Still no good."

The fire seraph was more than eager to keep trying. "This time, close your eyes and also hold your breath!"

Sorey was compliant. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before holding it.

Lailah stood behind the boy and placed her hands over his ears. "Alisha?"

The princess looked around in shock and excitement. "I can hear it! Another woman's voice!"

"Really?" Mikleo asked in surprise.

"Looks like it actually worked," Illumia said.

Alisha heard the two seraphim's voices and looked in their general direction.

Sorey made a disgruntled groan as he continued to desperately hold his breath.

Lailah continued to speak to the princess. "Alisha. We seraphim are able to see right into the very hearts of humans. Remember to show gratitude to all things. It is in exchange for this gratitude that we offer our blessing. No matter the circumstances, never neglect the seraphim. Or your heart shall turn to malevolence, and this in turn shall bring calamity."

She looked over at Mikleo and he added, "Fear not. Alisha. We have indeed seen your gratitude for ourselves." He then eyed Illumia.

"That gratitude is more than we could ask for," the light seraph finished.

Unable to hold his breath any longer, Sorey exhaled and started coughing. Hunched over, he breathed heavily as he refilled his lungs with air.

"Maybe we should try not to kill Sorey..." Illumia mumbled.

"He'll be fine," Mikleo grinned.

Alisha desperately grabbed Sorey's hand with both of hers. "Sorey, one more time!"

The boy was panting. "Isn't there a...better way to...do this?"

Lailah stepped from behind him. "I'm afraid this is the only method we have for now. Once you've grown more accustomed to my power and have amassed more experience as both a vessel and a Shepherd, I believe such a strict sensory block will not be required."

"So, does that mean, once I do grow stronger as a Shepherd, everyone will be able to hear the seraphim?"

"As for Alisha, she already possessed a natural resonance from birth. Though nowhere near as much as you, Sorey."

"I see." Sorey focused his attention on the princess. "Looks like it's not that simple."

Alisha released his hand. "Regardless, I was able to have a conversation with her. I now have no doubts that the seraphim do indeed live among us." She began to blush as she smiled. "And that alone-"

"Gets you excited?" Sorey asked, smiling back.

"Yes!"

The three seraphim exchange glances before nodding in unison, happy with the outcome of the conversation.

Sorey pulled out the Celestial Record, placing it on top of the copy of Asura's journal. He glanced between the two books. "The legends are no mere fairy tales." He put the books away and cheered, "Okay!"

It was time for them to leave.

Sorey spun in his heels and looked up at the princess after descending the stairs leading up to the terrace. "Alisha! We're going to stay in town for a while yet." He slowly began backing away. "Let me know if you need anything! Take care." He waved at her.

Alisha waved back. "I will. You too!"

Lailah was watching how quickly the boy was taking off. "Um...Sorey?"

"Looks like our explorer is all fired up," Mikleo said.

"We should probably get him a bell just in case we lose him," Illumia snickered.

Lailah returned to Sorey's body while Mikleo and Illumia caught up with him.

"Relax. Those ruins aren't going anywhere," the water seraph remarked.

"If anything, you'll collapse before those ruins do," Illumia added. "Really, just take a deep breath before you get too excited."

Sorey stopped and faced his childhood friends. "What? How did you two know what I was thinking about?"

Mikleo exchanged looks with the light seraph before saying, "Didn't we tell you we weren't going to let you go off by yourself? So what's the plan?"

"Let's have another look around town. There's got to be a clue around here somewhere."

"Okay."

"Maybe we should invest in that bell I mentioned just in case we lose him," Illumia smirked.

"If he needs a bell, so do you," Mikleo retorted.

"Hmm..." She glanced down at her attire. "You know, a bell just might be the perfect accessory!"

Lailah giggled at the trio's banter.

With the conversation over, the party departed from Alisha's manor and returned to the central district. Remembering the area outside the aqueduct, they decided to check there first for clues.

After passing through the gate, they encountered a person who referred to themselves as a turtlez. Although strange, they were kind and even gave them a better map than the one found in the Celestial Record. They thanked the strange person before continuing their investigation.

Once their investigation began, Sorey discovered from a worker that a man had yet to return from the waterway. With that being their only lead so far, the party decided to check out the aqueduct. They enter through the door and proceed into the aqueduct in search of the missing man.

It was only a few seconds within the underground waterway did Sorey feel the weight of the malevolence.

Lailah sensed his slow movements. "You can feel it, can't you?"

"I can. There's definitely strong malevolence coming from the center of town," Sorey replied.

The fire seraph manifested behind him. "I must say, your ability is indeed impeccable. lt looks like you're acclimating to your power already, far faster than I'd even imagined."

"I am?" Sorey asked, surprised.

"The day when you will come into the power of the Shepherd is not far off."

"What kind of power is that?" Mikleo inquired.

Lailah pretended to trip. "Oof! Oh, sorry about that. You were saying?"

"Guess she can't talk about it." The water seraph then directed the question to Illumia. "What about you, Lumi? You served a Shepherd before and don't have to worry about breaking some oath."

"True, but I am the girl with the memory problems," she smiled apologetically. "Speaking of memories, do you think I could have that copy of Asura's journal that Alisha gave you, Sorey? I...would like to see if it will help me recover some of my memories."

"Yeah!" Sorey pulled out the book and handed it to her. "Tell us if you remember anything."

"Thank you, Sorey." She took the book. "I will."

Proceeding deeper into the aqueduct, they didn't make it far before they stumbled across a large slime hellion. As the creature slowly turned around, the group was horrified when they saw it munching on a human.

Illumia gasped. "That has to be the missing man! We've got to save him!"

Sorey placed himself in front of Mikleo. "Get back!"

Mikleo couldn't believe what he was saying and protested. "No way! I'm helping too!"

"I told you, Lailah, Lumi, and I have this. Get back!" Sorey shouted angrily.

As Lailah, Illumia, and Sorey leapt into battle against the hellions, Mikleo was forced to watch. He couldn't stand being on the sideline while the people who were most important to him were fighting against dangerous enemies. He clenched his fists tightly, struggling against the urge to join them regardless of Sorey's words. It was only when the battle was over and the man was safe did he feel his helplessness morph into desperation. Once the man was gone, he spoke up, "From now on, I'm fighting too."

Sorey's own anger was beginning to fester. "But you don't have the power of purification!"

Mikleo stomped over to the boy. "So what are you asking me to do? Stand around behind you and twiddle my thumbs? I didn't come along just to be a liability for you or Lumi!"

"Mikleo..." Illumia mumbled his name.

The water seraph grabbed her hands with both of his. "I want to be able to purify too so I can take even more weight off your shoulders, Lumi. I'm tired of seeing you push yourself to the brink of exhaustion. I want to protect you and help Sorey! You told me there was a way. What do I need to do?"

The light seraph glanced at Lailah, who nodded. She inhaled deeply before telling him. "In order to gain the power of purification, you must become a Sub Lord and place your power alongside Lailah's. That also means you would have to dwell inside Sorey as well."

"I'll do it," he promptly declared with no hesitation.

Sorey snapped. "No, hold on now! You need to think about this first!"

Mikleo released Illumia's hands and cast a glare at the boy. "I need to think about this? I don't recall a whole lot of thinking when you decided to become a Shepherd!"

"That was completely different! Is purifying hellions your life dream?" Sorey glared back. "I doubt it!"

The water seraph placed a hand over his chest. "I am a seraph. Hellions are my natural enemy! Is it so strange that I should want to eliminate them?"

Lailah and Illumia weren't sure what to do as the argument continued to escalate. The light seraph hadn't seen the two boys argue like this in many years and didn't know if she should intervene or remain silent.

"I don't know. Do frogs try to eliminate snakes?" Sorey remarked angrily.

"Am I a frog to you?!" Mikleo yelled.

He grabbed him by the shoulders. "Why are you getting so hysterical?! Listen to me, Mikleo!"

Mikleo fell silent for a second. His anger had quelled, only to be replaced by worthlessness. He shoved Sorey's hands off his shoulders. "I'm not getting hysterical."

"Mikleo!" Sorey cried out.

The water seraph turned his back to him. "Your liability will be waiting back at the inn."

Illumia went to pursue Mikleo but stopped to glance at Sorey. She looked between the two boys, wondering what to do. She pulled at her hair and screamed out in frustration. "You two are insufferable sometimes!"

Sorey and Lailah were frightened at her sudden outburst.

She took a deep breath before exhaling. Calming herself, she looked at the emerald-eyed boy. "I understand both sides of this argument clearly. You both need some time apart or you'll continue to be at each other's throats."

Sorey looked away from her. He did feel guilty. "Yeah..."

Illumia combed her hair behind her ear with a sigh. "I'm going after Mikleo. I trust Sorey will be fine in your care, Lailah."

The fire seraph nodded. "Of course."

She smiled gratefully at the woman. "Thank you." Storming off, she chased after Mikleo.