Once again, Linno's gaze met Ranpa's. It seemed to suggest that he knew something that even Ranpa didn't.

He stepped back, pushing a little on Sam's shoulder.

"Everything okay?" Sam quickly asked, and Ranpa involuntarily shook his head, before gathering up the courage to answer.

"Y-Yeah." he nodded. "Forgot Danuta wanted something."

"Isn't that her over there? I think I see her in the crowd!" Sam squinted his eyes, pointing around. "Oi, Ranpa! Ranpa?"

He turned, and as soon as the other party announced, Ranpa squeezed through the people blocking the adjacent street, disappearing in between the others, barely caught by Sam's glance. The latter raised an eyebrow, but in general, dismissed his strange behaviour. With a gentle smile, he turned towards all the amenities of the Royal Square. After all, to everyone else, such was something to honour.

To all, except for Ranpa, who with a quick breather started making his way out of the royal area of Medulla and into the more populated places. Passing tents and trees, walking over bridges and almost stepping into big snowdrifts, he wandered towards his house, eyes stuck to the ground this entire time.

What Demonear was captured? Back then, Atomu swore sincerely that it wasn't him who caused Bancho's death, and Ranpa knew that there was no ill intent behind his words. Could he have possibly fooled him?

No, there was no way for such.

Ranpa sat on one of the benches nearing his house, putting pressure on the sides of his stomach, desperately trying to mute out the distant sounds of faux celebration a few buildings away.

"Of course." Ranpa thought. "It'd be something you'd want to commemorate, but who else could've killed him? It wasn't those Demonears. It wasn't Adam." he closed his eyes. "Who did they capture?"

If the search was over, it meant that Ranpa's task to find the said traitor was technically dismissed. Nevertheless, something felt wrong. What was announced didn't match the truth Atomu told.

Mentioning him, what about the knife he gave away to prove his innocence in all of this? If Saphrithians arrived without bearing such news, what was to happen now?

Ranpa wasn't sure. His heart skipped a beat. He didn't do anything wrong after all, so why was he stressed? He should've been happy that everything was resolved, but he chose not to be.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself, finally standing up. He pushed his hand on his forehead, and eventually started treading the road back to his house.

"I hate you all Paladians and royal pigs." he wiped the sweat away from his face. "If it isn't going to be me carrying your burden, then you're going to choose someone else instead. Shifting blame, threatening death, making my life even more miserable for seasons to come..." he ground his teeth, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "With such thinking, what would make me even want to consider the possibility that Linno would finally screw off?" he uttered, stepping to the side and opening the front gate to his tenthouse.

The curtains were left slightly ajar, but he didn't think twice.

With a quick step in, he'd usually hear a groan, since that meant Danuta's end of her free leisure time, with an annoying brother simply itching to rest, but not for too long, since something would always come up. Alas, he heard nothing, spare for shuffling, but he could easily attribute it to the wind or the snow moving down from the roofs and falling into the rather chilly garden.

He took his gloves off and threw them at the small table near the couch, with one landing precisely in the middle and the other, right next to its wooden leg.

Ranpa sighed, rolling his eyes. He took an angry step forward, still in his shoes, and picked up the glove, alongside something stuck to its side. He raised one eyebrow, turning the sheet of paper in his hand to the other side.

At first, he thought it was just one of those fliers advertising that wretched ceremony, but then again, he desperately wished to stray away from these thoughts. Maybe if Linno wanted to create a perfect world and deem himself king he wouldn't go to such extremes.

He knew what the mayor was capable of. The memories of dipping into cave water because someone swore there was something hidden under those lakes came back to haunt him. With another roll, he flung the paper on the couch, and in turn, himself, putting his legs up and laying on the side.

It caught his attention once again. The reds that were a little less crimson than before seemed to suggest other words. There was an absence of black ink that Linno usually favoured, sending reminder letters to his house in case he slacked off.

He reached his hand out, and his eyes scanned the words written all across.

"I know your little secret." he read aloud.

Ranpa opened his mouth, ever so lightly.

He expected that something was wrong. He still heard the celebrations, he could see silhouettes of people carrying beer from one place to the other along the cobbled streets. Maybe he didn't deserve that world.

Maybe something was going to happen, sooner than later.

Unsurely, he stood up.

Out of the blue, the curtains to his room shifted, revealing a figure standing in front of his bed, bearing a big smile. Ranpa screamed out.

***

The morning announcements didn't necessarily last that long, but time passed faster than one would usually expect. With festivities the likes of Dearfest, and people celebrating finding the peace they longed for, time flew across the tables strung in the middle. Songs were played and soon ended, only for another to come in.

It was either laughs or awes, but in general, everyone had a good time, except for the few who weren't necessarily keen on their family members getting flat-out drunk again. Fortunately, Sam didn't drink, so he simply indulged in conversations with random people who joined him left and right, and soon disappeared into dances and whatnot.

Linno sat on his pedestal, watching over the people with a large beam. Most of the Saphrithians either went back to their rooms or a few joined in. You could hear drunken conversations that "it doesn't matter if we're different" and "You're already like a brother to me!"

Of course, Kania was somewhere in the middle, trying to absorb everything available. Absorb, I mean, each type of alcohol was taste-tasted, and his battle against Rufus was on the entire time.

Xard was rather displeased, trying to follow the other party, but Kania didn't care.

Through fervour of foods and drinks, one thing came to Sam's mind, which was the words that pretty much began the celebrations. They weren't necessarily positive, but something that kept the Paladians waiting. Essentially, to add a cherry on top of an already perfect cake, the identity of the said Demonear was going to be revealed, along with strings of information already concerning someone else involved.

Promises of their death were at play. Paladians chose not to think twice before doing something stupid, and such applied even to the mayor.

"Maan..." One Paladian uttered, Sam took a sip of some orange juice and turned around. "You see her, Turon?"

"Certainly. Isn't that the old Punahon's daughter?" he pointed.

"...and damn she didn't carry his genes! Look at that face, that body, that-"

Sam coughed out. "Sorry."

The guy looked at him, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'm gonna try, ya know?"

"You're gonna ask her out?" Sam smiled.

"It's now or never, damn it!" he stood up, almost sprinting in her direction. Sam beamed, before turning around and looking at his empty plate. Dealing with drunken people wasn't something for him to be too stressed about, but then again, this was his fourth meal already.

Maybe this wasn't that cause for concern. Maybe it was something else.

Among the crowds, someone peeked their head out, pushing away the glued Kania elsewhere.

"Oi, Sam!" Rufus' voice was raised, and the mentioned looked up, waving over. Without another word added, the bartender sloppily made his way around the massive table and sat on the log end next to Sam.

His cheeks were flushed, his hands were shaky and his body generally suggested a high intake of alcohol. Nevertheless, as it was tradition for him to keep up, Rufus seemed completely fine when it came to speech and mannerisms.

"You're not drinking?" Rufus asked.

"Already told you countless times a month ago." he chuckled.

"Mh, completely fine, although I'd say you're missing out quite a bit." he played around with his glass, sticking a finger inside before his eyes turned to Sam. "But this isn't what I came to talk to you about."

"Huh?" Sam raised his eyebrows, surprised. He was sure that someone else would soon appear, asking the same questions he felt awkward answering.

"Don't tell me Dad tried to argue about the-"

"No, no, nothing like that. Haven't seen the bloody Turons in forever. But I did spot someone else, particular, for a very strange reason." he tapped the side of the table. "A boy that called himself Sandy."

"Sandy?" Sam giggled. "Quite a name there."

"Get this too, he said he was from Orania."

"Orania?" Sam seemed confused. "Are you sure you haven't had too much to drink?"

"I didn't believe it either, and I still have no proof, but something else interested me in his words." Rufus gulped, his expression shifting towards a more humble seriousness. "He said he was looking for Ranpa."

"What?" Sam uttered. "Ranpa?"

"I don't know what for. He mentioned keeping something secret, but everything else after that was cryptic. His mannerisms were a little off like he wasn't a human. I couldn't find Ranpa in the crowd, but he's your friend, right?"

Sam quickly nodded.

"If you're not drinking, then find him and tell him to watch out, okay? I still have to beat Kania, but he doesn't seem to give in..." Rufus shook his head, and Sam faked a quick chuckle.

But with his words, he didn't seem to hesitate, even for a second. Ranpa was his friend after all, and one could argue that, with the drunken speech surrounding him, a friend could be called a brother.

Sam had his entire family to care for, as well as someone who was always there when he needed him, and vice versa.

***

Ranpa thrashed, his hands tied and his mouth sealed with duct tape. He tried yelling, but each word came muffled out of his mouth.

"Come on! I'm not gonna hurt you!" Sandy said, essentially pushing on Ranpa's back from behind. The former looked left and right as if to make sure no one was following the two, even though they were already deep into the caves of Colliyus, the one place Ranpa essentially dreaded.

This was it. This sinister, strange fellow was going to kill him in a place where frost is tripled and no life leaves with a pure soul towards the heavens. If, such a place even existed.

In the face of panic, he even started contemplating his beliefs and whatnot. Who was going to find his body and save him afterwards?

Sam? Danuta? Anyone?

Sandy let go of the grip on his shoulders and hastily pushed Ranpa into another opening in the stone, next to a, shining, blue waterfall.

"Sorry." Sandy giggled, making a strange expression before following Ranpa inside. "It's nice and cosy here, eh? Although it could be a little less cold. That's why I got these nice clothes. Foo!"

He looked back at his ripped arm sleeve. "Judy's gonna kill me." he sighed, before a small item appeared in his hand, seemingly one Ranpa didn't recognize.

Was this some form of an eldritch torture tool? Where was it going to hurt and how much was it going to sting? Who else would join in this meaningless fun? Ranpa swore he heard additional footsteps here and there, but that may be his mind fooling him with his last moment soon to come.

Instead of sticking it in his head and activating a blade that would pierce through his skull, the strange fellow took something else out of his bag. He stuck his tongue out, before a small something lit up a fire, resembling a warm torch.

It got warmer, that he could admit, but that warmth wasn't welcoming. The sinister figure turned back to Ranpa, and as if in shock, his smile changed into an oddly embarrassed expression.

"Sorry! Completely forgot I tied you up!" he came running, crouched beneath the Paladian and pulled the duct tape from his mouth, as well as left his hands free to wander.

Ranpa stared at him confused. "Are you going to kill me?"

"What?" Sandy giggled. "Kill you? What benefit would that ever give me?" he laughed. "Sorry, just kidding. NO! Who'd ever do that?"

Tying someone up and dragging them into a cave was surely something completely normal to this fellow. Ranpa started getting angry at this whole kerfuffle but generally stayed still.

"W-Who are you? Did you come with them?"

"Sandy," he uttered, sticking his hand out. "...and technically yes but they don't know. I snuck in on their ship!" he whispered the last sentence, but his whisper was extremely loud. "I came here searching for you, Ranpa!" he clenched his fist, with a massive grin. "I searched for you all night and lady luck has it that I snuck into a random house and found you there!"

"For what reason?" Ranpa stood, backing out towards the exit. "What do you-"

"I just wanted to get to know you, that's all!" Sandy stuck both hands out and Ranpa still didn't shake them.

"G-Get to know me?" he raised his voice. "Is that why you needed to tie me up and drag me here?!"

"Shh!" Sandy silenced him, elusively placing his finger on Ranpa's lips. "Not too loud. They'll hear us."

Ranpa raised an eyebrow. He wanted to go against his words and scream out, but something stopped him. "The Saphrithians?"

"Not only them, foo." Sandy shook his head, stepping back, and placing his fingers on his temples. He took a few seconds to conjure something up, but eventually, he uttered: "Their seeds..."