Alan, having noticed Ruel was eager to say more, listened attentively.
Alaric also paid attention, as Eden, still standing by Ruel, asked, "Something better than getting a Talent evolution?"
Ruel smiled but said nothing, letting the silence build suspense.
Eden smiled back and pinched Ruel, saying, "I know what you're doing, kid!"
As the pinch barely hurt, Ruel laughed and said, "Alright, stop, stop."
Seeing him put his hand into his pocket, Eden stopped and watched too.
Ruel brought out three rectangular parchments and extended each to the three.
On the parchments were multiple texts written in unfamiliar language, all connected by symbols.
"Is this a drawn magic… circle?" Alan asked, confused about what it was.
"Not quite…" Alaric muttered, trying to make out what they were.
"This is–"
As Ruel was about to explain, Eden said, "A runic item."
Alan made a confused noise, glancing at Ruel. Beside him, Alaric simply waited, eyes narrowed in anticipation.
Runic Items were things they knew of.
Back in the days, during the prime of this town, it was Runic Items they found that brought them a lot of money.
These Runic items, along with Rune Inscription Magic, were attributed to the Lost Civilization.
"Ruel, what did you find?" Eden asked.
"The lost civilization lives," Ruel said.
He explained his encounter with them, how he rescued them, and other related topics in a way that they would have no doubt.
Regarding them, he said everything – aside providing an antipoison potion of course.
"Now, they are waiting for me– us, in that cavern." Ruel concluded.
"Are we sure they are really from the lost civilization?" Alan asked.
"The story checks. I doubt they are fakes," Alaric said.
Eden added, "Additionally, this parchment can't exist for a long time, so it was recently made."
Silence settled over the Captain's office, causing Ruel to think, 'This… was not in line with the reaction I expected…'
"Hum, is this not a good thing?" Ruel asked.
"A good thing…" Eden repeated. "No…"
Alan burst into cheers as he completed, "It's a great thing!"
Alaric nodded with a joyful smile. "Gentlemen, we have a lot of work to do. Let's keep this under wraps for now. Let's inform only Stacy, Mark, Lia and Mrs Varelli for now."
"Understood," Alan acknowledged, then said, "We still need a word to keep the people at ease later. I will work on that."
"It's best we sort out what party will meet them," Eden said.
"I will sit this one out. The town needs me right now," Alaric said.
"I won't be able to go too, it'll be odd," Alan, who primarily handled talks, also sat this one out.
Eden grinned wide.
"Oh, I'm definitely going," he said with unmistakable excitement. "Lia is strong enough to follow too. So, Stacy or Mark?"
Lia was the Scout Leader, while Stacy was the best medic in town, and Mark was the farmer's representative.
"Mark could handle talks." Alan suggested.
"Right," Alaric agreed. "Then the fourth member of this Envoy party will be you, Ruel. With the new strength I sense, you are more than fit for this."
Ruel smiled and nodded. "I'll try my very best!"
"I know you will," Alaric said, then stood up. "Anyways, let's head back to work. We still need to clear up, and I also want to go hunting before the Adventurers take our prey!"
"Off you go now, Alaric," Eden said, "I'll take over here, just make sure to return before dusk."
As these two men spoke, Alan made his way to Ruel and whispered.
"I think it's best you return to your mother now. I already sent someone to her, so she knows you're around."
Ruel immediately gulped.
He then said, "As much as I want to help on the field, I have another battle to fight in my home! Later, sires!"
Waving goodbye, Ruel ran out of the Captain's office toward the center of town, where his home was.
"That kid… he really might be our light," Eden said. "His potential was not killed by our poor condition."
"And unlike you guys, he is skilled with more than just battle," Alan sarcastically said.
Alaric tapped their shoulders and walked them out of his office saying, "Let's make sure we also pull our own loads."
- - -
Ruel reached his two-story home and immediately noticed the light in the Main room through the window.
It wasn't odd, since most of the town woke up due to the panic of the beast attack, but he could see the silhouette of his pacing mother, making him nervous.
He got to the door and rang the bell, and with a rush of footsteps, he was immediately answered.
A figure with long brown hair, tied into a bun, and bright brown eyes, wearing a gown, opened up.
This was his mother, Anabelle.
Before Ruel could talk, he was immediately pulled in by his mother, who hugged him.
"Why did you go out on such a dangerous night? You should have been more careful!"
"I… I am sorry, mother. I really had something to do."
Anabelle studied him with quiet intensity, a storm of relief and worry in her tired eyes.
Ruel noticed the exhaustion in her eyes and the gown she still wore. 'She hasn't even changed into a nightgown…'
Though this wasn't even the fifth time he had snuck out, this was the most dangerous as it was night and it was the one that looked most suicidal.
After all, Ruel always joked that he could even venture deep into the forests to look for ways to boost his power to the extent that some took it seriously.
This was why Ruel expected a level of scolding, but that never came.
Closing the door behind him, Anabelle said, "Ruel, your father is awake and he wishes to see you."
"Father… is awake?"
Ruel immediately burst up the stairs, towards his parents room.
There he saw his father laying on the bed, a blanket half covering him.
The man had his black hair cut and his body was all shriveled up like an elderly who was succumbing to time, despite still being 48 years old.
Falling on his knees beside the bed, Ruel said gently, "Father, I'm here."
The man's green eyes flicked toward the ceiling, as if remembering how to move.
His voice cracked, more breath than sound, but each syllable was heavy with years of silence.
"Ruel…" he said. "I have… wanted to talk t-to you for a-a while now."
Ruel hadn't heard his father's voice in years, only mumbles, and hearing it now, almost brought him to tears.
Cleaning his eyes, Ruel said, "I am all ears, father. I always am."
At this moment, he telepathically communicated with Muriel and said, "Can't the shop potions help?"
Hovering above him in her fully incorporeal form, hidden from sight, Muriel answered:
"No. At best, it buys you a moment. But the root of this illness runs deeper than any shop potion can touch."
Ruel could only grit his teeth, almost about to tell Muriel to buy the potion, but he knew that would make his situation more dire.
As his mind raced, his father's body began moving, causing Ruel to fret.
It was then that he noticed his father was using mana to strengthen himself.
"No, sit, please." He said as he felt his heart being crushed by how weak his idol looked.
However, his father didn't listen but stopped him with a 'pause' gesture.
With a calm, cracking voice, the man said:
"Before this body fails me again, let me pass on what every Heir of the Varelli must know."