Archive of Our Own

The sun glared brightly in Cale’s eyes, warming up his surroundings. It was one of those rare days when he could take a break and lie on the warm grass. Of course, with the ongoing war with the Arm, it was going to be over quickly.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he thought over his next plan. At least, currently, the fights were an overwhelming victory, with not many losses. However, just because it seemed like that didn’t mean he could relax. The leader of Arm was fully prepared, based on what he knew from the novel; otherwise, the war wouldn’t have gone on for at least a good few years with no signs of victory on Choi Han’s side.

At least the matter of his unbalanced plate was over with already. Thank goodness he endured those days of anguish to get the Sky-Eating Water; enduring pain was much better than just dying in agony.

But the whole pain ordeal took a toll on him, causing him to be extremely tired for some reason. These days, he had spent most of his free time sleeping, which was odd; as much as he loved sleeping, it wasn’t like him to keep feeling tired.

‘And here goes nothing again..’

Another wave of drowsiness took over Cale as he attempted to fight back the tiredness, but he ultimately failed. His half-lidded eyes began to blink much more slowly than before, and his vision was unfocused, making it hard for him to even see the blinding sun. As he fell asleep, he seemed to have heard a whisper in his ear, but didn’t know what it was.

Συναντηθῶμεν ταχέως, φλογίδιον. 

(Let's meet soon, little flame)

***

Cold wind brushed against Cale’s cheek, causing him to flinch in reaction.

How strange… Why was it suddenly so windy? It was just sunny outside… 

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, finding himself in a suffocating area.. Thick black-purple mist wafted through the air, reeking of something akin to despair. It was a place completely uninhabitable, which made him wonder what he was doing here. The place didn’t resemble anything close to the Roan Kingdom, or any place on the continent.

..So where was he?

Cale looked down, widening his hands as he soon realized something was off. He no longer resembled the twenty-year-old commander, but rather a toddler… Why did he regress into a child? And what world was he in?

In the distance, he began to hear the sound of croaking throats and whispering chants, causing him to freeze. 

“What the hell are those?!”

He stepped back, observing the mindless corpses walking around. It was an extremely eye-blinding sight—not in a good way—who would even enjoy looking at these corpses?! 

[…Cale, try burning these guys; I felt a familiar presence from them like dead mana!]

The Cheapskate’s voice sounded in his head. His tone was tinged with excitement, showing how ecstatic he was at the similarities between the strange corpses and dead mana.

Cale looked around, lifting his hands up. The sky immediately turned crimson, with sounds of thunder roaring in the background. In a flash, a fiery rose-gold lightning struck down on the horde of corpses. 

Light shone everywhere, purifying the nearby places damp with despair. The contrast between the purified place and the corrupted place was striking, like an uncleaned plate versus a shiny, clean one.

“…So strong..”

With the sudden upgrade of the Fire of Destruction, it was easier to defend himself against these monsters. The only problem was where he was. Without any means of contact, he might as well just make an abode here. 

‘Did I come from this cave?’

In a sudden panic from the monsters, he only just noticed the cave behind him. It seemed that it was originally sealed off, seeing how there was a strange symbol on it. 

‘Judging by the characters, it looks like Greek.’

Cale could only see the “π” character, while the rest were in smaller pieces, but were still mendable.

It took him a full five minutes to actually finish, since he wasn’t as fluent in Greek as in Korean. The word that slowly appeared was “ὕπνος.” 

Although he didn’t know why the cave he came from had the word “slumber” on it at all. The place seemed to be sealing, isolating him from the outside world, but it also seemed to be a haven as well.

There were plenty of exquisite jewels in there, as well as timeless trinkets mixed in the collection.

“…”

Whoever used to live here clearly didn’t care about survival..

***

Another day passed as Cale wandered around the small purified area. Perhaps because of his mass attack the other day, many of the monsters here stayed far away.

Safety was nice, but it wasn’t the only thing..

[Cale.. I’m so hungry...]

The Gluttonous Priestess spoke up, her voice getting smaller with each word. Hearing her talk about hunger made him feel a pang of hunger too.

Her figure was currently crouched down on the ground, as if in distress. 

It was a weird sight for Cale, who never seen his Ancient Powers. Even hearing them speak was an odd thing.

He didn’t know he could suddenly see her, but it didn’t seem like it was doing them any harm. Since it wasn’t harming either him or his Ancient Powers, he didn’t bother thinking about it.

“I don’t have food on me.. Neither do I know if there’s any food here.”

The thick fog not only made it hard for him to explore, but it also made the air a bit suffocating, as if he were about to be affected by something. 

Cale hesitated for a moment, looking off into the dense fog before walking to it. He produced a small ball of fire that floated around him and made his way around the corrupted land.

The more he wandered, the more humid it got. What was once a chilly, comfortable atmosphere quickly turned for the worse. 

“Can’t go on anymore…”

It wasn’t just the environment; it was also his constitution as a child now. Being a child with an even more regressed strength made it easier to tire him out.

He was just sitting on the ground when he heard footsteps heading towards him, putting him on high alert. It was unknown whether this person was truly human or if they were one of those monsters.

This place was definitely a place that easily harmed people. They either need to be insanely powerful to get here or have to be from the same race as the monsters.

However, judging by the steady footsteps, he felt more inclined to think that it was a human.

Sure enough, when he turned around, he was met face-to-face with a stranger.

The man in front of him had long, blue-to-white hair with pale skin and gold eyes. The more Cale looked at him, the more he felt that the man was not human.

“A fae…?”

The man in front of him murmured, seemingly confused by Cale’s appearance.

.

.

Indeed, the man was confused by Cale’s sudden appearance. Flins had never seen a Snowland Fae with red hair; most had the same features as him: blue to white hair and yellow-golden eyes. However, he recognized the small ball of rose-gold flames was deathly potent, much like his blue flame. Faes naturally could manipulate elemental energy without a vision or moon wheel—their mastery in it was top-notch because they were elemental beings at heart.

“What is your name?”

He kneeled down before Cale, facing him at eye level.

“..Cale.”

Cale answered Flin’s question. He stiffened up for a moment before completely relaxing, playing into the role of a child.

“Mister, where am I?”

He showed an uncomfortable expression, tugging on the hem of Flin’s uniform. While he was acting, the atmosphere here was indeed not ideal. It was different from the dead mana that dark elves usually absorbed. While dark elves also absorbed dead mana, it was mostly from people who passed away in peace—rarely did they absorb dead mana filled with resentment or despair from unjust killings, unless it was a life or death scenario.

“We’re at Kipumaki Cliff. My name is Flins. I came over here after sensing an elemental disturbance.”

Elemental disturbance? 

Was he talking about his flame? Cale poked at the small ball of rose-gold fire and then looked at Flins. 

He wasn’t human; that was the conclusion Cale came to. Ancient Powers were very hard to detect, making people often mistake them for magic, unless you were an elf, or had an affinity with nature, such as an elementalist.

“Little flame, what are you doing here?”

Flame? 

Cale looked at Flins, his head running on multiple gears. Suddenly, his ears perked up, twitching slightly.

There seemed to be something wrong, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“I was sleeping.”

He pointed at the cave in the distance.

Flins seemed to have realized it when his eyes slightly widened before turning back to normal. He nodded at Cale’s words without a hint of emotion, taking him towards the unsealed cave.

“Is there anything you want to bring along? I’ll take you back to a more habitable place.”

“Umm…”

What if he wanted to bring it all with him? 

Cale pondered as he longingly looked at the pile of treasure in front of him. Just then, his eyes spotted two big jewels—one a deep shade of red like ruby, and the other was a sky blue with a crystallized shine.

For some reason, he couldn’t help but pick up the two, hugging them with one hand before tugging on Flin’s sleeve.

“I want to bring these along.”

They must be valuable..

Flins took one glance at the crystals, a slight smile appearing on his lips. He lifted the unprepared Cale, who started clinging to his neck in a panic, and started walking towards the dark mist.

He didn’t know why a snowland fae fell into slumber here, but staying here would affect the young fae’s overall health. Snowland Faes, while some had extraordinary strength, were extremely sensitive to the abyssal corrosion. It was unknown how the young fae lived in such an environment, but looking at the two clear crystals, the parents seemed to have done something.

***

When Cale arrived at the place Flin brought him to, he stared at the city dumbfoundedly.

It was a more or less developed city, except that a lot of scrap metal was just lying about. He felt that compared to other places, this place might be a bit poorer than those areas.

Was it because it was just an outer city? Flins had mentioned along the way that Nod Krai itself was significantly in a much more dire state than others. Unlike the other cities, it had no leader and housed many criminals and gang members. 

It somewhat reminded him of Korea. The main capital was relatively safe and sturdy, while Guryong Village, also located in Seoul, was the complete opposite. There was always a lack of infrastructure, which contributed to poor sanitation and health. Many shacks there were also easily flammable, making it easier for fire to spread; the issue of flooding only made these even worse.

While people praised Seoul for being the richest place, they failed to see the large wealth disparity between cities.

Though at least here, the people weren’t necessarily in danger. There were still the “Ratniki” who more or less acted as guards here.

“Flins, has the investigation at Kipumaki Cliff finished?”

A middle-aged man with a robotic arm appeared in Cale’s vision. He had a similar outfit to Flins’, except that the quality was completely different.

Cale looked at Flins and his simplistic but exquisite uniform. As expected of an elf, even their outfits were still beautiful despite being simple.

“Yes, it’s complete. Just an elemental disturbance, it purified a piece of land.”

Flins replied, nodding his head somewhat indifferently to the man. His gaze drifted towards Cale, who was staring at the silver garments on his uniform.

Sousi, who was still standing there, finally noticed the tiny red bundle beside Flins. His face stiffened, at a loss for words.

Right beside Flins was actually a child of unknown origins with delicate features. He had long crimson red hair, matching the color of the extinct pure red rainbow roses. His skin was pale and unblemished, as if he had never walked out into the sun, a distinct difference from most of the people here.

“Flins, whose child is this?”

Sousi, momentarily distracted, suddenly had a serious expression on his face. He looked at Cale solemnly, who resembled a nine-year-old. If Flins had just returned from Kipumaki Cliff.. then was this child living there all this time?

“..I will explain when we head back to the office.”

Flins’ grip on Cale tightened slightly, though not enough to harm the small hand. Sousi, who wanted more answers, quieted down. 

“Then follow me.”

Sousi led the way to the office that wasn’t so far. When they entered the room, it had a warm atmosphere, which was unlike the image the Sergeant Major usually had. 

“Little one, why were you on Kipumaki Cliff?”

While Flins said he’d explain it all, ultimately, Sousi ended up asking Cale the questions instead. It seemed that he knew of the quiet nature of the Lantern Fae by heart.

“I was sleeping with my family.”

Cale thought about what he was doing in the mansion. The children were sleeping inside his room after eating sweets, and he ended up sleeping outside on the warm grass.

“When I woke up, there were monsters around me. And then someone told me to purify it.”

The Cheapskate, who had been used as a scapegoat, was suddenly speechless. If he had a body, his face would be a mixture of shock and helplessness. He couldn’t help but wonder if Cale was always like this, or if he somehow influenced him?

[Give it up, he’s always been like this. I’d even say he is better at it than you.]

The Crazy Kid’s figure appeared on the windowsill, her transparent fingers toying with the flowers nearby. She seemed to be laughing from her shaking shoulders, but a sheen of cloth covered her face.

[Says the one who can’t extinguish my flames.]

[Yeah, your flames of fucking greed!]

Cale, who finished talking, watched the two Ancient Powers argue near the window. Their transparent figures were in a deadlock, looking at each other with a hint of rivalry in their eyes.

“Don’t fight.”

He whispered to the two Ancient Powers, who immediately stopped at his words.

Flins, focused on the conversation, stopped to look at Cale and the Ancient Powers. He seemed to have a knowing look in his eyes before withdrawing his gaze. 

***

A few weeks had passed since Cale’s transmigration to this world called “Teyvat.” He had long found out from the Ancient Powers that Flins mistook him for a Snowland Fae, a type of elven species. It was no wonder he could sense the Fire of Destruction; he was a being of nature himself.

He was currently wandering around Wavechaser Plains, specifically the Lightkeepers Camp, while Flins was eliminating the Wild Hunt that he had seen back then. Perhaps after finding out how much trouble Cale caused, he left a few trinkets that he didn’t mind breaking to him, telling the little redhead to stay put.

…Of course, it wasn’t without any reason. During the time that Flins took care of Cale, he found out that if you left this boy alone, he would do something in the blink of an eye. One time, he was left in the care of the Ratniki for a few days while he went back to Kipumaki Cliff for a rescue mission. By the time he came back, there were legends about a red-haired angel and how they used their heavenly flame to save a group of passerbies.

“...”

He was even left in the care of Ratniki. How did he get a chance to wander out like that? 

Flins was also afraid that one day the young fae would run off on his own and get injured. Although his elemental abilities were strong, it would be hard to say if he met with even stronger opponents, and with such a weak body, if all defenses were broken, could he still defend himself there?

However, there was no way to change that reckless attitude of the little flame. The best he could do was to protect the young fae to the best of his abilities.

Since the Lightkeepers were currently stationed here, he felt a bit more at ease. Many lightkeepers here wandered around for any potential danger, so if this little flame did indeed get into danger, if a Ratnik saw him, they could help him. With that in mind, Flins went to the designated places contaminated with abyssal energy.

Cale, who was at the Lightkeepers Camp, met many Ratniki, who gave him the few pieces of candy they rarely had. He accepted them with a smile, chewing on the fruit-flavored milk candies with a satisfied look. Although he was barely hungry, having a few pieces of sweets didn’t hurt.

In the corner of his eye, he spotted the young man named Illuga, who was currently talking with a few Ratniki. He seemed to be in a hurry as he promptly left with a few Ratniki coming along with him. 

‘Did something go wrong?’

Flins had told him about Illuga. He said that this young man was very caring towards his teammates, always lending a helping hand if they were in any danger.

Cale hopped down from his seat, heading out of the camp. As he walked down, he could see many of the Wild Hunts roaming around. When he thought about Illuga’s hasty figure, he understood why he was suddenly panicking. 

Indeed, this was a very dangerous situation. Although Nod Krai was at risk from these monsters, it wasn’t to the point of panicking. But if these monsters got past Wavechaser Plains, Nod Krai would be in grave danger. 

And most of all, Flins would be in danger. Although he wasn’t human, fighting armies of walking corpses wasn’t an easy fit, and could also drain a lot of energy. It wasn’t that he was worried about him; it was just that he would have nowhere else to go if he was gone… No, maybe he would be a bit lonely..

“Flins told me to stay put.”

But Cale wasn’t one to listen. Since there was potential danger, naturally, he should help someone who helped him in return. The only problem was that he didn’t know where Flins was stationed, bumping up the difficulty of finding him.

However, fate seemed to have taken a liking to him. While he was searching for Flins, he was met face-to-face with a blonde man. There was a scar on the bottom of his left cheek, adding a touch of heroicness to his demeanor.

“Excuse me. Have you seen my… caretaker?”

Cale tugged on the man’s uniform jacket, showing a pitiful expression. 

“What is a kid doing here?”

The man whispered to himself, baffled at the sight of a young child in the wilderness. However, when he saw the mini Ratniki cloak on Cale, his face turned strange.

“Are the Lightkeepers employing children now?”

The sudden question made Cale tilt his head in confusion. He looked at the man once again, tugging on the hem of his jacket.

“Sir.. Have you seen my caretaker?”

“What’s your caretaker's name?”

The realization seemed to have dawned on the man as he asked back. He realized that it was just a matching cloak with a caretaker.

“Umm… His name is Flins, and I don’t know where he is. The monsters suddenly started pouring out.. And he’s still out there.”

“Flins…?”

The strange expression returned on his face as he checked Cale out. 

“Alright. But you have to stay by my side.”

Hearing the words out of the man’s mouth, Cale nodded earnestly like a child.

***

“Phew… There you are, Flins.”

“My friend, Varka. What are you doing here… With the little flame?”

Flins gestured to Cale, who immediately hopped towards him. His arms wrapped around the small body as he lifted him into a carrying position, holding him stably by the bottom.

“I asked him to help me find you. He looked strong… Like.. Like a wolf.”

Cale sputtered out whatever he could think of. During their “outing,” he noticed that Varka used two heavy swords like a pair of claws. So, when he thought about it, the word wolf appeared in his head.

“...”

“...”

The two men were quite speechless.

Although Varka was indeed called “Knight of Boreas,” few people would actually sense it since it was only a title. His every attack incorporated a wolf’s movement with sharp precision, but usually only a swordsmaster would know that.

“Ahem. Thank you, my friend, for keeping my little flame safe for me.”

Flins broke the awkward silence, giving his gratitude. 

The sudden outbreak of the Wild Hunt wasn’t within his expectations, so when he noticed the horde of them, he was worried about Cale.

“Of course. I am not one to leave a kid on his own either.”

Varka broke out into his usual smile, reverting to the unserious man when he was off work. He gave a few pats to Cale on the head, who grumbled his way out of the wolf’s loving claws.

“My hair is all messed up…”

Cale complained, frowning as he fixed the bangs on his face. But to the two adults, he looked like he was pouting instead. He had his head resting on Flin’s shoulder, unable to see the slight smiles appearing on their faces.

A young figure soon popped up in the distance; it was Illuga, who was bringing back a few injured Ratniki

“Sir! The matter is resolved.”

Illuga walked up to Flins, reporting the situation of the sudden outbreak. When he finished, he quickly greeted Varka before bringing back the Ratniki for medical healing.

Soon, the matter passed by somewhat peacefully. There were a few outbursts in Nasha Town, but they were quickly quelled by Ratniki, who assured them the matter had already passed by.

Cale finally was able to spend the rest of the year in bliss, mostly sleeping in the library that now had a cozier vibe to it. There was a couch with pillows and a blanket brought in just for him when he wanted to sit down and read, and a soft bed when he felt tired. Most of the time spent was with him dozing off in the small room, with a few times where Flins carried him to bed.

Today was no different; he was wandering around the Final Night Cemetery when he noticed something was off.

[Umm… Cale, there seems to be something in the air, but I don’t know what it is.]

The Gluttonous Priestess, who was usually quiet except when he overused his abilities, suddenly spoke up. 

[Right, right! She isn’t lying. I sense something really disgusting in the air! It’s just that it’s not happening here… What was that place called again…?]

[It’s Barrowmoss Barrens! Wait- isn’t that where Flins is?]

Cale immediately stood up after realizing the grave situation. If Flins was there, didn’t that mean something was off? He suddenly felt a pang of panic, like that time when he first woke up and struggled with the fact that he was no longer in the Roan Kingdom.

Flins had patiently soothed some of his unstable feelings, like a gentle parent placating their hurt child.

—

“…Where am I?!”

“The Final Night Cemetery, little flame.”

“Night Cemetery…”

Cale, originally shaken by the unfamiliar surroundings, calmed down. A dull pain appeared in his heart, making him more downcast than usual.

He was not used to this world, and couldn’t get used to it as quickly as he did when he first woke up as Cale Henituse. 

Raon.. On, Hong… Were they okay? What about the others? There was still an ongoing war going on; he wasn’t finished yet. Why did those despicable Gods bring him here?

Suddenly, a thumb caressed the corner of his eye. It was Flins who wiped a few of his tears. Somehow, he had unknowingly cried his eyes out.

“Ἔρρεε ἀνάπαυσαι, ἐγὼ ἐνθάδε ἔσομαι.”

(Go rest, I’ll be here.)

A soft murmuring lulled Cale into a deep sleep as a hand rubbed the top of his head. 

—

The memory ended, and Cale ran to Lempo Isle. He tripped over a few pebbles along the way, causing him to fall. Blood trickled down his knees, creating a gruesome sight for anyone, particularly those weak to children.

[Cale, slow down. He’ll be fine. Flins won’t like to see you injuring yourself for his sake; he’s your guardian.]

The Super Rock reached out with his transparent hands, lifting Cale from the ground. Thankfully, because he had Vitality of the Heart, the wound quickly healed, leaving no scars.

[…Nevermind Flins, something is approaching us!]

The Cheapskate quickly alarmed Cale, who was now back to his stoic demeanor.

Walking up to them was a young lady with blonde hair, who had a floating little pixie next to her.

“Huh? Who is this?! Paimon didn’t expect to see anyone on the road right now..”

The voice was high-pitched and a bit grating to Cale’s ears. 

“Sorry for blocking the road. My name is Cale, I’m looking for Flins; he’s my caretaker.”

Cale looked up at the young lady, who had a surprised look on her face. He cocked up an eyebrow as soon as he saw that look.

‘Ho? This girl seems like she knows something.’

His gaze never left the young lady as he waited for a reply. In the background, the Ancient Powers were all arguing about who the girl was and making speculations. Instead of being “Heroes,” they more resembled children who got ahold onto their parents' stuff. Though Cale thought that it checked out, they were just children when they began fighting. The oldest out of all was the Super Rock, who always kept them in check…

“Hello there. I’m the Traveler. We were just looking for Flins. Do you know him?”

“He takes care of me… Did something happen? He’s usually with me in his free time..”

Cale felt that something was wrong. It wasn’t just because Flins was in danger, but also because of their awkward and guilty stares. 

“...Traveler.. D-do we tell him?”

The little pixie hovered towards the Traveler, whispering into her ear. However, instead of whispering, it sounded more like yelling…

This pixie girl.. Seriously had a loud voice. With just a few minutes of interaction, Cale concluded their personalities.

This Traveler was the type to help others like a saintess; she almost reminded him of Saint Jack. And that pixie girl was… The type to stick to you like super glue, which was quite annoying, but he was not one to talk about others.

“Flins is in deep trouble. Not only is he somewhere here, but it might also be the work of Rerir. Currently, he’s being framed for a murder that happened a few days ago.”

“Huh? A few days ago, he was with me. We were at home reading some of the books in his library.”

Was this Rerir someone who could take the form of other people? Why else would Flins be accused when he was with him the entire time on those days?

The moment Cale said that, the Traveler’s face immediately darkened. She seemed to have finally confirmed something when he gave his testimony to her.

“We should hurry then, if this is true, then he’s in big trouble over there.”

The Traveler immediately ran in the direction of Barrowmoss Barrens. Her speed was astounding, just like Choi Han’s. Cale even had to use Sound of the Wind to keep up with her, but even that barely worked.

“Ah, wait for Paimon!!!”

Paimon immediately flew in the direction they were heading in a panic and fear from being left alone.

When they reached the destination, everything began to fog up. Dark mist spluttered everywhere, obscuring their way of direction.

However, Cale, who had five Ancient Powers that could develop a form, was of much help.

“You shouldn’t go to that lantern. There are monsters up ahead.”

He barely managed to stop the Traveler with this annoying pixie, urging them to go forward. Did anyone teach her about the ways of danger when handling situations like these? With dark mist disrupting her vision, it was much easier for monsters to lurk and ambush her… 

However, seeing her smile before walking up to the lanterns without any preparation made him stop in his tracks. Why did he get the feeling that she was the main character of a novel?

The Traveler defeated the small group of the Wild Hunts in a matter of a few minutes, almost up to par with Flins. And no, he wasn’t favoring Flins at all when he said that. It was just the truth. While she indeed was a good fighter, the best among the best even, Flins just had a natural flame that could purify the Wild Hunt in an instant.

“Since we are currently in a corrupted field, the black mist obscures most of our senses and direction. We should be careful in the future. This fog makes it easier for the monsters to ambush you.”

Cale, feeling a bit thankful for the Traveler who was still helping Flins despite all of the accusations, decided to give her an important tip. When he noticed the two girls' sheepish looks, he felt like internally sighing.

He lit up a small ball of rose-gold flames, illuminating more than the measly lantern in their hands. When the Traveler saw the amount of illumination that small flame had, she looked back at the lantern given to her by Nefer.

“...”

Why was a kid’s flame better than a professional’s lantern?

However, she wasn’t able to think about it when she saw a horde of them coming towards them.

“Wait! We should-”

BOOM!

Countless fiery thunderbolts manifested from the sky after Cale raised his hands, eliminating all of the abyssal creatures in the vicinity.

“Little flame, is that you?! What’re you doing here in such a dangerous place?!”

A voice from the left of them echoed through the quiet land. The owner of the voice spoke in a panic, shouting out loud.

Cale ran through the corroded land, making his way to Flins. Luckily, nothing was in his way after he used Fire of Destruction to purify them all. 

By the time he reached there, the first thing he saw was Flins getting thrown against the mountain’s wall.

“Flins!”

He panicked, running to Flins, who was about to get by a pair of claws. In desperation, a shield full of rose-gold flames appeared, causing Rerir to recoil. 

Flins caught Cale, who ran into his arms, securing him in a hug. When he looked down, he was met with a pair of reddened eyes, with tears threatening to fall. The scene was unlike the usual Cale, who normally was much more stoic. Seeing such a scene caused him to soften; he couldn’t even scold the young fae for running out like that.

However, the reunion was short. Standing before them was a phantom of a bandaged-up man, who was currently fighting the Traveler. The battle was a losing one, and the man was slowly gaining an upperhand.

In Cale’s eyes, he saw Flins’ lantern emit a dangerous purple light.

The Traveler also noticed the connection between the lantern and Rerir’s growing strength. 

Mustering up all of her strength to parry another attack, she yelled at Flins for the lantern. Cale was quicker, though; he immediately snatched the lantern and hurled it at the young lady, watching as she and the bandaged-up man fought tooth and nail over the lantern.

Flin’s managed to come in clutch just as the Traveler was about to lose the lantern, using his azure flames to make the bandaged-up man recoil back. 

The Traveler, who now held onto the lantern, absorbed the abyssal energy emanating from the lantern—purifying it back to normal. Meanwhile, Flins engaged in another skirmish against the man, using only his elemental powers.

With the lantern back to normal, the Traveler tossed it back to Flins, who immediately used it against the phantom man. Cale, who was watching in a daze, noticed the man about to attack, causing him to summon roots from nearby trees to stop him.

In one swift move, because Cale stopped his movements temporarily, the blow that both Flins and the Traveler dealt was more tremendous since he had no means of defense.

“Flins, were you fighting him the entire time?!”

Cale tugged on Flin’s sleeve, panic etched on his face. This was the second time that he almost witnessed a loved one die in front of him. He couldn’t forget that feeling of fear when those deadly abyssal claws were aimed at his face.

[Cale…]

The Ancient Powers couldn’t find any means of comfort for him. It was a close call, and to brush it off would make it worse. Based on looks, it was very clear that this wasn’t the first time he’s seen a loved one die in front of him.

[It’s okay to cry.]

The Super Rock, seeing the whirl of emotions in Cale’s eyes, could only offer him a chance to vent his feelings.

As if Cale’s eyes heard those words, droplets began falling from his eyes. He felt shame and embarrassment over crying about such a thing that even more tears trickled down—Flins was at a loss on what to do—it was the first time he saw the little flame cry so seriously.

“…Shh.. I’m right here. Don’t cry.”

Flins awkwardly tried to comfort Cale, but it was his first time doing it while he was conscious. The other times were when Cale was unconsciously crying in his sleep, only needing him to use fae language to lull him back into a peaceful slumber.

By the time Cale stopped crying, he was already dead asleep. Being a child was too tiresome for him; even crying took a lot of energy. 

“I apologize for that. I didn’t expect the little flame to cry for so long. However, neither do I think it’s a bad thing. He’s usually so quiet that I'm worried about it. I’ve read from books that children are usually emotional, and I was concerned since he was the opposite of it, but it seems that I worried a bit too much. I, however, also must thank you for helping me survive and letting me see my little flame.”

Flins thanked the Traveler while adjusting Cale’s sleeping posture into a more comfortable one. His hand wiped off the remaining tears from the little fae’s face gently. 

The vision was so motherly that the contrast between his usual self when fighting was tremendously obvious, even almost breaking the Traveler’s image of the aloof Ratnik.

“No worries. We also have the same question as Cale, were you fighting Rerir this entire time?”

“Rerir? So, this phantom does have a name.”

This time, Paimon answered Flins. Her tone was still high-pitched, but less loud this time.

“That’s right! And the Wild Hunt takes orders from him, too!”

Traveler quickly filled Flins in on what happened the past few days while he was gone, causing him to go into deep silence. The young man’s eyes quickly drifted towards the resting redhead, holding him closer than before.

“Why don’t we form a plan at my place, and wait for our little flame to wake up?”

“Sounds good.”

***

“Huh, so you found Cale at Ashveil Peak? And he was just sleeping on Kipumaki Cliff?”

Paimon’s voice was tinged with confusion as she tried to connect the dots together.

“Yes, I believe his family forced him to hibernate before the fall of the Hyperboreans. When I asked him what he wanted to bring with him specifically, the little flame picked up the crystallized forms of two faes.”

Flins reminisced about their first meeting. He didn’t realize how long it's been since he’s taken the little flame in, and neither did he notice when this little fae became every part of his life.

At first, he brought the little flame in because he felt the responsibility of doing so. But slowly, he seemed to get more attached to the young fae. It was like he had a natural affinity with everyone, making everyone feel affectionate towards him. Right now, he also felt that if anyone tried to take his little fae away, he would do everything to bring the young fae back home.

The red fae still hasn’t outgrown his wings yet. So, until then, he would take care of the little flame just like his own.

***

Cale felt like he was dreaming the past couple of days. Everything that happened was a fever dream to him

First, they fought against Rerir, one of the sinners. Then, a crazy doctor tried to kidnap a girl, only to fail tremendously. Now, everything was back to normal as if nothing happened! 

He looked at Flins, who was organizing a few trinkets. 

…He really likes collecting these. 

Cale walked over to Flins’ side, peaking at the antique items on the table. But because the table was too tall, he was on his tiptoes. 

“Are you interested in these?”

Flins looked at Cale, who pondered the question for a moment before nodding. His eyes seemed to shine as he looked at each antique with interest. Though, he was mostly interested in the value of these items.

“Do you want to search for one?”

“Will it take long?”

“Perhaps.”

No direct answer was given, making Cale wrack his brain over the interpretation. In the end, he still ended up going.

—

They traveled through Natlan, where a core from an ancient civilization was found. During that time, Cale was more tired than usual. Flins was also feeling a bit uncomfortable, so their time in the hot region was relatively quick. 

Fontaine was the next nation they arrived at. Thankfully, they arrived after the Traveler’s actions, meaning they wouldn’t be arrested over something small. It made him wonder how this nation was still standing, considering how the laws here were.

They went to the Fontaine Research Institute, finding many documents and abandoned trinkets in the wild. Most of which were useful in Cale’s opinion, but the people here were too much of perfectionists. But since they didn’t want it and let him take it, he took it. After all, he never missed out on free things. 

When they reached Sumeru, Cale, by chance, managed to find a Padisarah Flower. Because of the demanding needs of the flower, it made it very rare to the Sumerians, making a lot of people offer quite a bit of money. And Cale, obsessed with money, often almost accepted their deal. At least until the Wanderer came, showing them the true costs of it.

Inazuma was even more sparsely populated. With only the main city, shrines, and the commission house being the actual habitant spots. Nevertheless, they managed to find a few gems made here, giving off a purple glow. While expensive, but not rare, Cale was particularly fond of them, so it still went into his collection. 

Liyue was where the two both found something they were both fond of. It was in the chasms where they found a lumenstone only be found there. The crystal had a special glow, showing its uniqueness against other gems. But when they brought it out, the gem immediately dimmed, still beautiful, but they didn’t dare to have any more hope. There were also a few mora they found that had a completely different carving from

the current one, but there was only enough to split between the two of them.

They reached Monstadt, intending to find something there, but were met with nothing. However, they did meet up with Albedo and Durin, who were experimenting together. So, the traveling wasn’t that wasteful.

Then they reached their small home in the Final Night Cemetery, organizing the trinkets they found together. The flow was smooth, as if they had rehearsed this multiple times, but in truth, they were just becoming used to each other’s presence in their life.

—

“And thus ends the little flame’s journey. Nothing grand, nothing heroic. Just a fun and worthwhile travel experience.”

“I like that.”

No saving worlds, no trouble happening. Just them traveling the world occasionally to find new things for their collection.

He was… very tired of fighting.

Cale yawned, leaning back onto Flin’s chest. His head drooped a few times before the older fae supported his head.

“You go and rest, I’ll still be here, little flame.”