Novel Full Chapter 1944: Finding Ruby’s Father
Chapter 1944: Finding Ruby’s Father
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“Alright then,” Celeste let out a loud sigh. “Fine… but if he gets rude with you, I’m going to punch him, okay? I’m not letting anybody land a blow on you.”
“Hahah… thank you, Celeste, but please don’t hit my dad,” Ruby chuckled.
“Come on now, let’s go,” I said.
“Aaahh, I’m still in my Blacksmith gear though! W-Wait a sec, I’ll get ready, okay?” Ruby pushed us out of her room and quickly cleaned herself with magic before changing into fresh clothes.
When she stepped out, she looked gorgeous.
“H-How is it?” she asked nervously.
She wore a beautiful red dress with a white blouse, red heeled boots, and bracelets. Her long blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail. She looked like a stunning, mature lady.
“You look great!” I said, giving her a thumbs-up. “Really gorgeous, honestly. You’re so pretty, Ruby!”
“Yeah… damn,” Celeste nodded, a faint blush on her cheeks. “Ahhh… I mean, yeah, yeah, you’re very pretty.”
“Heheh, thank you,” Ruby smiled, giggling softly. “Shall we get going?”
“Alright!” I nodded, rushing downstairs with my friends.
I had noticed Celeste acting strangely around Ruby lately. I guess she likes her. Honestly, though, I can’t be sure—she’s always been a little flirty with me too. Maybe that’s just her personality.
Once we stepped outside, Aquarina scolded us.
“Hey, you took forever!” she complained.
“Sorry, sorry,” Ruby apologized. “It was just… me being a dummy.”
“Aw, don’t worry!” Lara said brightly. “Any time is a good time to talk about feelings! The Spirits are all worried about you, Ruby. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you, Lara,” Ruby replied.
“Okay~ But if you’ve got something to talk about, or you need someone to listen, I’m here!” Lara declared. “Aaaand all my friends too, so we’re like a big team that listens to everyone! Yes we are!”
Lara’s ultra-extroverted energy made Ruby chuckle. She really was a bundle of love all the time. “Thank you, Lara, haha, you’re the best. We needed someone like you with us.”
Mist giggled along. “Yeah, she’s the best when it comes to cheering people up… Still, I’ve gone through a lot of bad stuff too… we can talk whenever you need, share stories and whatnot.”
“Thanks, Mist,” Ruby said. “I’ll take that into consideration. I would like to grow closer with everyone… You’re all great people and… all my life, I’ve always wished to have a lot of friends like you. I… maybe this is embarrassing to say, but I always dreamed of having friends like you—an inspiring person like Sylphy, a loudmouthed badass girl like Celeste, a cheerful and happy-go-lucky one like Lara, and someone sensible and nice like Mist… and also Aquarina, and Celica. And… I guess Zephyrus too? I-I don’t know if he considers me a friend…”
“I’m sure he will,” I nodded. “Just gotta spend more time with him!”
“Yeah, Zephyrus is very nice,” Mist agreed.
“Okay, okay, I love the vibes but we should get going,” Aquarina said.
“Yep, let’s go!” I said, enveloping everyone in my Yggdragon Aura. I shifted into my Draconification Form and flew toward the city with my wings.
“Woooaah!” Ruby exclaimed in shock. “I-I had no idea there was this method of transportation!”
“Woooohooo!” Lara giggled. “Yaaaay! Wind Spirits and Fire Spirits! Hiiiii!”
“Hahaha! I missed Sylphy for these exact things,” Mist chuckled.
“Yeah, she’s great like that!” Aquarina said.
In a flash, we reached the city and landed at the port where airships sometimes arrived. Lara and Mist marveled at the sights of Evercraft while we hurried into the city and bought hot cocoa for everyone to warm up.
“Hmmm, so tasty!” Lara said.
“It comes with these cute little things—they’re soft and sweet,” Mist noted.
“They’re called marshmallows,” I explained. “They remind me of my cute friend Mist sometimes!” I gently squeezed her cheeks.
“Heheh, wait, don’t do that!” she giggled. Her face was incredibly squeezable.
“I can feel my parents’ presences over there. They’re at the marketplace. Let’s meet up with them!” Aquarina said, leading the way.
Lara and Mist took into the surroundings, amazed by the machines, the people, the houses—everything unique compared to any other place we had visited.
On our way to Aquarina’s parents and her little sister, we drew closer to where Ruby’s father lived. We decided to go with her first, so she could finally talk to him and settle things once and for all.
“Alright, here we are… ugh, I’m getting cold feet now,” Ruby muttered, sighing heavily.
“You can do it,” I said. “Do you want us to go with you?”
“We have to,” Celeste insisted. “I don’t want him to hit her again.”
“Well, just… stay behind, okay? I don’t want him to see you and get even more agitated if possible,” Ruby sighed.
“Okay, that’s fine with me,” I nodded.
“Hm, ok,” Celeste sighed.
“What about us?” Aquarina asked.
“I wanna help! Maybe if we talk it out with your father AND the spirits, he’ll understand!” Lara said.
“Um, it’s better if we stay here for now, Lara,” Mist said, patting her shoulders. “Let the girls solve the issue.”
“Oh! Okay,” Lara nodded. “Hm… it’s strange, the spirits look rather famished or disturbed… weakened.”
“…?” I glanced back at Lara, finding that odd, but I quickly turned my attention forward as Ruby knocked on the door.
Knock, knock!
“…Dad?” Ruby called softly. “Dad, it’s me… Ruby. Hello? Dad?”
Knock, knock!
Knock, knock!
Knock, knock!
She knocked for a full minute before we finally heard movement inside, followed by the loud, rasping cough of an old man.
“Cough, cough… leave…!”
It was him. He sounded angry and perhaps sick—likely from neglecting himself.
“Dad… I wanna talk. Can’t we talk?” Ruby asked.
“…Cough, cough… Ugh…! Leave me alone…” he muttered.
“Dad… Please let me in. Let’s talk a little, that’s all I want. If you want me to leave forever afterward, I’ll leave, and you’ll never see me again, I promise,” Ruby said, touching the old wooden door. “I just… want to see you, one last time at least.”
“…”
Suddenly, we heard slow footsteps. The door creaked open.
It was Ruby’s father—an old, sickly-looking alcoholic dwarf who had once been a renowned blacksmith. Now he looked utterly terrible.
“Um, are you okay?” she asked. “You look terrible…”
“Cough, cough…” He covered his mouth while coughing. “What the hell does it matter how I look? What… what do you want to talk about? Ah… Cough! You brought… a lot of your friends, huh…”
“Hi…” I said, waving my hand. “I know we didn’t start on the right foot but… well, Ruby’s a good friend of ours.”
“Yeah,” Celeste said, crossing her arms. “And if you…!” I quickly stopped her before she could finish the insult.
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