Chapter 38: Off to SA
On the Twilight Guild's top floor, six S-rankers sat around a table, discussing the upcoming raid. Willow sat at the top, her expression calm and collected, while the rest sat on both sides.
"We're getting one hunter from the Nightfall and Iron Claw guilds each, with the five of us," Willow said, her voice clear and concise.
One of the S-rankers raised an eyebrow. "Isn't this too much for just one raid? Seven S-rankers is an overkill."
Willow's expression didn't change. "It's better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. If an S-ranked beast does appear, but it's too powerful, we'll only have ourselves to blame for being too stingy with resources. We have eight S-rankers, not seven. The eighth is flying in from Nigeria tomorrow."
The room fell silent, with the S-rankers exchanging surprised glances. "Nigeria, being so close to the equator, has lots of Colossals appearing in their lands. How can they send an S-rank hunter?" one of them asked.
Willow replied, "Apparently, he's a new one, and isn't fully integrated into the system yet, so he's still flexible."
One of the S-rankers snorted. "So we have to babysit him, great."
Willow's expression remained calm, but her eyes flashed with amusement. She pulled up the image of Blaze and Ini's duel on the screen.
"He beat Blaze in a duel without breaking a sweat," she said, her voice even.
The room fell silent again, with the S-rankers' faces grim. Blaze was a legendary hunter, known for his incredible strength and skill. If this newcomer could beat him without breaking a sweat, he was someone to be reckoned with.
One of the S-rankers broke the silence. "I heard of him. He destroyed an entire B-ranked dungeon in a single strike. I think his name is Ini."
Willow's eyes widened in shock as she heard the name. She looked at Ini's eyes again, thinking if this was really her brother. Is that the reason he wants to see me? She decided she would find out when he came.
"That'll be all," Willow said, ending the meeting. The S-rankers filed out of the room, leaving only Moray behind.
Moray looked at Willow, his eyes filled with concern. "You seemed disturbed when you heard his name," he said, his voice gentle.
Willow's gaze softened, and she smiled weakly. "It's nothing, you don't need to worry," she said, trying to brush off the concern.
But Moray wasn't convinced. "It's not nothing," he said, his voice firm. "If I remember correctly, your brother's name is Ini."
Willow's eyes widened, and she sighed, feeling caught. "It's been so long," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wonder what he's like, where he is, and if he still blames me."
Moray's expression was understanding, and he dragged his chair closer to Willow, holding her hands in his. "What happened was an accident," he said, his voice soothing. "And besides, even if he has forgiven you, you haven't forgiven yourself."
Willow's eyes dropped, and she nodded, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her. "I literally killed my parents, almost killing him in the process," she said, her voice cracking. "His last words to me were 'I'll kill you.' At first, I thought he was just angry, but as I grew up, I realized the amount of hatred I saw in his eyes, him being so young, must be deep-rooted. It didn't help that I was adopted, leaving him there. I couldn't visit since we moved from Nigeria to South Africa. He'll then feel abandoned, I'm sure. Those events would fuel his rage."
Moray listened attentively, his expression sympathetic. When Willow finished speaking, he squeezed her hands gently. "You can't be certain," he said, his voice calm. "You don't know what he's feeling or thinking."
Willow looked up at him, her eyes searching. "Do you think he's my brother?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Moray's expression was thoughtful. "Honestly, I'm not sure if he is," he said. "Or if he's still angry or not."
Willow sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. Moray's next words were gentle. "If he is, then he wants to meet his sister. It's been decades already."
Willow nodded, feeling a sense of hope. "Yeah, you're right," she said, her voice soft.
Moray smiled, his eyes twinkling. "I'm sure he'll love to meet his nephews," he said, his voice playful.
Willow's face softened, and she smiled, picturing the image of her sons in her head. The thought of her brother meeting his nephews brought out a warm smile on her face.
The next day, Ini called Arike, informing her that they would be going to South Africa for about a week or two. Arike's voice was bright and cheerful as she replied, "Okay, I'll start packing my things."
Ini nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Good, be fast we have a plane to catch." he said, his voice calm.
Arike's voice was filled with excitement. "I'm looking forward to this trip! I've always wanted to visit South Africa."
Ini smiled, his expression neutral. "It's a beautiful country," he said, his voice even.
Arike quickly packed her things, and they headed to the airport. As they walked through the terminal, Ini's eyes scanned the crowds, his gaze lingering on the various advertisements and signs.
When they reached the gate, Ini checked their boarding passes, and they made their way to the plane. As they settled into their seats, Arike turned to Ini, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I'm so glad we're doing this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been feeling stuck in a rut lately."
Ini smiled, his expression sympathetic. "Sometimes, a change of scenery can be just what we need. You might even level up during the raid." he said, his voice calm.
Arike nodded, her eyes closing as the plane took off. Ini watched her, his gaze softening. He was glad she was enjoying the trip, even if he wasn't telling her the whole truth.
As the plane leveled out, Ini placed his hand on his chin, his eyes gazing out the window. His mind began to wander, thinking about the reason he was really going to South Africa.
What would Willow be like? Would she be happy to see him, or would she be angry? How would he react? The questions swirled in his mind, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty.
Arike's voice broke into his thoughts, her voice gentle. "Ini, are you okay? You seem a bit distracted."
Ini's eyes snapped back to hers, his expression neutral. "I'm fine," he said, his voice even. "Just thinking about some stuff."
Arike nodded, her eyes understanding. "You can tell me if you want to talk about it," she said, her voice soft.
Ini smiled, his expression appreciative. "Thanks, Arike," he said, his voice calm. "But I'm really okay."
Arike nodded, her eyes closing again. Ini watched her, his gaze softening. He was glad she was comfortable, but his mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Willow and their upcoming meeting.
As the plane continued on its journey, Ini's thoughts remained with Willow, wondering what the future held for them. What would happen when they finally met? Only time would tell.