Chapter 3: whereabouts of an old friend
As James awaited their response, a palpable tension filled the air, wrapping around him like a suffocating embrace. The members of the hero's party exchanged wary glances, their eyes flickering with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Aggath, his brow furrowed in contemplation, broke the silence with a voice as steady as the beating of a war drum. "so you say that you are an old friend of rein shroud?" aggath asked as James nervously nodded his head "yes... you know him?" James asked them as they all nodded their heads to him. mina then approached James and she spoke calmly "yes we are, we used to be associated with rein, before..." but before mina could finish james spoke with frown on his face "you fired him or in your point of view let him go?" james said as the hero's party stared at him, their eyes filled with a mix of surprise and confusion. The moment hung in the air like a suspended breath, each heartbeat echoing in the silence that enveloped them. Mina, her blue eyes shimmering with melancholy, took a cautious step forward, her voice carrying the weight of past regrets. "No," she said softly, "it was never our intention to abandon Rein." mina said as she tried to explain, but james knew that in his past life he knew what happened in the beast tamer series and can already tell that mina is conflicted of whats happening. then a magic skill awakened in james... he can already sense emotions of tension, fear, questioning, endurance, and trembling within mina. so james decided to comfort mina "milady, are you afraid?" james asked as he turns his face to arios giving him the death glare which made arios seem uneasy.
Mina, her eyes wide with astonishment and vulnerability, gazed deeply into James' eyes, unknowingly triggering the awakening of another extraordinary ability within him - telepathy. A surge of energy coursed through James' mind as he transmitted his comforting words to Mina, his voice resonating silently within her thoughts, "Fear not, dear Mina, for I shall shield you from harm. Place your trust in me, and I shall ensure your safety." His telepathic message washed over Mina's consciousness, causing her lips to tremble ever so delicately, as if weighed down by the enormity of her emotions. And then, with a gentle determination, she found the strength to speak, her words escaping her lips like delicate whispers carried away by the ethereal wind. "I... I am gripped by fear," she confessed, her voice barely more than a murmur in the vast expanse of their surroundings. James, deeply moved by Mina's vulnerability, reached out to take her trembling hand in his, intertwining their fingers as he locked gazes with her. In that moment, he offered her a solace born from his instinctive empathy. "Please understand, Mina," James began softly, his voice laden with tender sincerity, "I am keenly aware of your trepidation. You see, it is an innate habit of mine to seek solace for those whose hearts are burdened by unease. It brings me great solace to offer comfort to one in need." His words, spoken with utmost sincerity, sought to reassure her, to let her know that she need not bear the weight of her fears alone. Yet, even as his words filled the stillness of the moment, James' thoughts turned back to the matter that had stirred unease among the members of the hero's party - their shared history with Rein Shroud. With genuine curiosity, he posed a question to the group, his gaze sweeping across their faces, lingering upon the silent countenance of Arios Orlando, whose eyes held a hint of concealed tension. "Speaking of Rein," James began, his voice carrying a gentle urgency, "do any of you possess knowledge of his current whereabouts?" His question hung heavy in the air, a collective wave of confusion and uncertainty sweeping through the group. One by one, the members shook their heads in unison, their expressions betraying a shared sense of bewilderment. "Regrettably, dear James, we find ourselves devoid of any knowledge regarding Rein's current location," Aggath responded, his words laced with a touch of regret.
Mina, her eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and vulnerability, it was then james awakened another ability; telepathy. but as mina stared into James' eyes as he posed his question she heard his voice in her head "its okay i'll make sure that no harm will come to you... just trust me." james said telepathically. Her lips trembled ever so slightly before she managed to find her voice, her words escaping like whispers carried away by the wind. "I... I am afraid," she confessed with a whisper in her voice. as james took mina's hand into his, he stared at her and spoke "it's alright, i know you are afraid, you see i have this habit that when i notice someone feeling uneasy, i just had to do something to comfort them." james explained as he continued to speak "anyway, about rein... do any of you know where he is right now?" james asked them as they all shook their heads "no i'm afraid we do not know where he is now." aggath said to james.