Chapter 54 Olivia's Memories

The whole party was supportive of Suzuka, Thomas said, "Well, that's a start. Decent plan, but what items we are talking about, the prices are shifting constantly. If you show us, I can roughly say what you can get. If it's okay with you that is, I understand if you don't want to show."

Olivia encouraged Suzuka and jokingly said, "Don't worry Suzu, I will make sure no one lays a finger and gets to keep it."

John said, "Whow! Hey! We may be close to broke but we no thieves."

Shara added to John's words, "Wow, I am amazed, Olivia, after all this time, you joking about us attempting of stealing. Jeez..."

Michael just laugh it off and said, "Oh, don't worry Suzuka, you can show us, we won't rob you."

Suzuka agreed and the party stopped for a short break, "Oh, I am not worried... I dont have much anyway. A few crystals, two crystal golem cores, and a hand full of name tags."

After the mention of name tags, everyone's expressions turned serious, Thomas said, "Adventurer's name tags issued by hunter guild, are we talking about those name tags?"

Suzuka nodded and agreed, "I have collected them from every adventurer I've come across who fell in battle against the monsters in this forest."

Thomas took a quick look at Olivia, looking for a sign, but she was silent. Olivia didn't hear the lie in these words.

Thomas then asked, "May we see the name tags, please? You might have our fellow friends' name tags on you."

Suzuka opened her bag and showed what she have, "Sure, let me put everything on the ground."

Thomas took all the name tags Suzuka had and browsed through them carefully, checking the names as the rest were evaluating her items for what they were worth.

John examined the items and let out a whistle of admiration, "Impressive! Seven crystals from shadow ghouls, two cores from crystal golems, a diamond tooth from a rockhead, and some lower-quality crystals. Even without counting the name tag bounties, this should net you close to 8 gold coins."

Shara said right after John, "With 8 gold coins you can book a room at the inn for half a year."

Thomas suddenly stopped browsing through the name tags, his hands slightly trembling, he quietly mumble the name, "Martin." The name tags fall out of his hands and dropped on the ground. Olivia was the only one who noticed a sudden change in Thomas's emotion. Olivia watched as Thomas's face twisted in pain and sadness, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. She could see the memories and emotions flooding his mind, causing him to relive a past he had buried deep within himself.

Olivia quickly walked over to Thomas, noticing the trembling in his hands and the sadness in his eyes. "Thomas, what's wrong?" She asked softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Thomas looked up at her, his eyes filled with tears. "Martin... my brother, she found him. It's his name tag." He choked out, his voice cracking with emotion.

She could see the name "Martin" etched in his mind, causing a deep wound to open up once again.

The rest of the party looked on in silence, knowing that Thomas was going through something personal and trying to give him space.

Olivia wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as he tried to hold his tears, "I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I know I shouldn't let it still affect me like this. It's been close to a year now."

Olivia in a comforting tone said, "Oh, Thomas, don't be silly. It's fine, you can let it all out. I am here for you, you know that. There is nothing wrong to cry. It's okay to still grieve, It's part of the healing process. And I'm here for you, whenever you need me."

Thomas nodded, feeling a sense of peace wash over him. Thomas looked up at Olivia and said, "Thank you, I am fine now. Finally, I am at peace. I know his fate now."

Thomas walked up to Suzuka and asked, "Can you tell me... if you know... how did, my brother, died."

Suzuka recounted the tale of her and Martin's adventure to the goblin castle and the horrors she witnessed within its walls. She spoke of the goblin shaman and the illusion staff, and the fierce battle they fought to defeat the goblin horde. Though Suzuka spoke of Bill's bravery in leading the charge and slaying many of the goblins, Olivia couldn't help but sense deception in her words, she noticed Suzuka was downplaying her own role in the battle. Despite this, Olivia kept her suspicions to herself.

Thomas asked, "Suzuka, may I have my brother's name tag, there is no bounty on it. It is worthless to you, but I will pay you whatever you ask."

Suzuka shook her head and said, "There's no need for you to pay me. Your brother is the important one here. I didn't take these name tags just for the gold. I wanted to turn them in so that the loved ones of these people would know what happened to them."

Thomas nodded and thanked Suzuka while putting away Martin's name tag.   

As Suzuka put her items back into her backpack, the group continued their journey. The air was cool and crisp and the ground was damp from the previous night's rain. The group walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Suzuka glanced at Olivia.

She could see that Olivia was deep in thought, her brow furrowed and her eyes focused on the ground ahead. Suzuka wondered what she was thinking about. She didn't want to intrude on Olivia's thoughts, so she turned her gaze back to the path ahead.

Olivia couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach after learning about Martin's fate and his party. She couldn't help but think about Jazz, one of Martin's party members, a close friend of hers.

Jazz was a pretty woman, with a sharp tongue and a quick wit. She was always the life of the party and Olivia couldn't help but smile whenever she thought about the times they had shared together.

But now, the thought of Jazz lying dead in the forest, her body ravaged by monsters, was too much to bear. Olivia couldn't help but wonder if she could have done something to prevent it. If only she had been there to help, or if she had warned Martin and his party of the dangers they were facing. But it was a simple quest, just to kill some goblins in castle ruins. Who could have thought it would lead to such a disaster?

As the party walked, Olivia was deep in thought, lost in her own world. She couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt and sadness that was weighing heavily on her heart. She knew that she needed to focus on the task at hand, but she couldn't help but think about Jazz and the rest of Martin's party.

Olivia knew that she needed to stay strong for her own team, but it was hard to shake off the feeling of loss and guilt that was consuming her. She didn't show her true feelings or sadness to anyone, she was always putting on her brave face and hid her sorrow behind her flirtatious facade. 

Olivia couldn't help but feel a sense of determination growing within her. She knew that she need to know what happened to Jazz and she knew that Suzuka might have the answers she is looking for.

After a long silence, Olivia asked in a quiet and calm voice, "Say, Suzu. Do you know what happened to Jazz, the woman at Martin's party?"

Suzuka didn't answer right away, instead, she took a deep breath before speaking. "Olivia, are you sure you want to know?"

Olivia let out a sad sigh and said, "So, you do know. Yes... yes, I want to know."  

Suzuka's expression grew dark as she remembered the horrible scene she had witnessed in the prison cell where Jazz was locked up. "I saw her, locked and chained in a prison cell, she was beaten and bruised, and... she looked like she had been through hell," Suzuka replied, her voice shaking with anger, as she continued, "I think she wrapped the chain around her neck and broke it, killing herself, that's all I know."

Olivia walked next to Suzuka with sadness in her eyes. Her hands were shaking in her pocket and her heart was pounding in her chest as Suzuka recounted the events that led to Jazz's death. She could barely hold her brave face as she listened to Suzuka's words.

 Olivia felt her eyes start to well up with tears, she tried her best to hold them back, not wanting to show any vulnerability in front of the others. She took a quite deep breath and tried to steady herself, not wanting to appear weak in front of her companions. Despite her efforts, Olivia couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that was creeping over her.

As Suzuka spoke, Olivia couldn't help but notice a slight shift in her appearance. Her expression became increasingly fierce, her yellow eyes turning red with anger. Her muscles tensed and her body language became more aggressive.

 The change was barely noticeable but Olivia's keen eyes didn't miss this change, and she couldn't help but feel a tinge of excitement at Suzuka's fierce gaze. It reminded her of the bloodlust Suzuka had shown when she had grabbed Olivia's arm before.

As Suzuka finished speaking, Olivia couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that the moment had passed and Suzuka's appearance returned to normal.

Suzuka turned to Olivia, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Olivia, if I may ask, can you tell me about the other members of Martin's party? I'm just curious, I only saw them from the distance. I understand if you don't want to talk about it though." She asked politely, hoping that her request wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience for Olivia.

Suzuka's request was met with a palpable tightness in Olivia's chest, causing her flirtatious demeanor and brave facade to waver. The innocent question caught Olivia off guard and she felt a tight knot form in her chest. 

She tried to keep up her usual flirtatious demeanor but could feel the cracks showing. Her voice became strained as she tried to answer, barely holding back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. 

 She found herself unconsciously clenching her fist in her pocket, digging her nails into her palm in a desperate attempt to focus. The pain helped her regain her composure, but the memories of Martin's party still lingered, causing her heart to ache with sorrow.

 She took a deep breath before finally speaking, "I can tell you about them, Suzu. What would you like to know?"

"Could you tell me more about Martin? He was the one who approached me and Bill when we first met. He sounded very polite, and he was good-looking too." Suzuka meant his overall appearance and the gear he was carrying.

"Suzu," Olivia started, her voice filled with sadness and a hint of hesitation. "Martin was a great man. He was brave, and kind, and always had a smile on his face. He was a good leader, Thamos says that Mortin was smarter than him and comes up with some interesting plans. He was always willing to help those in need and had a heart of gold, for better or worse."

Olivia took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before continuing. "He was like a brother to me and I miss him. I'm sure you would have liked him too, Suzu."

Suzuka asked Olivia with curiosity in her voice, "Can you tell me about the old man who was part of Martin's party? What was he like?"

Suzuka listened intently as Olivia described the old man Eugene. "Eugene was a pathfinder, he was a half-dwarf, just like me. He was strong and had a lot of experience. He was a valuable member of Martin's party, always leading the way and finding shortcuts through the rough terrain."

Suzuka nodded, fascinated by the description of Eugene. "What was he like as a person?" she asked.

"Well," Olivia smiled, "Eugene was a bit gruff on the outside, but actually he was a funny guy. He liked to pull pranks on the half-elf, Eloran, he was short and looked like a kid. Eugene used to call him "The Kid". Eugene, had a great sense of humor. He was always telling jokes and making us laugh, even in the toughest of situations."

Suzuka smiled, imagining the old man's jovial personality. "Sounds like he was a wonderful person," she said.

"He was," Olivia said, her voice filled with fond memories. "Eugene was one of the best people I've ever met. I miss him a lot."