Morriphen

[Morriphen]

Wh-who are you, and what are

you looking for? If you're here

for the stuff, then you came

too early. As you can see,

I don't feel well enough to

speak to you right now.

*Cough Cough*

[

Holy--! Are you alright?

Y-you're coughing up blood!

Relax, I was just passing by!

R-really? Well then, I'm

sorry to have bothered you,

then. I guess I'm just a little

jumpy is all. *Cough, cough~*

Hey... You don't sound

too good. Do you want me

to bring you to a hospital?

That's a really nasty cough

you've got there, so maybe

you should get it checked.

No, thanks, I'm fine.

I just haven't gone home

for a few months and wasn't

able to get my prescription

refilled, that's all. *Haaak*

*Cough-cough-cooooooough!*

Hmm...

What should I do?

You know, I'm a little

worried about your coughing,

but I don't think there's any

way that I can help you...

*Cough cough*

Don't worry, I'll be

just fine. You take care

of yourself, you hear?

Hey...

Are you sure that

you'll be alright?

*Haaaak* *Reeetch*

...

......

.........

*Reeeeetch*

*Cooooough Cough*

*Hhhh, Hhhhh, Hhhh*

*Haaaaack* *Retch*

Please, mister.

Let me help you.

I can't just leave

you alone if you

sound like that.

...............................

I didn't, I didn't want to

bother you, b-but if you insist

oh h-helping me, then maybe

I'll ask you to do me a favor.

Would you visit my home in

Hugel and ask my wife, Siria,

for my medication? She knows

where to find it, and will give

it to you. Oh, and please don't

tell her anything else, okay?

She's always worried about

me getting worse, and I don't

want to give her any reason to

get stressed. Please just tell

her that I ran out of medicine.

Alright.

I'll come back here

as soon as I can.

Thanks so much.

Ugh... I don't feel

very well. I guess

I better call it a day...

Please ask my *Cough*

wife Siria in my home in

*Reeetch* Hugel for m-my

medicine. Th-thank you...

*Haaaaack* *Hhh, haaaack*

Oh no... Morriphen

doesn't look good at all!

I better hurry and bring

him medicine from Siria

in Hugel as soon as I can!

him medicine from Dono

You administer the

medicine to Morriphen,

who slowly regains

consciousness.

*Cough, cough*

Wh-where am I?

I'm... not dead yet?

Oh, you! It seems I was

right to trust you. So did my

wife give you my medicine?

Actually, Siria also ran

out of your medicine when

I arrived at your house, so

she told me to go get some

from your friend, Dono.

Oh, no, what have you done?

My wife's life depends on that

medicine too! Oh no, if she

doesn't get any, she'll die

from my stupidity! Please!

I beg you, bring this to her!

That woman is everything

to me. If she's gone, then

I don't know what I'll do.

Please take this medicine

to her as soon as you can!

Don't worry, I'm on my

way. I'll hurry as fast as

I can back to Hugel to

give Siria this medicine.

What am I doing...?

I need to return to

Hugel and deliver this

medicine to Siria as

soon as possible!

You're back! So, have you

seen my wife? She's okay,

isn't she? Why aren't you

saying--oh no. Oh dear God,

no. D-don't tell me she's dead!

She has to be fine...!

If anything happened

to her, I... I won't forgive

you! No one would find your

body! No, wait, wait... No, I'm

sorry, I'm just so anxious...!

*Sob* Please forgive me!

Please tell me my wife is

okay. I'm sorry, everything

is just so overwhelming right

now. *Sob* Please, please...

Siria is fine.

Now are you satisfied?

If you're that worried about

her, you ought to see her

more often. Geez...

Hallelujah! I'm so

relieved! She's alive!

I'm sorry, I'd be home

more often, but I'm always

struggling here to make ends

meet. Thank you so much!

Don't sweat it.

It was just the right

thing to do, that's all.

You're such a kind person...

You save my life and my wife's

life. I'll do anything you ask me to do to repay you! Consider me

your humble servant from now on. What is your command, oh master?

That's...

That's going too far.

Becoming my servant for

life isn't necessary, you know.

Wait, I know! If you won't

accept my life, then I can

give you someone else's. Do

you have any enemies! I'll go

out and kill someone for you!

...That's fine.

Actually, I'm more interested

in hearing how you, Siria, and

Dono are all connected. When

I spoke to Siria, she told me

that you two weren't married...

Siria did mention

that she's greatly

indebted to you for

some reason, and she'll

never be able to fully repay

you, not even with her life.

She said that? *Sigh*

Poor girl, I've asked so

many times not to think

that way. Alright, if that's

what you really want, then

I will tell you our story.

Dono and I have been friends

since childhood. We did almost

everything together. Even when

we started our professional

careers, we both decided to work for the Rekenber Corporation.

Dono eventually became in

charge of Rekenber's Medical

Experimental Research, while

I spearheaded projects for

Rekenber's weapon research.

Although our areas of expertise

are different, Dono and I found

that our collaborations were

productive for both of us. But

then, one day, I dropped by

Dono's office and saw her.

She was floating in a giant

test tube, and I couldn't take

my eyes off her: she was the

most beautiful thing I'd ever

seen. But Dono said she was

nothing but an experiment...

He told me not to be so

curious, but I didn't listen.

Ever since then, I went to his office as often as I could, making

stupid excuses to see her. I just couldn't help it. I was in love.

Then, I heard news that Dono's

research wasn't producing the

expected results, and that he

would be shutting everything

down. All experiments would

be efficiently disposed.

There was a snowstorm

that night, but I braved the

freezing cold to sneak into the

Rekenber Laboratory. I broke her out of her test tube, set the lab

on fire, and got the hell out.

I couldn't know it at the

time, but I was exposed to

some chemicals during the fire.

They damaged my tissues badly,

so that's why I'm so dependent

on these medicines now.

Anyway, we ran from the lab,

escaping to the mountains.

I just carried her on my back,

as far as I could go. Finally,

I couldn't fight the dizziness,

and I suddenly blacked out.

I remember seeing a tall, robed

man right before I fainted. He

said something about bringing

us to Hugel, a resting place

for the lost, those born from Odin's shadow. It was strange...

I couldn't see his face.

His hood was covering it,

but I think his name was, um...

Mawon... Mawong? Anyway, when

we woke up, we were lying in

warm beds inside Hugel Village.

The people we met were very

accomdating, welcome, and

friendly. They also didn't

ask us any questions: we were

just accepted. The girl I saved didn't know how to speak then...

As soon as I got better,

I taught her our language,

and even gave her a name,

Siria. She was no longer an

experiment, but my beloved. Still, we didn't live happily ever after.

I had to make living for the

two of us to survive, so I found work in Einbroch and Lighthalzen.

Eventually, I bumped into Dono

inside a shabby herb shop in Lighthalzen. I felt so ashamed...

I burned up his lab, which

must've hurt his reputation

in the company. Still, when

I told him what happened, he

seemed to understand. He

even started to help me...

You know, Siria was supposed

to become a mass murder weapon.

The reason why Dono's experiment failed was became she resisted

their plans. She's more than just an experiment or weapon, you know.

If everything had turned out

as Dono planned, Siria would

become a soldier, and I would

be supplying her armaments,

cutting edge weapons at the pinnacle of military development.

While I was working for Rekenber, I was working on mass producing

imitations of the legendary sword, ''Executioner.'' They wouldn't be

perfect copies, but imagine what would've happened if I succeeded.

When I think about it, we all

could have been rich. I was in

charge of weapon manufacturing

after all, and our biggest

customer, Arunafeltz, would

have given us good business.

I made my choice, and I have

no regrets. In fact, I wouldn't

change my life or give away

Siria for the world. However,

Dono would probably think

differently: work was his life.

I get the feeling that Dono

would never tell Rekenber about

me and Siria. I can never repay

him for the helping us now, but

I'm sure that he must hate me

deep down inside.

Don't think like that.

I'm sure Dono still thinks

of you as his friend. He's

bitter about what happened,

but he won't abandon you.

Why don't you go see him?

Besides, you have an

excuse to go see him now,

your medicine, right? I'm

sure you can repay him by

visiting him, and living

happily with your Seria.

*Sob* You're right...

I'm so sorry Dono! *Sniff*

Thank you so much. If you

ever visit Hugel again, come

by and see me. You've really

helped me and Seria so much.

Don't worry about it.

Just get better so that

I won't have to worry

about you. Take care~

Oh, long time no see~

Yes, my wife and I can't

possibly be any happier.

We've been taking it easy,

and managed to make full

recoveries. Amazing, isn't it?

Oh, and we finally got

married in a small ceremony

here in Hugel. Why don't you

come visit our house sometime?