The wine swirled in a lazy spiral inside his goblet. The Templar made no motion to drink his beverage, but merely watched it circle around. The last rays of sunset lit up the restaurant's outdoor patio. The casino beckoned a few streets down, its lights starting to flicker on.

In fact, it was a fine twilight in the town of Baccarat. But Angelo paid it no attention. His blue eyes were unfocused with inner thought. He supposed he should get himself a room at the inn, but couldn't dredge up the willpower to do even that. To be blunt, he was at a loss.

Unlike his companions, now safely back to their homes, Angelo didn't have a hometown anymore. Maella Abbey, even without Marcello as captain, was no longer open to him. On a whim, he picked Baccarat, hoping the bright lights and the thrill of gambling would jumpstart his sense of purpose to do something. Anything.

He certainly could have lived anywhere with his friends, but he didn't want to burden them. Especially now.

"He has to hang up his bow?!" Jessica exclaimed at the healer.

"It can't have been that bad, yeah?" Yangus asked uncertainly.

"It is that bad, I'm afraid." Roland, the healer, shook his head sadly. "I seem to always give you bad news, Angelo. I'm just fortunate I got the word from King Trode you were resting up here."

Angelo said nothing, sitting in his sickbed and staring at the pattern of the comforter. What could he possibly say to deny the healer? That no, his body would recover and he'd be allowed to be healer and archer once again? Instead, he let the awful truth sink into his bones.

"His condition is bad enough he can't even be a healer?" Akagi asked quietly.

"Not under the continued strain his body's been through. Angelo, in all honesty, I'm amazed you're still alive after the brutality of some of the fights your friends have described to me. As it is, you've drastically cut down your stamina. Fighting and healing arts are forbidden to you if you want to maintain your health."

"I understand," the Templar replied woodenly.

He understood a lot more than that when the healer elaborated after his friends left. Goddess. What am I supposed to do with myself now? With no home and no purpose? Goddess. What do I do?

Occupied with his wine, it took the man a second or two to sense the featherlight touch of hands on his carrybag. Lightning quick, he snatched the hand of a startled child. "What do you think you're doing?" he snarled. The child, a first impression of tangled hair and dirty skin, trembled in his grip, but made no noise. "I asked you a question," Angelo repeated with soft venom.

"I…I were stealin', my lord," the child, a boy, whimpered.

"And why, pray tell, were you trying to pick my purse?"

"I'm…I'm hungry. I got nofin to eat in forevah," the child said simply, trying to pull up loose raggedy trousers with his rope belt. "Don't…don't hurt me. I'll go."

Angelo's expression of anger melted. "Is this all you have?" the teen asked with concern. "Don't worry, you're safe now." His gloved hand released the boy's thin wrist. "Sit."

"Sit?"

"Yes. Sit on that chair there and I'll order you food." Looking even more uncertain, the child pulled himself onto the café chair and tried not to touch anything. "Do you do this often? Stealing for money?"

"I…Only when I can't steal food."

"Don't you have any parents?" Angelo asked, although he already knew the answer.

"No, sir." The boy cringed at the looks at all the other restaurant goers and at the waiter, who looked none too pleased to serve a dirty little thief. "Is…can I really eat?"

"Go ahead." Angelo glared at everyone around their table, creating a shield of protection with his gaze alone. "What is your name, little one?" "Angelo." "What is your name, child?"

Chomp, chomp, chomp, gulp! "Vin, my lord! Yer right peculiar, feeding someone who tried to lift ya."

"I appear to be in that sort of mood, Vin." Angelo drank deeply from his glass. For some reason, the wine seemed refreshing. Or perhaps because he badly needed it in relief. No scene of ugliness would follow the giving of a name. "Now then, we need to discuss your situation." Half-formed ideas curled in his brain.

"My…what?" Vin asked, half a chicken leg shoved into his mouth.

"Goddess, use silverware, would you? As I was saying, you're a young lad without a home. Given you live in Baccarat, I can take a guess why you're homeless. Was it debt or something along those lines?"

Vin's face fell. "They didn't have no more money for me. And they just left without sayin nofin'."

"Goddess." Like the clarity of a shot arrow, his thoughts focused. "Well, I know exactly how to prevent that from happening again."

"How's that?"

"Young Angelo, I know that you wonder what your purpose is in life. And I know you wonder why your brother torments you. Sometimes the Goddess gives us these trials and we know not why. If we're lucky, we find out while we're living. If not, she'll tell us once we meet her. But what you should always remember is, one day you'll be a man and like your brother, someone will come to you begging your help. Perhaps you can learn from what happened and pick a different course."

"I'm going to have a word with the management of that casino. Then, I'll need your help. I'm sure there are other children without parents, are there not?"

Vin gulped down his water. "Well yeah. But, why do you want to know who they are?"

Angelo grinned. "Well, if I'm going to find homes for them, I need to first find the children, don't I?"

Later on, I heard Angelo had a shouting match with Cash and Karry about what their casino was doing to families. I have no idea what words he used, but they must have been persuasive indeed. He runs an orphanage in Baccarat inside a large house generously donated by the casino. He appears to be turning his charm on the ladies for the sake of finding homes for children. It's not what I would have pictured him doing, but in a way, it makes sense, as his life's been defined by a single moment. It might be his way of finally winning over the memory of his brother.

And as for myself…I'm nervous. I'm going to meet all these people again soon. For you see,

"Akagi, your lady awaits you!" shouted a voice outside his room.

Akagi shuddered and adjusted the tie on his formal wear.

I'm about to be married to my beloved Medea. I just wish I wouldn't have to put up with everyone staring at me! And I hope I don't fumble my vows. Well, here goes nothing…