[One Punch Man] Warped

Chapter 4: Albert

1906 words, 9 minutes

The old man walked towards his home, which was not very far away at all. They just had to cross the vast space that was pathways all the way to a little mountain with natural-looking stone steps that lead up to a humble home with a slanted roof. The exterior was dark mahogany wooden walls and yellow windows. They had yet to see the interior.

"I normally go for short walks in the morning since I lost all my physicality," he explains, regarding his physique by laughing.

Once they reach the top of the steps after having to let the old man catch his breath every once in a while, he opened his door and lets them in. "Come in, come in!" he welcomes, taking off his slippers. Genos and Saitama hesitantly take off their shoes, not wanting to dirty the floor but both agreeing they'll be ready to slip them back on in case any trouble occurs.

"My name is Albert, by the way," he introduces, waving his hand around as he props his cane against the dining table. "No need for formalities. I treat all my guests like they're friends I've known for a very long time," he says, his smile pure and heartwarming.

Genos bows in respect. "Thank you for your hospitality, Albert," he expresses politely. Saitama stares at him and then at Albert. "What he said," he states.

Albert chuckles a bit before saying, "I'm gonna fix you lads a meal while you're here. There are a lot of things I want to know about you two." Upon hearing this, Genos raises his hands and wave them around as if he's saying there's no need. "There's no need for that, Albert—"

"Bah! Youth always thinking an old man can't take care of himself. I've been cooking for 67 years, young man, I know how it works." He didn't sound mean when he said that to Genos, just made it sound like a friendly reminder.

Genos felt stupid, so he relaxed his hands, eyeing Saitama. "Would you at least like any help?" he offered. Albert simply waved his hand dismissively. "What did I just say, boy?" he reminded. Genos decided he better shut up now, but not before expressing his gratitude. "I see. Well, in any case, thank you once again for your hospitality. We really appreciate it."

Albert nodded and walked over to the kitchen. "No worries," he said. "It's been easy learning how to cook without having a wife nagging you around, anyway..."

He disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. Genos heard that, however, so while he and Saitama sat cross-legged before the dining table at floor level, he turned to Saitama and asked, "What's his story?"

"He used to be a trader in his younger days," began Saitama, eyeing where Albert had disappeared to. "In his spare time, though, he was passionate about swordsmanship, so he had his older brother teach him how to fight with a sword in their parents' backyard. His older brother was a high-ranking knight in the kingdom that ruled Rabbi Yen during his time, so he was very skilled. But..."

Now, though, Saitama knew he was reaching a sad part of the story. His expression looked weary, tired. Genos looked concerned. "But...?" he prodded.

Since this cyborg wanted to know so bad, Saitama finished his sentence. "His brother died in a war, and Albert was left with no one to teach him ways to defend himself. Eventually, both his parents became sick because of a mysterious illness and died after 10 days. He was only 15, too, so he became orphaned... he didn't have his parents to teach him about women, so he didn't marry." Saitama leaned his head to the side, staring at the table. "He feels lonely without a wife."