Suspicious quests (6) - Risks and rewards

The knife's edge glimmered in the half-dim interior of Chris's cell. Travis slowly moved the weapon, looking into the cuffed man's eyes. Instantly, he could see wariness well up within the brown orbs. However, as the sitting man realized the situation, his attitude became more relaxed.

"So what? A knife," Chris spat out. "Is that all you got? All I have to do is scream."

"But will you?" the golden-eyed man asked. "That wouldn't feel good, would it? After all you achieved, resorting to screaming sounds pathetic, no?"

"Hah. What would a vermin like you know? You want to brag that you know about Icla?" Chris made an expression giving off an aura of cockiness. "Or how you think you outsmarted me by having someone steal Box of Rehearsal from that half-breed? Is that it?"

'Getting him to talk will be challenging... hence I don't have to pull anything out.' Travis thought. The quest required him to be here and ask questions. Whether or not Chris would answer with the truth was a separate matter. 'But... I do want to know.' his hand twitched as he raised it lightly. The silvery blade gleamed for a brief instant.

'<Hypnosis>.'

The command left his mind the moment the blade began striking a clean, slow arc in the air. Noticing Chris's brown eyes following the blade with a lack of interest, Travis suddenly poised it at his nose, stopping mere centimeters from the skin. In an instant, he also used a <Suggestion>.

<What is this bastard doing? Does he actually want to kill me?!>

The spell sunk in quickly, and as Travis resumed his movements, he felt a glint of inner glee, seeing that the prisoner started following his movements far more eagerly.

*Ting!*

[Skill 'Hypnosis' leveled up!]

Travis let a smirk don his features at the notification. Immediately after that, he stopped his movements.

"Chris," the Apostle said in a stern tone.

"...?" the guard raised an eyebrow.

"You are a prisoner. And right now, you are at my mercy."

"...no," Chris grimaced lightly; one of his eyes half-closed for a brief moment.

'...he resists even though his WP is less than a hundred...' Travis huffed lightly before saying, "Yes, you are. You cannot do anything. You are bound and helpless. Nobody will help you now. So if you don't want to be hurt, you will be honest," a bit of power sept from the golden-eyed man's final word as he launched a quick <Suggestion> that connected nearly instantly.

<I don't want to die. I best be honest.>

"I... I'm..."

"Say it."

"...I'm... I'm a seed of truth. I feel no fear," Chris suddenly replied. However, Travis instantly noticed something bizarre about his speech.

'His voice didn't shake, and it appeared to be a mechanical action...' he raised an eyebrow. '...why?' a ponder entered his mind.

"A seed of truth? What is that?"

"..."

"Answer me," Travis said, gripping the dagger with a bit more ****.

...but Chris remained silent.

A long beat of dullness was being stretched as the Apostle closed his eyes.

Could it be a difference in levels? That thought nested itself in Travis's mind for a moment. The same thing happened when he hypnotized Isolde - she resisted. However, that wasn't the case with Leaf - not that much, at least... perhaps the elf woman reacted differently because of her mentality straying from common sense? This couldn't be thrown out, either. In the first place, Travis hadn't used <Hypnosis> on enough people to infer much.

Deciding to cut his wondering short, Travis said, "Chris. Listen to me. Feel my voice. It's just you and me here."

"It is," Chris's blank eyes appeared to have a faint flicker within.

"But you are bound, and I am not. I have power over you."

"..."

"I have power over you. Say it."

"...you... don't have... anything," a surprising response came from the sitting man's mouth. For the first time since he was put under, the tone of his voice appeared to bear some sentiment to it. And the emotion in question was... contempt.

"...I have power over you."

"No..."

"Say it. I. Have. Power. Over. You," Travis repeated through his teeth, his voice imbued with a hearable amount of frustration. "Say. IT."

"...I'm... a seed of truth... I will not bend."

'Something's off... not even Isolde resisted this much... could it be because she didn't feel threatened? But... no, Leaf was afraid of me bending her to my will, and she hadn't resisted much. Especially given that her level and WP were way ahead of mine back then. There's something about Chris... perhaps his anger at me? This is tricky...'

Travis let out a prolonged sigh, doing his best to measure the time that had passed. 'I don't have much time left, either. Clint can only divert Enforcer's attention for so long...' a poignant thought appeared, and the man clicked his tongue.

"You are alone, Chris. You have **** but to bend as I command you to," Travis instantly fired two <Suggestions> at the man's mind.

<I'm powerless.>

<I should listen to him.>

This time, again, they sunk in nearly instantly. Chris's face contorted slightly as he gritted his teeth, "I... am--"

"You are a prisoner. Say it."

"--a seed--"

"A prisoner!"

"--of truth!" the man's brown eyes appeared to suddenly flicker, but the image quickly died off.

A moment of silence was beset between the two. Travis got a hand to the bridge of his nose as he exhaled, recoiling back and turning on his heels. The initial approach was not going to work. This was... something new, and definitely frustrating. A long huff was released by the Apostle as he backed off a little more, taking a brief instant to gather his thoughts.

The entire line of quests he's received since yesterday was bizarre. No rewards, **** penalties, and somewhat easy base conditions. What was the meaning of that...? He put a hand on his chin. After thinking for a long while, Travis suddenly was struck by a feeling of epiphany.

'These quests... now I understand. It's not about the base conditions. It's the optional ones that matter. They're all about 'risk and reward'. Every time, the stake is higher.'

The first of the quests - the one he got during Violet's interrogation - had an optional condition stating that Aria should not learn that the black-haired woman had a companion at all. The risk was that Travis had to maneuver the talk and use his skills in a way that would shift Violet's words without having either Aria or Audrey notice. It was a test of his ability to transfer information non-verbally.

The second one wanted him to present Aria in a good light when talking about the Penalty Zone the two of them entered. The risk was that Captain Nimmel had him under supervision by the use of her skill. He had to be careful of his words while relaying what he truly felt and had to ensure that anything like RALS or Redion's presence would not be even hinted at. It was a test of his own ability to skim over information while speaking the truth.

The third one demanded Travis to win the fight with Chris and make sure that Aria got to know his true intentions. The risk revolved around convincing a person with whom he had shared some history, and it was a test of his ability to make the most of a bad situation (hence two optional conditions).

The fourth quest's optional condition stated that he was to keep up a facade of a 'tough' person in front of Nimmel - it told him to drive her into a corner. The risk was that he did not know much about her, aside from his own observations and a few words from Aria. Should he have failed, she might've apprehended him under the guise of interrupting an investigation (and that almost happened, even). It was a test of his ability to maneuver in an unknown field.

And now, this one. Pulling vital information from Chris was simply an option - the interrogation was already happening, and didn't have to yield any big effects.

'The risk is that I don't know who his backer is. I can only assume they have some influence, given how free to act Chris was. However, I don't know their motives.'

...

'Then... this is a test of my ability to make a decision without knowing the whole situation. It's similar to what was before with Nimmel, but this time, I can't shuffle my way through with mental magic. I could've manipulated her, but Chris's backer is unreachable. In the long run, I don't know who I'm dealing with.' he conceded.

[Rulebreaker claps in approval at your deduction.]

'And given their reaction, it's likely that I'm at least partially right. This means... trying to complete it will probably make me a new enemy. What should I do...?' a pondering thought appeared, bringing unease into his mind. Was it not for the time limit he had, he'd decide to weigh his options carefully, but right now, he needed to make a decision, quickly.

'I already have Chris as an enemy. I don't think it'll matter in the long run if I make his backer my opponent as well. Some time will pass before they learn of my involvement. Before that happens, I'll be stronger.' he finally decided, nodding to himself.

"What... happened...?" Chris glanced around in confusion, Travis's spell losing its effect. Moving his head, he felt the saliva in his mouth. "What did you do?" he raised an eyebrow, his brown eyes glimmering with a glint of reserve. Unlike his relaxed demeanor before, Chris now appeared... tense.

'...tense?' Travis scanned over the man's condition. There was no doubt a feeling of unease radiating from the brown-eyed man as he looked around, seemingly unsure of what just happened. 'Orb of Truth is useless on him.' Clint's words bounced in Travis's mind briefly... before a thought erected. '...meaning that if he knows something he shouldn't, nobody will believe him.' a small smirk appeared on his face.

"What're you smiling at?" Chris spat forward. "You came in here, flashed a dagger, and now you're doing nothing?"

"Why would I need to do anything? I've already done what I was told to."

"What... did you say?"

"I know the truth, Chris. I know you have a backer."

"...haha. What bullshit are you spouting now?" the tall man appeared to regain much of his composure in an instant as an expression of laughter graced his wide face. "A backer? I must've hit you too hard."

Travis sighed in response, "You don't need to pretend. I know why you were sent away from Icla. You were re-stationed to Tullia to watch Brinns."

In response, Chris appeared to only chuckle again. However, within his brown-colored orbs, Travis noticed a glint of uncertainty that told him one thing: he hit a sensitive spot. Quite precisely, at it.

"It's alright to admit it," the Apostle spoke in a calm tone, almost as though trying to reassure Chris. "We both do and have things we don't publicly announce."

"...?"

"Didn't you find it weird that I was able to go toe-to-toe with you when I was only level 1 last month? Or how I could use magic while taking on your punches one after another? No Mage-type class can do that, right?"

"...what do you mean?" the sitting man wasn't sure why, but he felt a strange sense of unease stir at the bottom of his skull. His heartbeat was slowly accelerating, a great sense of pressure emanating from the interrogator. An eerie thought appeared in his mind. 'This guy... he's right.'

"What else? I also have a backer," Travis's smirk widened. 'It's not like it's untrue, really. If I shake him enough, he'll answer what I need. It's a rash method, but its effectiveness justifies that. And who knows, if I play it right, maybe I'll ward his supporter off for the time being.'

"...you... ah, haha...!" Chris erupted with laughter. "Do you? And let me guess, you have another Box of Rehearsal on you?"

"Fine, don't believe me," Travis shrugged, slowly stepping closer. "seed of truth," a predator-like smile appeared on his mouth as he sent several <Suggestions> at Chris's mind. All of them were filled with a single, panicked realization.

<He knows!>

"??!" Chris's eyes diluted with stupefaction as he forgot to breathe. "...w-what?" his voice shook as he closed his eyes for a moment. "Y-You--"

"Enough," Travis placed a hand on the man's arm and squeezed with some strength. "Drop the pretense. This is just a talk between us two. Your backer against mine. No Nimmel, no Aria, no authorities. Let's talk like we should."

"...fuck you. Like I'd want to talk with your kind," Chris spat at Travis. "So what? Kill me if you want. You're not going to stop us."

"Hmm... maybe I will," Travis summoned a couple <Mana Bolts> to his hand. Their blue glow reflected on the dagger's surface, casting a faint reflection on the walls. "I wonder how your higher-ups will react?"

No answer came, but given Chris's tensed-up reaction, Travis knew that he achieved his goal, at least as much of it as he could. Without wasting a moment, he made a gentle sway with the dagger whilst casting a second <Hypnosis>.

"Chris."

"..."

"You want to live, don't you?"

"..."

"Tell me. Do you want to live?" Travis asked, his golden eyes scanning over the man before him. 'Fear tears away at reason and buries intellect. Shaking him like that should be sufficient to break through.'

"...I am... a seed of truth. I will die for the truth."

"...tsk," 'This is still not enough...?' Travis grimaced. 'That's just impossible. No, there must be something I'm missing here... but I don't have the time to ponder.' "Chris. Truth is the reason you strife forward, no?"

"...yes."

"You will live and die for the truth, correct?"

"Yes," came an instant reply.

"You want to share the truth with others, don't you?"

"...yes."

"Then, tell me the truth. Who is your backer?"

"No," Chris replied, his emotionless voice suddenly gaining a bit of grit to it. "You're not worthy."

'Not worthy... the hell?' "Why am I not worthy?" Travis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"..."

"...Answer."

"You... you're not..."

"I'm not what? Finish your thought."

"You're not... a Truthseeker," surprising words left Chris's mouth.

'A Truthseeker...?' "Who is a 'Truthseeker'?"

"...!" the guard's brown eyes suddenly gained a lot of liveness to them as they shot around. His breathing became ragged as though he just felt something stab him. In fact, the way his face contorted suggested that he indeed did feel pain from a stab. "Shit... what did you do?" he raised his voice a little. "Argh...!" he twisted his body a little, feeling a visible amount of discomfort. As a few seconds passed, he appeared to calm down.

'...he broke free of the spell?' Travis felt something prod at the base of his skull. He wasn't sure why, but he felt... endangered. Looking around, he could see not a single indication of anyone's presence. The slightly moist interior of the cell was just as dim and unwelcoming as before, but the two of them were the only ones present... were they not?

Travis shook his head as he saw that Chris was looking around with a look full of confusion. 'I shouldn't stay any longer.' he decided, waving the dagger in front of the man again and casting one last <Hypnosis>. 'This will buy me a few minutes of silence.'

Suddenly, as he turned around, a message appeared in front of his nose.

[Quest 'To battle with authorities (5)' is finished.]

Travis huffed heavily as he felt his steps becoming lightweight, at least for a moment. He went to the door and exited the cell. Locking it behind himself, he looked down the corridor and saw that there was nobody nearby. The narrow place was illuminated by multiple torches which made the place appear even more claustrophobic.

'Seems like Clint was successful in dragging the Enforcer's attention.' he thought as he approached the end of the corridor. When met with the diverging road leading either up or down, Travis descended, soon reaching a small place that could be seen as a small 'treasury': a room filled to the brim with confiscated goods. Those ranged anywhere from tools and weapons to pouches of gold (likely impure or otherwise falsified, given that they still were around), a drawer full of counterfeit MIDs, fake geodes, hundreds of documents with illegitimate signatures of authority figures... and so, so many more, sprawled across the room in a semi-disarray.

Dozens of leather-bound manuscripts could be found, their titles glistening in the light of a dozen <Mana Bolts> he summoned to his hand. On the low walls, dozens of canvases were hanging, nearly all of them depicting some maps - likely taken from libraries years ago, be it due to the expiration of the conflict between Forna and Akni more than 50 years ago or perhaps because of sensitive information scribbled somewhere on them. Who knew, who cared.

Travis's interest lay in none of the items. Instead, his steps took him between the myriad of clutter, weaving his way in with carefully placed steps. After reaching the wall on the far edge, his hand immediately went to push on the canvas. Meeting a wooden board underneath, the Apostle reached around and tilted it slightly, exposing a small hole in the wall. It was scarcely large enough for a person to crawl through, but there was no mistake; this was his way out.

Dropping to the ground, the golden-eyed man began moving into the space behind the wall. After crawling for about a meter, he found himself in a slightly smaller, tunnel-like space. A sigh escaped his mouth as he got up and began wandering, retracing the way he had taken to get here.

'Who would've thought that the old system of evacuation for Silvana's lord would be re-purposed in such a way.' a thought appeared in Travis's as he lit up the way forth. This was one of the things that Clint had told him about when he met up with him roughly an hour before. These tunnels were more than 300 years old. Their initial purpose was a safe way to get out of Silvana in case of a siege. Of course, this way was to only be used by the lord of the city. However, somewhere along the way, the secret of these tunnels slipped into obscurity. No plans were made of this place in the first place, and it wasn't until Chris came around that these were re-found. After that, some new branches were made, indicated by the faint scratches on the ancient stone walls, which served as markers for the diverging paths within the network. A glint of amazement appeared in his mind, followed by a quiet realization.

'Chris obviously didn't find those. It was his backer. This means that they have the city under supervision. Perhaps they are related to the lord... Icla, Silvana, perhaps even Tullia... where else does his backer reach? Chris said something about 'Truthseeker' and 'seed of truth'... this must have something to do with them.' a ponder appeared in his mind for the briefest of blinks.

Surprisingly, despite Clint saying that Enforcers were informed of this place's existence, not a single metal-clad soldier could be seen at any point in time. Moreover, they didn't set up any traps or block off any entrances. This filled Travis with suspicion, but he soon discarded the thought. 'There couldn't have been that many of them that arrived. This probably is why Clint was allowed to still go around on duty. They really don't have enough men to handle this situation.' he sighed, making his way through the narrow passages quietly.

-About 30 minutes later-

"You done?" Clint asked, leaning on a wall by the southern gate.

"A-Almost," a young man answered as he finished checking his pockets, and came out empty-handed.

"...*Sigh* Listen, kid, I'm not going to let you in without a MID - that's the rule. Lost it or left it back home - just turn around and leave."

"...c-can I ask to be taken to an office to make a new one?"

"The office's closed," came a blunt reply. "For at least a few days. You best go to Westan if you need a new one."

"..."

"Scram!" the black-haired guard raised his voice a little, getting a hand on the pommel of his sword. His agitated expression betrayed just how annoyed he was at the ordeal.

Visibly taken aback, the young man almost stumbled backward before leaving at a fast pace. Seeing that nobody else appeared nearby, Clint let out a frustrated huff.

Suddenly, he heard Travis's voice come from behind him, "A hard day?"

"...should you be the one asking?" Clint asked with a slightly snarky tone, turning around to face the Apostle. "Gods, I really thought Enforcers would handle this situation better on their own. But instead no, those of us who were tested by Nimmel and Orb of Truth to be against Chris went back to work. For fuck's sake, I didn't even sleep today."

"...yeah, must be tough," he replied, but a faint glint of sarcasm could be heard.

"Anyway, how's your situation?"

"Not much better."

"Why did you want to get to him, anyway?" Clint shrugged whilst asking. "I mean, I trust that despite everything, you didn't go to kill him (not that it would be much of a loss)?" he raised an eyebrow. "That'd create a ton of shit for you."

"No. I just had a few questions for him."

"Pfft. And what? You thought he'd just answer you? Maybe if you were a Psion," the man huffed lightly before rummaging in his pocket, bringing out a small smoking pipe. Quickly shuffling his hand in another, he brought out a small bag of tobacco that he put in the pipe. "Wait, are you a Psion?" he turned around, his brown eyes emanating a glint of suspicion.

"Repeat that, very slowly," the golden-eyed man rolled his eyes.

"...right. Anyway, what IS your class?" the black-haired man asked, pulling out a box of matches and lighting the tobacco. "I mean, you can use magic, but you're not a half-bad fighter in melee. And you apparently were a level 1 Classless last month? You have got to be some rare class. I was thinking maybe something like 'Battle Mage'."

"...pfft. Sure, a 1st advancement class in a month. Get real."

"Hey, excuse me, but I've been awake for the last 36 hours. My brain feels like it's about to explode. You're telling me your girlfriend went on like this for a month? Gods, that must've been miserable," Clint took a long breath in through his pipe, expunging the smoke in controlled bursts. "Want a blow?"

"...girlfriend?" Travis raised an eyebrow slightly whilst shaking his head.

"Well, you know, Inspector Brinn? Aren't you two dating? She was kind of head over heels for you for a whole month."

"She was just trying to amend my apprehension," he shook his head.

"Going around to solve a mystery of your MID, questioning your teachers, she even stayed overtime to look through documents, I hear. Does that sound like something she'd do to 'amend'?" Clint raised an eyebrow, his brown eyes scanning Travis's expression for a moment.

'...she really did all that?' he felt a faint sensation of pain sting him in his heart. Despite her state, Aria was concerned about him to that extent... the thought made him feel even worse than before.

"Anyway, what are you going to do now?"

"...I'm leaving. Once I get my things, I'll set off... somewhere," Travis answered, looking in the distance. "I'd rather not bother anyone with my presence."

"Huh. I guess we think alike."

"What?" the Apostle stared at his old comrade with a perplexed expression. "You're also leaving?"

"Sure am. I knew working in the military wouldn't be pretty when I joined the camp, but I never expected our system to be as shitty as it is. This situation won't let Nimmel keep me here, so I'll take the chance. I'd rather just be some farmer or whatever. I was even thinking about reaching out to the guys from our unit."

"Do you even know where they are stationed?"

"...I think Alkran was sent to the north-western border. The city was called Trimis? Apparently, it's looking straight into Chis Empire. Sounds like a good place to start," the guard shrugged. "Maybe I'll be able to get away to Chis entirely," he let out a short chuckle.

"Hmm... alright, then. I think it's time for me to go."

"Hah. Let's meet one day," Clint's face became graced with a genuine smile. "Firecracker."

"Sure thing, Troublemaker," Travis replied in kind before turning back on his heels and venturing back into Silvana.

'Now, it's only today's Daily Quest, and finishing the matter with Nimmel... thankfully, the 3rd condition today is all about using my skills. Easy enough.'

-Around 19:00-

His steps felt heavier with every passing moment. Looking at the building within which Aria's flat was situated, Travis couldn't help but feel an eerie feeling of guilt travel up his esophagus and stand in his throat. The window that he could see had a light turned on, indicating that the white-haired Mage was home, and at least somewhat functioning. Looking left and right, the man could see a few people in the distance, but out of all of them, he failed to notice the dark-skinned half-elf. However, a quest he received roughly 15 minutes ago served as a pointer that she was waiting for him.

[Quest: To battle with authorities! (6)]

[The situation is at its final stage. The corrupted guards are sure to be weeded out, from Silvana at least. The uncertainty of the past events is starting to conclude into a clear outcome. With this comes your final hurdle.

Objective: Meet Rebecca in Aria's flat.

Time remaining: 00:13:26

Optional: Inform Rebecca of your suspicions of Chris.

Failure penalty: ****

Rejection penalty: ****]

The tense feeling of unease stirred violently in Travis's stomach when he read through it. It was... so simple, yet... so unbearably difficult. A test of his ability to make decisions with lasting effects. Should he keep quiet, nobody would learn of Chris's backer. The risk was that should he speak up, he might end up endangering multiple lives.

He **** himself to place a hand on the handle and began his ascent up the stairs. Soon reaching the designated floor and door, he raised his hand and knocked a few times. Hearing some steps from inside come, he took a long step backward. The door came ajar before stopping, held by a chain.

Aria's faintly red face came into view through the chink, her green eye glittering with suspicion and wariness. Although not a word was spoken, the Apostle could easily imagine what she wanted to say.

"Captain Nimmel told me to be here," he spoke slowly, every word placing a crushing weight on his shoulders.

Aria glanced away for a moment. Travis noticed that her left hand, placed against the door's frame, was covered in bite marks, some even reaching blood.

"Please. I'll go away when it's over, I promise."

Aria closed her eyes, her face contorting in what could only be described as a mixture of just barely hinged anger and resentment. She took in a deep breath before unlocking the door and opening it in full. Without a single word, she only looked at him with a stare that appeared to try and eradicate him.

Stepping inside, Travis did his best to not gaze back at the white-haired woman lest she took it as a provocation. Carefully, he took his steps into the bedroom, only to see Captain Nimmel sitting on the bedside, his backpack by her leg and a pouch in her hand, no doubt filled with money. Noticing his arrival, she fixed the gaze of her silver eyes on him and stood up.

"I think I have advised against leaving this place, Mister Salliv. You made me wait almost 20 minutes," her tone appeared far more lively than earlier today, but there was still some underlying tiredness remaining. "I was starting to think you didn't want to complete this deal."

"...I apologize, Captain Nimmel," he replied slowly before coming to a stop.

Tension appeared to rise in the air like static electricity. Rebecca quickly put a stop to this, "As promised, I have the payment for your missing items," Nimmel held the pouch of money out for the man to grab. "Now, before we part ways, I'd like to hear how your conflict with Mister Innel began yesterday."

Travis glanced to his right for a moment, seeing that Aria was standing motionlessly by the arch leading into the room, listening closely. Though he couldn't see her face, he could imagine what her expression looked like.

His lips parted as he began relaying what had happened.

-A few minutes later-

"That's all," he finished his explanation, his gaze aimed at Rebecca. Likewise, her silver eyes were constantly looking into his golden orbs, and her usage of the truth-checking skill was barely stopped, as prompted by notifications that kept on appearing during the process.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Captain," he replied, his posture unchanging.

"...I see. Then, I believe this is all. As I said, four items could not be found, which are the amethyst, two runestones, and one of your daggers. Compensation is, as agreed, 30 gold pieces per missing item. You can inform me of any discrepancy tomorrow. Is there anything you'd like to add to our talk?" Rebecca asked, but her posture, tone, and expression heavily suggested that she was against the idea.

However, Travis did have something in mind at her words, "There's one thing," he said, making his way past the half-elf. Quickly rummaging through his backpack, he pulled out... an arrow?

"...Mister Salliv, what does an arrow have to do with this situation?"

"Captain Nimmel... you might not know, but I've been traveling throughout the past month," he replied, his gaze ascending to meet the dark elf's. "One of the places I went to was Icla, where Chris used to serve. It did happen that I was attacked by the guards there - probably because the higher-ups were called to the capital, as I've learned - and this is an arrow that they used."

"...I'm... not following?" Rebecca's expression turned to a mix of pondering and surprise.

"I used to be a Fletcher, and I can with certainty say that this arrow is not a typical one. It's much better than what a normal ranger-type class would use. First of all, it's rather flexible and doesn't break too easily. Secondly, it is rather powerful for a consumable."

"Mister Salliv, what is your point? Even if that is true, what is it that you're trying to say?" the tall elf woman cut in his speech.

"We all know that Chris was demoted from Icla, and then sent to Tullia. I don't believe that. I think there is someone behind him, pulling the strings. That backer - for the lack of a better word - likely supplied the guards with equipment."

"...so, you're saying that this... 'backer' was behind this all?"

"I only have my suspicions, Captain, but that is what I believe," Travis nodded. "Nobody would put this much effort into a consumable item unless they had resources and reason to."

Rebecca exhaled heavily. "I see," she said. "Although I can't promise I'll look into this immediately, I will keep this in mind. May I ask for that arrow?"

Travis handed over the item. As the dark-skinned woman got hold of it, she weighed it in her hand. It was... just an arrow to her. Nothing outstanding about it. However, she didn't let her pondering last too long.

"Anything else?" she asked, once again gazing at the man.

"No, Captain Nimmel," Travis shook his head lightly. "Thank you for your time."

"...goodbye, Mister Salliv. Try to not stir any more trouble," she gave him a warning before turning around. After exchanging a gaze with Aria, Rebecca left the flat.

Travis turned his gaze away from the small Mage, glancing at Thunder Blade in its sheath, lying on the bed.

Aria also stayed silent. A tense air of electrifying uncertainty hung between the two.

"...I'll be going as well," he said as a notification appeared in his field of view, informing him of the quest being finished.

Grabbing the pouch of money, he threw it into the bag whilst discarding the blue panel. After that, he tied the knot tightly and put it over his shoulder. Clutching Thunder Blade, Travis turned his gaze to the ground, intent on leaving the place as quickly as he could. Right now, he knew that Aria needed time to process everything that'd happened in the past few days.

However...

As he passed by the white-haired woman, she suddenly got a hold of his elbow. Her hand clasped around his skin like a vice, prompting him to stop. Looking at her, Travis noticed that the stare of her emerald eyes was not aimed at him in the slightest.

"...I'm not done with you," she finally spoke, her voice coarse and heavy. She pulled at him which **** him to step back. "Sit," she commanded, immediately turning around to lock the exit door from the flat.

...

Travis obediently returned, putting his items by the bed. Beats of his heart reverberated through his skull like a war drum. His palms became slightly sweaty as he did his best to not let his breathing become ragged. A ponder of what Aria wanted of him nested itself in his head for a long moment before it was swept away by a new notification that appeared in front of his nose.

[The linked quest 'To battle with authorities' has been completed.]

[Delivering quest rewards...]

[...]

[...!]

[Certain rewards are insufficient compared to what you attained on your own. A re-calculation is required.]

"Travis," Aria's voice broke him out of his trance. "Look at me."

He slowly raised his gaze until he met her green eyes. He could easily see the immense anger that shifted in her soul. A slight shudder went through his body in reaction. Aria emanated a truly threatening aura despite her small posture.

"...hold this," she continued her thought slowly, her hand going for the Orb of Truth. Without even stepping closer, she threw the artifact to him. Then, she sat down in the armchair.

A long, tense moment of silence was being drawn between the two of them. The faint smell of flowers hung in the air, sweet as he remembered. The flow of time could only be measured in the long, tense breaths that he was taking as he did his best to remain at least a little calm.

The lights from the lamps were casting shadows on the walls, creating a spectacle she'd seen countless times already. She felt her heart beating with uncertainty. A storm of emotion was swirling in her body and mind. The passage of time appeared to slow to a crawl as she raised a hand, slowly getting some hair out of her face. Eventually, she sighed loudly.

"Tell me," she began. "The things you said... god Redion, RALS, the quests... are they actually real?" a question left her mouth, carrying an edge of unknown hope. Hope that perhaps, just maybe, this man was... joking, even if it were a cruel prank. She'd honestly take even that over them being true.

"...yes," he answered with a heavy heart, and the orb glistened with white light.

"...a-and the 'Penalty Zone'? That hell?" she asked, putting significant emphasis on the final word.

"It's all real."

Aria felt her heart skip a beat at the artifact's white glow. Her thin lips trembled and whatever was left of color left her face. Yet, she **** herself to ask another question, "So... you came back with me b-because of a quest?"

"Yes."

Aria stood up suddenly. Ignoring the feeling of lightheadedness, she growled lowly, "A-And what you said to Nimmel? Did you mean any of that?"

"...every last word," he replied quietly, and the Orb of Truth glistened with white light yet again.

"...!?" Aria felt a strange sense of warmth appear somewhere in her chest at the sight. It sent a conflicting message to her brain. "I-- I don't... I don't get it. Everything you've been doing was... a quest? Your apprehension? M-Meeting me? Sending me to that hell? M-- M-My state afterward? It was really nothing but a 'quest' for you?!" new tears emerged, drawing searingly hot streaks down her cheeks.

"None of that happened because of a quest. You were swept up in my punishment," he replied, and irritatingly for the woman, his tone was hardly shaking despite what he was saying. "And I really am sorry, Aria, that you got caught up in this," he looked at her, his gaze emanating deep regret.

"Sorry?!" she suddenly erupted, stomping on the ground. "You-- I almost died because of you! I've been suffering for a month because of what happened! My-- My life is ruined! All of that and the best you can do is 'sorry'?!" she walked up to him and aimed a strong kick at his legs.

Travis looked away slightly in response, not putting up any guard.

Seeing his reaction, Aria felt her heart tremble. The confusion she felt was overwhelming. She didn't want to accept what he said. Ever since she heard Travis explain his class and the nature of what's happened, she wanted to reject it. She didn't want to believe a single word he'd spoken. In the first place, did any of that make sense? Being chosen by a god? Gods interfering in Casali? Apostle's Competition?

No. None of it did.

In all honesty, the white-haired woman was more than ready to accept any other version of the events. A hallucination, an illusion, a Psion's manipulation, even - just anything that would've made the sitting man not as guilty as he was. But... she could only clench her fists as her breathing slowly stabilized.

"I..." Aria started speaking, but her lips closed as she felt new tears form in the rims of her eyes. "Why... why did you tell me all that? You could've just told me that I'm overthinking and left. Yet, you... just why?" salty drops rolled down her cheeks as her green eyes stared at him.

"...because you deserved to know," he replied slowly.

"Deserved to know...?" her voice trembled as she repeated his words. "A-And what did you expect my reaction to be? Did you think that I'd be glad? Or did you think that I'll join your 'team'?"

"Aria, I know you're angry, but--"

"Travis," she cut him off, her tone sharpening once again. "I'm not angry. I'm fucking furious."

"...I know. And I deserve it. But I swear on my life that I didn't want to drag you into this. No matter how much I regret what has happened, I can't undo it."

Aria's green eyes darted to the side, uncertainty mixing with her animosity. It was clear as day that she was struggling to find any words to express her thoughts.

Travis glanced momentarily to his side. 'This conversation won't go anywhere.' he conceded. 'She needs to take it all in.'

However, he opted against speaking up, at least at the moment. He'd rather she decided to finish the conversation on her own.

Eventually, Aria broke the silence, "...you manipulated me, didn't you?"

"What?" he raised an eyebrow, his heart skipping a beat.

Aria's gaze focused on him, a pure glare in it. "That's your attribute, isn't it? Tricks and Manipulation. Look at me, Travis. Look at me and tell me you haven't used it on me," her fists clenched as though she was about to aim a blow.

Travis stared at her for a short moment before averting his gaze sheepishly, a palpable amount of regret stirring within. There was no need for words.

A weak chuckle of despair left Aria's mouth before she asked, "...How-- H-How am I even supposed to take it, Travis?" she asked, her voice slowly rising with every next word. "I-- How much of what've been thinking this past month are my own thoughts? What I'm feeling - how much of that is what 'I' am feeling, and how much is your work?!" she growled at him. "ANSWER ME!" she got a hold of his collar with ****. Surprisingly, the man did not fight her power at all.

"...Aria... I only wanted to survive that hell. I... I didn't do anything beyond that," he replied, hardly able to even look at her. The Orb of Truth in his hands glowed with white color once again.

"..."

"I wanted both of us to live. I nudged you to cooperate with me back then. When I came back... I don't know if this counts as changing how you think, but... I wanted to let you sleep peacefully, so I instilled a bit of bravery in you. But I never wanted to control you."

The white-haired woman's hands trembled, losing their hold of his tunic and letting her head down. Yet, she didn't increase the distance between her and the man. For a few incessant seconds, neither of the two spoke a word as she digested what she'd heard. Eventually, she let out a whisper, "Then just do it."

"...what?"

"Strip me of my personality. Make me your ally, or a sex ****, whatever gets Psions like you off," she said through her teeth, looking at the orb the man held. "You already ruined my life. I have nothing to lose anymore."

"...you got it wrong, Aria."

"...what?"

"I didn't tell you because I want you on my team. I revealed the truth because I don't want you to live in fear."

"..."

"And I won't control you. No matter my class, I won't lower myself to that level. I only want to keep you safe," the words left his mouth, accompanied by a flash of white light; at this moment, he was speaking the most earnest truth he could.

Aria's body trembled. She took a tiny step back. Her heart beat strongly, heavy with pain and... strange relief. It was as though this knowledge, while forbidden and hurtful, brought her long-sought release. A heavy bead of a tear rolled down her cheek and dropped off her chin, splashing on her foot.

"...I hate you. I hate you. I hateyou. IhateyouIhateyou..." Aria's voice trailed off into a weeping as she hugged Travis. The Orb of Truth was squished between the two of them, glowing red with every word she spoke, but neither of them cared enough to notice.

Travis didn't reply to her words, instead slowly raising his hand to caress her back, covered in the blue shirt. He felt her tense muscles, small and fragile, move slightly under his fingers. Shivering at the contact, her sobbing erupted into loud crying as she put all her strength into her hold.

Was it that she wanted to trust him? Or because she didn't know what to think anymore? Aria wasn't sure. Whether her feelings were true or just a fabrication, she didn't want to lose them. For the first time in a long while, she felt... warm. Did she hate him? This also stood under a question mark...

No, it didn't. A realization hit her after a long while, making her heart skip several beats. She quieted down. Warmth was spreading throughout her body at a rapid pace, giving her relief, and offering her hope. It didn't matter anymore if the man was a Psion, an Apostle, or a Classless. Right now, she only cared about 'Travis'.

She made a bit of distance, sniffing loudly.

"T-Travis," she spoke, bringing a hand to his cheek.

"...?" he flinched at the contact, his golden eyes meeting her gaze

"...I... *Sniff* I really want this to just be... another nightmare. I can't imagine waking up in the morning with... this knowledge."

He didn't reply, but his stare appeared slightly softer than before.

"But..." Aria continued her thought, closing her eyes. "If I'm going to regret all this, I want to *Sniff!* regret it all the way."

"...what?"

"Hush," she replied, placing a finger on his lips. "Just shut up. Don't get distracted. I don't care who reaches out to you. God Redion, RALS, the end of the world - I don't want your attention anywhere else except on me."

The already hasty beat of her heart was accelerating way beyond as she felt the man's warmth spread through their contact. The white-haired Mage felt her body buckle with nervousness and need she'd been suppressing.