Suspicious quests (3) - Throwing a challenge

-21st day of AC, 21.04.1052-

-Time: 14:10-

-Location: Silvana-

A long second or two passed.

The tall guard was holding Travis at the very edge of the metal pole in his hand, his expression bearing signs of both agitation and scorn. With a strong, stern posture, Chris eyed the man's reactions.

Travis felt his heart skip a beat at the first moment. Having a weapon by his neck was not a thing to be overlooked, even if his HP was in the thousands. He stepped backward only to be met by the taller man's slow advance. Chris was not going to allow his escape easily, that was to be sure.

"What do you mean?" Travis asked slowly. 'I should pick my words carefully. Getting stunned means the end.'

"I know you did that. That disappearance was a trick."

"A trick? Chris, what the hell do you mean? We were teleported somewhere. H-How would that be a trick? I'm not a Mage capable of someth--!"

"Shut up," Chris said through his teeth as he stabbed Travis in his upper chest. Immediately, a short surge of electricity struck the man.

[You are stunned. You cannot move properly.

Time remaining: 00:15]

[You partially resisted the effect.]

[Time remaining: 00:11]

'Damn it... I didn't faint, but this effect is quite strong.'

Chris quickly closed the door to the room and pushed Travis to the side, making him tumble to the ground.

"I don't need to hear your excuses. I know you did that. I'm observant enough to notice."

"...what... do you even mean..." Travis asked on half-breath, slowly rising to a crouching position.

"Your apprehension and the interrogation all so conveniently happened when the people who would normally question you were out of town. You fooled a lot of people, but not me. You were aiming for Aria."

'It... does line up, I guess... how the hell am I to even go about this now?' "I had nothing to do with our disappearance, Chris! Do you even know how many times I almost died in there!?"

"Do you think I'd believe you? I've done a background check on you. It fits perfectly."

"...what?" Travis asked, slowly rising from his position. It seemed that for the time being, Chris wasn't going to attack him again. 'A background check... can a mere guard do something like that?'

"A guy from the boonies next to the capital. No family or relatives in the area. No past, no future. Multiple class changes. You must've felt fed up with being at the bottom of the chain. You tried to skip a stone. Saw Aria and paid someone to check her because she didn't seem normal. You figured if you could get into her good graces, you wouldn't need to worry about your class or money anymore. So, you simply hired a Mage that could cast an illusion spell on you two. You promised them a load of money, and they listened."

'What the hell is he talking about...?' Travis frowned. To Chris, it might've looked like he was caught, but the Apostle only felt confusion at the accusations.

"And normally, I approve of such methods. We think similarly, Travis, and I like that about you. You know what works in this world. In any other circumstance, I might've considered you a rival..." Chris said, hanging the baton by his waist. Then, he threw a quick sucker punch in Travis's chest. "But you decided to go to MY turf and meddle with MY property. That is the ONE thing you don't do," using the fact that the Apostle was half-bent from the previous strike, the tall guard followed it up with a powerful kick.

"*Cough* Urgh..." 'Shit. Barely 1700 HP left... this guy... how is he that strong?' he thought before he saw Chris aim a big hit at him. Casting a quick <Sprint>, Travis managed to just barely get out of his way. "Your 'property'? Is Aria nothing but an item to you?"

"More like a 'trophy'," Chris made a quick turn around and kicked him in the stomach. "She's a tricky girl to get to, so it's always an achievement."

'This guy is pissing me off... who the fuck would objectify a woman?' "So what? You're going to kill me because I got to know her?" he asked, getting up again.

"Oh, I won't kill you. I just want to teach you a lesson. Stay," Chris replied as he aimed a right hook at the man. "Out," he followed up with a rapid double jab from the left. "Of," a straight punch to Travis's head. "My," he finished the combo with a knee strike. "Territory!"

'...fucker... what is he, a boss monster? ...he reminds me of Teleran...' the Apostle thought with dismay as he swiped the blood coming out of his nostrils. Though his nose was not broken, it was only by a margin. Without thinking much, he rose on his elbows. Looking at Chris, he noticed the man loosening up his shoulders.

"As long as you remember that, nothing bad will happen to you. I'll even let you stay in Silvana," Chris said, fixing his attire a little. "Stay away from Aria. This is the only warning you get," he continued, his hand reaching for the door handle.

*Ting!*

"...piece of shit," Travis whispered loudly.

"...what?" Chris turned his head whilst stopping mid-stride.

"I said..." Travis answered, his eyes shooting to his side for a long moment as he got to his knees and slowly rose up, supporting himself on the lockers to his left.

[You have received a new quest!]

"You are a piece of shit," he repeated, his golden eyes shooting a glare at the huge man by the door. The distance between them was only about 3 meters. However, for the first time since they entered the room, the huge guard noticed something in Travis's eyes: a glimmer of determination mixed with his anger.

"Oh?" Chris raised an eyebrow. It didn't appear that he was at all touched by the insult.

"Your territory? What kind of bullshit is that? And just because I got tangled up with Aria, you resort to a cowardly strategy of threatening me? I didn't know guards nowadays were a bunch of bandits," Travis said with a condescending tone.

"Be careful now, Travis. You're stepping on very thin ice here."

"Why should I, hearing you refer to Aria as a 'trophy'?" he riposted with a question, anger seeping from his words. "What is she, a hunting game?"

Chris got a hand on the baton by his side. A frown entered his face, making his brown eyes glimmer with hostility. "If you speak any more, I'll--"

"Then go ahead! See if I care!" Travis raised his voice a little. He lifted his hands, preparing to defend against the towering man's strike. "You want Aria? Get through me, first," 'Please, tell me that's enough...'

Chris's hand was frozen on the handle of his weapon. He appeared to be considering his options. "So... I take it you won't stop?"

"...just come at me. Or would you rather I tell Aria about this? I'm sure she would be so~ happy to question me with the Orb of Truth, no?" the Apostle replied, sending out a <Suggestion>.

<He wants a duel? He'll have it.>

With a slightly happy inward voice, Travis felt the spell quickly sink into Chris's mind, almost like a sponge would absorb water. A slight wave of relief came over him. 'I don't need to win. After he accepts, I'll just run. Though... I didn't expect a quest to have two optional requirements...'

Suddenly, Chris made a step toward him. The weight of the heavy boot appeared amplified as half of the room shook momentarily.

'That bastard... using a skill in this place?' Travis thought, looking at how the lockers near him let out some clattering noises.

"...you want to fight me?" Chris asked. "You? You were a level 1 last month."

"Try me."

Chris's expression darkened for a split second. Was it not for Travis's Sense, he wouldn't have noticed that the huge guard appeared deeply conflicted before his mouth curved into a smile. "Hmm, tell you what, I don't dislike that idea. How about a deal, then?"

"...a deal?" 'What...?'

"You're determined. Not many people have the guts to even try me. I could use a guy like you on my side."

"Your side...?" Travis frowned. "Do I look the smallest bit interested?"

"You don't have to. The deal is simple. We'll duel. No weapons, no authorities. Win, and I'll leave you and Aria alone. I'll let the past transgressions go. Lose, and you'll join my side. A person like you is bound to be useful, and I can assure you, my guys don't complain."

'...he's hiding something.' Travis realized in an instant. 'It's just like Cecilia before... is this why the quest appeared? Why all of those appeared? In the first place, it's strange that this quest would be related to Violet in any way bar Aria.'

However, he had no time to ponder. Right now, he only saw one way out.

"Fine. Then, come at me," Travis frowned, taking a stance and preparing to take the first blow the brown-haired guard would throw at him.

However, Chris only laughed at him.

"What? Do you think we're going to do it here? Maybe better yet, let's go to the corridor so that Aria and Nimmel can see it happening clear as day, huh?" there was clear ridicule seeping from the man's words, but his face betrayed a mix of wariness and reserve. "No. We're fighting at night. In-- you know what? You'll learn later," he added, pulling out the baton by his waist. Electricity arced from it.

"...what--"

Travis was narrowly able to dodge the initial strike, but the taller guard immediately followed that up with a second and third one. Seeing that he was still keeping his consciousness, Chris struck again until the Apostle was out cold on the floor.

...

-3 hours later-

Travis was staring at the ceiling of the cell he was put in. With lazy movements of his golden eyes, he traced all the lines of binder used to make the semi-regular stones stay in their places. A yawn escaped his mouth.

He wasn't exactly a captive, he knew it. When the time was right, someone would come and guide him to the fighting place. This was a way for Chris to make sure Travis couldn't contact anyone.

Stealing a glance to his right, Travis saw the hour shown by RALS.

'Damn, it's only 18... time flies a little slowly. Though... I didn't expect to wake up after just 30 minutes. Endurance is quite powerful, huh.' he hummed. 'But they could've at least left the backpack with me... take the communication sphere, but leave my stuff alone!'

...

He let out a puff of frustration. 'And this quest... why is the failure penalty so high?'

[Quest: To battle with authorities! (3)]

[Chris believes you are a threat to his plan. Moreover, his reputation among the guards makes most of them take his side. However, Chris doesn't want Aria to know of his conflict with you. Perhaps you can use that to your advantage?

Objective: **** Chris to duel you.

Optional: Win the duel.

Optional: Find a way to show Chris's true nature to Aria.

Failure penalty: Lower your level by 5. Lower all stats by 20. Lose 2 random skills.

Rejection penalty: ****.]

'I knew these quests were odd from the beginning. The first two were super easy but had huge penalties. This one... it's not that difficult, either, but the penalty is even higher. Technically speaking, it should be completed by now. All I have to do is wait.'

...

'Though... should I let him win? What will that bastard do to Aria? I initially wanted to throw in the towel after we started fighting, but... can I really do that?'

...

His pondering continued for a good while. While it did seem like the best option would be to simply run, there was a feeling of guilt welling up in his chest. Like a huge weight, it was making every beat slower, veins all over his body pulsing in rhythm with his heart. But... was it truly guilt? Could he be feeling... jealous?

He wasn't sure. While imagining turning Aria's hopeful gaze down did invoke a sense of wrongdoing in his soul, the man could hardly assess its nature. However... the mere thought of Chris putting his hand over her shoulder... brushing her soft cheeks, stroking her white hair... Travis felt his blood boil at the very thought.

'A trophy... I'll show him a fucking trophy.'

But... how?

[Rulebreaker sighs at your situation.]

'I know, I know... can't do anything like this. The quest says that most of the guards are on his side, too. This means that I have nobody to rely on. I'll have to pull through somehow. First, I should assess his abilities...'

Chris was strong, much stronger than what a typical guard of Silvana should be. Travis wasn't able to gauge his level like Violet. He also forgot to scan him. This, however, didn't mean he didn't have an anchor point.

Firstly, he took into account the HP he lost in the encounter. A single hit from the baton, a sucker punch, and a kick made him lose over 150 HP. Considering that those tools were made for stunning people rather than hurting them, he concluded that the latter 2 strikes dealt at least 90% of the damage. The final blow was especially hurtful.

'...that didn't seem like a skill. This means that it was his Strength alone that did the work. It's undeniably in the three digits range. The least I can say is 150. His Agility is a touch below mine. He appeared to have some skills. The first one was a stomping-type skill, so it's likely more of a debilitation skill than an attack one. It's something to be wary of to be sure. His Intelligence and Wisdom will be way below mine for sure. His Endurance... I don't know. Same for Sense. But it's still plenty of information.'

The quick succession of blows just before he received the quest was comparably less powerful than the initial one. Compared to 2 blows taking away more than 150 HP, a total of 300 HP spread over 6 hits seemed... strangely insignificant.

'...I see. This guy has more powerful kicks than jabs. Normally, the difference wouldn't be huge, but he's different. I should avoid being struck like that at all costs. My main strategy could be to dash behind him with <Sprints> and kick him myself... this might destabilize him. The problem is that I won't be able to defeat him quickly. On the other hand, he's not some stupid monster. If I'll take my time or repeat my strategy too much, he'll find a way to corner me.'

He glanced at his status again. Given the Daily Quest from today, he received a total of 6 stat points and a piece of bandage. The points were not yet spent - they served as a buffer he'd use when an occasion to scan Chris appeared.

Travis slowly sat up on the cell bed. His muscles, a little sore from the time on the hard surface, had protested slightly, but the man ignored that. Instead, he got up and did a light stretch.

'Let's try this now.' he thought, putting a hand in his pocket. Pulling it out, he held the bandage in his hand.

White and made with some kind of cotton-like material, it was roughly 2 meters in length, packed into a small roll, and affixed with a pin. Its width was only about 2 centimeters and it was very thin, but Travis was not going to nag about it. It was still better than nothing.

Slowly, he measured the middle section of it and tore it there. Then, he took both halves and rolled them onto his hands, making sure to have the ends between his fingers. A sigh escaped his mouth; this was only halfway good enough.

Nevertheless, he took a stance. Spreading his legs a little, he raised his hands and clenched his fists. He did a quick succession of blows against an imaginary opponent.

As a few minutes passed, Travis lowered his hands slowly, sitting on the bed. He undid the bandages and leaned his head on the wall behind him. A sigh escaped his mouth, which he promptly followed with a chuckle.

'Thanks, Burii. Who'd have imagined that fighting that bastard of a teacher would be useful now? He might've been a jerk, but not many can fight hand-to-hand as he could. Fittingly of Martial Artist. I wonder where he is... probably returned to Vutan.'

Suddenly, he heard the sound of boots stomping on the stone surface. Turning his head, Travis looked at the corridor beyond the metal bars. The sound appeared to have a long echo behind it, signaling that whoever was coming was still on the stairs.

The steps came closer, encroaching on his position. A slightly ominous feeling washed over Travis. Was this Chris? Were they going to fight soon?

...

No... it didn't appear to be the case. The time was still early. Then who...?

"Wow, look at you," he heard the guard's voice as the slightly taller man reached his cell. His muddy brown eyes met his golden ones. "As much of a troublemaker as you were in the camp, huh?" he asked, brushing his short, almost black hair slightly.

"...Clint," Travis said whilst sighing. "Why are you here?"

"Heard about the situation and decided to check out this whole 'challenger'. Didn't expect to see you in this position, though."

"So what? Laugh all you want."

"I didn't come to laugh, Firecracker," Clint clicked his tongue audibly. "I came to warn you. Throw in the towel as soon as the fight starts. Beg him for forgiveness. If you do that, maybe that bastard will let you off without pulverizing your legs."

"...easy for you to say."

"*Sigh* Maybe," the guard replied whilst leaning on a wall. "If you want to, stand your ground. But then... I'd advise preparing yourself for the beating of your life. Likert's punishments won't compare."

"...can you tell me anything about him?"

<It shouldn't be a problem to tell him a bit.>

Travis fired the <Suggestion> in the middle of his question. With a glint of surprise, he felt nearly no resistance on the way. Was it perhaps because of their comradeship in the past?

"In summary? He's a monster wearing human skin. I'm not sure of his level, but it's no doubt above 80."

"Above 80? Why... why is he in Silvana? That's the level you'd have on border stations."

"I don't know much. Apparently, he worked in Icla until about four years ago, but I'm not sure if that's true."

"...but his level... that's not something you can achieve on level 10 monsters around Silvana. Guards in Icla aren't nearly that strong, either."

"Listen, I have no idea what he's been doing around the kingdom. I do know that he came here roughly 2 years ago, and he was already ridiculously strong. So strong that he got the position of chief guard nearly immediately. That bastard rips boars apart with bare hands. If he gets a good hold of you, you can kiss your arms goodbye."

"...huh," '...so that's why winning is optional.'

"But tell me this," Clint leaned on the metal bars, letting his arms between them. "What did you challenge him on?"

"...didn't he tell you?"

"Well, he doesn't speak much about it. Much less to guards outside of his pack."

"...'pack'? You mean that you're not on his side?"

<I should tell him the truth.>

"Hell no," Clint frowned, his face showing a bit of disgust toward the idea. "I'm not going to be his lapdog. Not getting in his way is enough for him to not care much."

"Couldn't you ask for--"

"You think I didn't try?" the dark-haired guard cut him off. "The higher-ups didn't want to hear a word about reassigning me to a different station. 'Silvana's guards are already strained with work' they said. Honestly, I blame Nimmel the most. She's been avoiding paperwork like fire for the last year or so because she's going to retire soon."

"But... if things are like this, couldn't you have reported that?"

"Do I look like I have a **** wish?" Clint huffed a little, slightly irritated. "I've seen guys try before. The next day, they disappeared without a trace. Someone tried to go to Icla and Westan - no difference. Nobody knows how many guards are on Chris's side, or where they are. Gilbert from the reception is, frankly, the only one I am certain of. The worst part is, Chris is a goddamn maestro in hiding his dirt. Orb of Truth is useless on him."

"..."

"*Sigh* Either way, can you answer?"

"We had a... disagreement over Inspector Brinn."

"Brinn? That white-haired chick?"

"Yeah. He accussed me of trying to steal her. Not sure if you know, but there was a case where she and I disappeared one night for a few hours."

"...oh, yeah. She's been crazy about it all month. Nimmel eventually sent her away to grab the guy, but I didn't know it was you (you really are meddling in a lot of shit lately, aren't you?). So, you're saying that Chris wants to kill you because of that?"

"I'm not sure if he wants to kill me, but pretty much, yeah."

"...huh. The last guy who tried to meddle with one of his girls was found nearly dead the next day. I doubt he'll have much mercy on you, either."

"Is he and Aria a thing?" Travis asked, a bit of uncertainty staining his tone. He felt... jealousy, almost, at the very thought.

"He sure wishes they were. As far as I know, she's been turning him down since day one, but he's been trying to relentlessly anyway."

"...I see," Travis replied hesitantly. A bit of bitterness appeared on his tongue, but he swallowed it together with the dry saliva.

"Well... it's been nice knowing you, I guess. Too bad we can't go out for a beer, I'd love to hear how's life been to you," Clint said, a sincere feeling of sadness emanating from his voice. Slowly, he straightened his position and fixed his attire lightly.

"...wait!" Travis rose from his sitting position and turned to the black-haired man. "There's something I need to ask of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Where is my backpack and weapons?"

"Hmm... not sure if they'll be in the storage room. Why do you ask? Do you want to bring a weapon?"

"...that'd be useless. I have a request to make. A few, even."

-3 hours later-

Travis was sitting on the bed again, eyes closed as he leaned on the wall. The rhythm of his breathing was as stable as ever, the man seemingly having entered a state of dreaming. This, however, was not what he was doing.

Before his eyes, dozens of images flashed. Inside his brain, sounds erupted one after another, accompanied by sensations of smell and touch befitting what was being displayed. Travis was doing something he hadn't done for quite a few days now: learning to control his first passive skill. Eventually, however, he opened his eyes, their golden glow appearing like lights in a tunnel.

The cell was only half-dimly lit by a singular torch on a wall in the corridor. Shadows were creeping up the stony surface like some tentacled monsters. The air turned chilly, its stale smell diminishing the sense of freshness. A sigh escaped the man's mouth.

'I still have a long way to go before I can completely control how my memories flood. Summoning particular ones is still difficult without also getting heaps of junk. Nevertheless, just being able to stop it at will is good.'

Summoning his status, he confirmed the hour to be around 21. He gazed toward the metal bars holding him in this place. Clint was going to appear any minute now.

A yawn escaped his mouth. Travis slowly got up, doing a light stretch. Feeling his muscles becoming sore from just sitting in one position, he dropped to the ground and did a quick round of push-ups. Afterward, he switched to burpees, and then the Plank exercise.

Soon enough, he heard the clicking of Clint's step echo throughout the corridor. He got up, coming closer to the door. As he noticed the man coming toward him, he asked, "How'd it go?"

"Managed to find what you asked for," Clint answered, taking a backpack off of his back. Rummaging inside, he got hold of a metal box and looked to his side before slipping it between the bars. "Not sure what you want that box for. Nobody could open it. Is it enchanted or something?"

"Yeah," Travis nodded lightly. "What about the rest?"

"Most of the stuff is left. You have quite a collection of rocks, by the way (and a single arrow... for some reason)."

"...'most'?"

"The money and that sword you talked about are gone. And I couldn't quite find that little gem you wanted," Clint replied, handing Travis a bottle of perfume and a runestone, both wrapped in bandages.

"...dammit," 'I expected the money to be gone, but I didn't think they'd take a liking to Thunder Blade and Shard of Nihhelar. They shouldn't know how they work.' "Is it possible to find them?"

"You might as well ask a boar to skin itself. Maybe the sword, but that jewel's a lost cause."

"...*Sigh* I guess I should be thankful for this much," Travis said, accepting the final item from Clint: a blue-tinted rock. "What about the information I asked for?"

"...I didn't get much. I have no idea what Chris's class is, but I do know he's incredibly strong in melee. He has a few skills, but no further info on them. What I do know is, he is not a very agile person. As long as you got some reflexes, you might be able to dodge."

'Seems to align with what I assessed.' thought Travis before asking, "Anything else?"

"That's everything. Still plenty, if you ask me. Got a few stinky stares for asking around," Clint sighed in return, but his expression betrayed a bit of discomfort. "I swear, I still feel Gilbert's stare on my back."

"...either way, what about the rest?"

"Everything's prepared (though it was difficult, so be grateful). You do your stuff, and I'll do mine. Though I'm pretty sure you'll die anyway, my bets are on you."

"Good, thanks."

"But you know that gratitude for our camp time only does so much, right?" Clint leaned in, barely half a meter of distance between their heads.

"Yeah, I get it. In case I don't make it, the 'stones' you speak of are actually 'runestones'. They have abilities depending on what is depicted on them. Each one of them will fetch a good price. Two dozen golden coins per piece at minimum."

"Two dozen?! You have what, fifteen of them? Where did you even get them from?" Clint's expression turned to near-shock.

"...they were a gift. If anything happens, they're all yours. And..."

"Yeah?"

"...never mind," Travis shook his head lightly, a feeling of uneasiness washing over him. "Did you look into Brinns?"

"Tried to, but... nothing," Clint shrugged, stepping away from the iron bars and leaning on the wall opposite of them. "I've asked about and tried to research them, but nobody knows their family. They're either unpopular, poor or from far away."

"It's weird that Chris has information on them, then. Especially since he said that if I got into Aria's good graces, I wouldn't have to worry about money. It's like he did a background check on them as well."

"...background check?" The black-haired guard's eyes widened. "He got approved to do one? Well... maybe I shouldn't be surprised."

"He said he did one on me, and he did get pretty accurate information,"

'At this point, I'm almost certain Chris got some kind of a backer. Someone who lets him do as he pleases. Since he used to be in Icla, this does make sense. The guards in there did appear to be better equipped than normal.'

Clint sighed deeply, the leather armor on his body shifting slightly. In the torch's light, the worn material had a very matte brown look, which complemented his muddy-brown eyes.

A moment of silence between the two men was being stretched, only their breaths and sounds of flame burning hearable in the corridor. Travis looked at Rulebreaker's Piece in his hands. 'Only a few minutes left.' he thought. Why did he ask for this box, exactly? He had one reason: a tiny glimmer of hope that whatever came out of the box would be useful. Given his limited state and Clint's warnings, the man knew he had to use everything that he had access to. Plan A was already in his pockets.

"Hey," Clint's voice broke him out of his spell.

"Hmm?"

"Want to talk a bit? Who knows if we'll get a chance anymore."

"...sure," Travis formed a smile, turning his attention to the man in front. "What about?"

"Well, first of all, I did have a question. Why were you kicked out of camp? And only about 3 months before we would've finished training. We all found it strange."

"What do you mean? Didn't Likert tell you all?"

"You know that bastard of a Colonel does not share his thoughts with anyone. Our entire unit went to ask him, and he just said that you went and did something 'inappropriate'."

"...hahaha... of course he did," Travis chuckled vividly, leaning on the wall to his right. Crossing his hands on his chest, he sighed lightly. "You remember Shion?"

"...wait... that green Druid bitch from the infirmary? The one who constantly nagged about us smoking on duty?"

"Yeah, that one."

"I do remember that skinflint. I still remember that time she broke my arm to rearrange my bones. Could've used a healing potion, but no, it was 'too expensive'. Sheesh," Clint rubbed his arm momentarily. "Brings back some shitty memories. Anyway, what about her?"

"Well, remember the training session in Recinan? We formed a team with Section 4 and sparred with soldiers from Akni?"

"...uh... was it that time Temel got kicked in the nuts so hard he fainted on the spot?"

"...no, I believe..." Travis furrowed his brows a little while muffling a laugh. "You're thinking about Rineda."

"Ah. Anyway, continue."

"I got sent to the infirmary after someone accidentally shot me with an arrow. And when I was in there, another guy was brought in. Got stabbed pretty badly. He kept wailing in pain for some time, and when the Healers were running late, he got super mad. When Shion wanted to get him some herbs to soothe his pain (even though she said it would be dangerous), he grabbed her hand and broke her elbow. I'm pretty sure he pulverized her bones since they couldn't heal her properly afterward."

"...oh. So that's why she left the camp after that. What happened then?"

"Maybe it was the **** I was under, but I felt both invincible and REALLY pissed when he did that. So, I beat him senseless. They had to drag me away and strap me to my bed."

"Oh. Yeah, you did get pretty dangerous when you got mad. But... how did that translate to... wait... you don't mean the guy was someone important?"

"Lieutenant. David. Likert," Travis smacked his lips loudly as he said the name. "When his old man got to know, he threw a tantrum at me. Got flogged plenty, but thankfully, he had no grounds to execute me. The most he could do was throw me out."

"...hah. I wish I could tell that story to the guys in our unit."

"Did everyone else pass?"

"Pretty much. I wonder how these bastards are doing."

Travis looked up a little. Suddenly, he chuckled. "Bet you ten gold that Alkran still ties his sword sheath backward."

"Pfft. Bet you twenty Sylvia still does that stupid dance with her staff."

"Haha. I wouldn't be surprised," Travis laughed momentarily. "...damn. Wish we could all meet up one day. A glass of beer would be great."

"...*Sigh* Yeah."

Travis leaned his head on the wall. 'I miss those fuckups.'

...

Some time of silence passed. The golden eyes of the Apostle lazily started looking around until they met the surface of the box he still held. Focusing his eyes on it for a moment, he noticed that its cooldown period had finished. A small smile entered his face.

"Hey, cover your eyes."

"Hmm?" Clint looked up at him for a moment. "Why?"

"I'm opening the box. It'll flash a little."

"...uh, alright."

As the guard did what Travis told him to, the Apostle traced his fingers on the cold, metal surface of the Rulebreaker's Piece. It felt... cold as usual, yet... strangely warm as if it was giving off a little bit of hope for him to hold onto.

[Sufficient mana transferred. Consuming 1 use.]

The notification sprung forth just before the lid opened, showering the inside of the cell with bright light. A short second later, it stopped, the box closing itself audibly. Travis felt something spherical appear in his hand.

"Hey, you done?" he heard Clint's voice.

"Yeah, you can look."

Clint hastily removed the hand from his eyes and came closer to the man in the cell. The two of them looked at the small sphere in the latter's hand. It appeared to be made of glass, with a nice tint of whiteness along its edge. Its size was larger than the Shard of Nihhelar but smaller than the communication sphere, roughly four centimeters in diameter. It was polished with the utmost care, as evident in the nigh-perfect reflective abilities of the item.

"...what is this thing?"

[21. A reward for persistence]

"...huh," Travis made a noise whilst summoning the item's information. A small smile appeared in the reflection of him. "Looks like I just got a plan B."

[Rulebreaker cheers you on.]

-Time: 23:44-

-Location: Aria's flat-

The white-haired Mage was sitting in the armchair in her room, her right leg tapping on the floor in a tic. Her emerald eyes were tracing the edges of the communication sphere standing on the table near her. It sat on a tiny pedestal right next to a large cup of still-steaming coffee.

A burst of thoughts was constantly shuffling through her mind. Did Travis forget? Did he bail on her? Did he feel tired after the questioning? Her face was becoming redder by the second as she reminded herself of what he had spoken to Captain Nimmel just under 10 hours ago. How could he have spoken such brazen, yet touching words with an expression as controlled as he displayed? The woman felt like her heart was going to burst the moment she thought of the word 'fate' again.

A short yawn escaped her mouth. She peeked at the magical device again. Fixing her position in the armchair, Aria pulled her short, white pants up a little. Then, she took her hair into her hands, moving it from the top of her large, deep blue shirt.

She closed her eyes, letting a finger trace down from her neck. She skimmed over her mostly flat chest and moved to her thin stomach. Then, she moved it alongside her prominent hips. She felt her skin getting stimulated under the material as she moved to her shins, and could only imagine what it'd have felt like if he touched her like this. Would his hands feel soft and smooth? Or would she feel his hard skin press against her, proof of how much he'd been through? Would he handle her with grace like she was a princess? Or would he tie her down and show her her place? Aria felt a tingling sensation in her crotch at all the possibilities.

But...

She opened her eyes.

Where was he?

A stronger beat of her heart made all the pleasant feelings make a sudden turnaround. What if this was the last time she saw him? What if he decided that she was holding him down? What if... he left? Would that be why he disappeared?

No... that couldn't be, could it? Chris said that Travis was eager to reach out to her soon. There was no way he'd lie... right? Surely, he must just do a quick errand and he'll call her... She tried reassuring herself like that.

Aria got up with little weak knees, her pink socks touching the cold floorboards. Taking hold of the cup on the table, she chugged its contents immediately, hardly caring at how damnably warm it was. Then, she took her steps to the kitchen part of her home and put it in the sink.

Suddenly, she felt the call of nature. This was her seventh coffee just this evening. Her circulatory system was going overdrive today, and so were her kidneys.

Taking one last look across her home, she could affirm that the communication sphere still stood on the table. Aria closed the door to the bathroom hastily yet taking care to not make too much noise. She had to take care not to disturb her neighbors, after all.

...

...

...

As about a dozen seconds passed, a jingle echoed in the flat. The communication sphere was call--

*BANG!*

The door to the bathroom swung open with a whack as a strong magic strike was launched at it. Immediately after that, Aria literally flew across the kitchen, supported by the wind spell she was holding behind her. Pants-down, she got hold of the sounding device as she just barely managed to stop her momentum. Without wasting time fixing her attire, she accepted the connection.

"T-Travis?!" she asked with a voice full of hope.

"Oh, it works! Officer Brinn, right?" a manly voice asked. Its tone was distinctly different from Travis's.

"I-- who is it?" Aria raised an eyebrow, feeling both disappointment and, for some reason, nervousness. "Introduce yourself!"

"Listen, we don't have time for this! Unless you want your boyfriend to be turned into a pulp, that is!"

"W-What?! What are you talking about?! Who are you?!" she raised her voice, her hand shaking slightly.

"Listen closely, Inspector, because I really don't have much time. And I suspect that neither does Travis."