“Lawrence?”

“Yeah Hato what’s up?”

It was late at night when Hato whispered his name, but of course they were still both up. Neither could sleep with  thoughts of what could be happening tomorrow. If they deigned to piss off the king enough, he could throw them all in jail for hundreds of years no problem. While the youkai would survive…

“What was it like while I was gone?”

The question was so sudden that Lawrence leaned up in bed.

“What was it like? Well… at first none of us could really accept it. We barely talked to each other, except for when we’d go to the library. Once we met Inari… that was about when we got normal again.”

“I made you sad like that?!”

“Of course. You were the happy one, without you it just seemed like there was something missing.”

“Is it the same feeling now?”

Lawrence had barely thought about it, but it was the same actually. He felt that pit in his gut again. Maybe he’d only thought it was different because Oku was still at least alive.

“It is very similar, yes.”

This seemed to comfort Hato a bit, and she shifted around across the room.

“Master, do you really value me that highly?”

“Of course, and while I was angry at you for letting yourself get taken away from us in Kazha, it did make me respect you that much more.”

He heard a small bump and flicked his bedside lamp light on. Hato had fallen out of her bed and was sitting next to it.

“You ok?”

“Yeah… it was just a surprise to hear that someone actually respected me. That’s something I never really thought I would hear!”

“You think I’m the only one that respects you?”

“Well… In the youkai world, beast Youkai are judged by their animal. In my case, doves aren’t bad to look at, but they’re one of the dumber birds… I’ve always been jealous of Oku for being as smart as she is.”

“What? You aren’t stupid, far from it! You were the one that went to get Oku, and you were the one that saved everyone’s lives from her when she was infested by that black sludge. I don’t think an idiot could have done that.”

“Maybe, but I’m bad at a lot of stuff too.”

“Like?”

“Fixing stuff, emotions, knowing the right thing to say…”

“Emotions? How?”

“Like you! I always feel so weird around you, but I have no idea what to do or say…”

“W-well that covers the not knowing what to say in situations either!”

Was Hato really confessing to him? He’d always thought they had a master servant relationship, where Hato just wanted to do anything she could for him. He turned his back so she couldn’t see his cheeks flush.

“You know, I’m not all that good with emotions either. My parents go on so many vacations, they were barely ever around when I was a kid. Sometimes I could go with them, but not often. I could barely tell them how I felt either.”

Suddenly Lawrence felt Hato hug him around the neck from behind. He looked back and saw her smiling under the mask.

“Well if you ever need anyone to practice telling your feelings to you can come to someone that loves you like me!”

“L-like you?!”

The door burst open, and Koichi looked ragged.

“You do know that I know when this stuff happens right. I’ve told you this before. This is unlawful rapport. Illicit relations? Illegal activity?”

“I know I just…”

“Haha! What is Koichi talking about?”

“Please just tell me you understand.”

“I understand alright!”

“Wait did Koichi just tell you the plan?”

Lawrence and Koichi sighed, but both felt a small smile tugging at their lips. They would get Oku back from that bastard.

The next morning, the group gathered in Lawrence’s room and began to put the finishing touches on their plan. Koichi would go with Seph to the defence force office and apply for another court hearing, finding out anything they could in the process. Mark and Lawrence would go to the exorcists to see if there was any way to override the war crime charges based on the book stealing charge being first, and Inari and Hato would stay and see if they could find Kuun using Inari’s orb. At first, Hato seemed to think her job of staying with Inari was useless, but they all assured her that someone would need to be there if Kuun took over Inari’s body like Hato had accidentally a while ago. Seph and Koichi went through the portal that had been opened, Lawrence and Mark started off to the traveling exorcist circus, which is what Mark had started to call it, and Inari and Hato began their lengthy process of looking for someone without knowing their face.

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Koichi allowed Seph through the portal first, and closed it after walking back into the capital. They then began the short walk to HQ, and chatted along the way.

“So, your name is Sephaniah? What’s that… from the middle countries?”

“My family is from the west, but we take our names from the ancient tomes. So yeah, I think my name is from the middle countries.”

“And your sword, you think it is Excalibur? One of the ancient swords?”

“Yeah, used by the Northern king Arthur. Or so I would like to believe. Damned sword was lost for hundreds of years. This may well just be some stupid magic sword imbued with a little bit of power.”

“Perhaps one of the swordsmiths in the area can tell you the answer to that sometime.”

“You’d show me?”

“Of course, provided we aren’t pressed for time as we are currently.”

“Right.”

As they approached HQ, they met Aimai, who was ever happy to see her partner. Though she was a little jealous of the white haired Seph.

“You didn’t get a new partner right?”

“Aimai, this is my partner, Seph. Seph, this is my partner, Aimai.”

“Pleasure, now where’s the chief?”

“P-partner?!”

“This way Seph, he’s in his office.”

“Wait!”

They were met in the chief’s office by a pungent scent, the smell of pipe smoke.

“Koichi! Need another petty theft case?”

“Please no… I’m actually here for a favor this time.”

“A favor? And who is this?”

“This is Seph, an exorcist. We’re looking to reopen the case on Orchid.”

“You know that’s been shut by the king himself detective…”

“We have new evidence. You know she didn’t do any of that, right?”

“Well of course I do! But one does not just turn on the king you know.”

“Chief, I ask you as not a co-worker, but as a friend. Please.”

The old Youkai scratched his face and looked down at his pipe. After a few moments of thinking, he shrugged and finally gave in.

“I’ll… fine. I’ll get the case reopened. But if you get this branch closed down I’ll come wring your neck myself!”

“Deal!”

“Actually, I’ve got a better idea… You can come with me straight to the palace!”

“What!?”

The large Youkai wrapped his arms around the two and led them out the door with him, Aimai trailing behind. The chief could be so spur of the moment sometimes.

Mark and Lawrence had just arrived and the exorcist circus, and were let in by the same military suit-wearing man as before.

“Reinhardt is in the main chamber boys!”

He yelled at them as they walked inside. Reinhardt himself sat around one of the large round tables with a group of other exorcists and laughed loudly.

“Boys! What brings you to the clan?”

“Well, we’re wondering about Oku…”

“Ah, I see. What can I do then?”

“We were wondering if there’s any way we can boost up Oku’s charge on the book stealing.”

“You mean to have it overtake something like war crimes? There’s no way.”

“You’re serious?”

“Not unless you can convince the elders to go after her about it.”

Lawrence thought this would be the only shot he had, and took it.

“Is there any way to convince them? Now?”

“Well…”

Reinhardt looked to the side, prompting Mark to wonder if he wasn’t telling them something.

“There is a way?”

“Well… it would require you beating out some pretty well trained exorcists. You see, every few months there’s a quest that allows the exorcist to come back with a different type of reward. They are able to ask the elders for something. Turns out you’re just in time to it! But this quest is very…”

“Prolific?”

“No…”

Lawrence took a shot.

“Long? Does it take weeks, months, years?”

“Dangerous is the right word. You would receive a portal, but in the northern countries there is a terror called “The Weeper”. It is believed to be some sort of dragon, but nobody’s ever seen its true form. It can shapeshift you see, and the elders want that person to put it asleep. If you kill it, two more are created, so don’t kill it! You need to put it asleep.”

Lawrence braced himself.

“Alright, we’ll do it.”

“But you have no experience! You’re both just regular humans!”

Mark smiled.

“Regular humans? Humans change into something much different when desperate.”

Reinhardt felt a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Alright, you’ve won me over. Of course, what type of uncle would I be without offering my help! Plus, I’m the quartermaster here, so I can outfit you a little bit!”

Reinhardt walked over to a door and opened it, showing a large room filled with weapons.

“I’m a master of swords, so I’ll take my own. Which means that we’ll need someone ranged… Lawrence? Here, take “Tempest”. She’ll do you some good. For Mark… hmm… A stave master perhaps? Yes yes, take “Dementia”!”

“Dementia? Isn’t that a disease?”

“Yes, it is. But this staves magic causes the target to lose his or her memory for a short time. A useful stun! In Lawrence’s case, his crossbow can cause a whirlwind, picking up magic and ranged weapons easily.”

“Don’t we have to train to use these?”

“That’s the best part bahaha! They’re infused with a magic that allows the user to be proficient in their use. Try it!”

He slapped a few dummies down and Lawrence and Mark had a go at them. To their surprise, Mark hit the dummy down in a few precise short hits, and Lawrence had three bolts in its head within seconds.

“So, shall I inform the elders?”

Still surprised at their skill with these new weapons, they both nodded in agreement. While Reinhardt was gone, Lawrence realized something.

“Mark, I’d rather not become an exorcist.”

“Well, neither would I.”

“This sounds selfish… but I love how it was when we had everyone. I want to keep those peaceful times. Even if it doesn’t mean I’ve got some badass weapon.”

“Makes sense. After we get Oku back, we can start helping Youkai again. Sound good?”

“Perfect.”

Reinhardt re-entered with a large smile on his face.

“They’ve agreed! Plus I’ve taken the liberty of packing some food for us, just in case this lasts more than a few days. We have to track the damned thing after all, and it can shapeshift!”

This would be it. They each had a way to save Oku from that rancid king, but as far as Lawrence was concerned, his way would win the day. Luckily only one of them had to work.

“Let’s go.”

“Right.”

They stepped through the portal and were spit out in a grassy field where Reinhardt was already kneeling down looking for prints.

“Tracking one o’ one boys.”