Reaper landed in a tree and spotted a collection of stone huts. Spectre looked over Reaper's shoulder and spotted the huts as well.
"Is that where Pa-Pantom is?". Spectre asked while pointing at the collection of huts. Reaper nodded before jumping out of the trees and landing in a clearing. Spectre hopped off of Reaper's back and asked why they weren't going to Zalroth. Reaper pulled her hood down and took her mask off, revealing her long ruby hair and her golden left eye. Her mask transformed into a golden oval disc and she placed it over her right eye.
"While I was talking with Zalroth, he mentioned we should change clothing.".
"Oh!". Spectre took off her mask and it transformed into a giant backpack which was three times her size, the backpack was slightly spherical due to how much stuff was inside the bag. Spectre rapidly blinked as her golden eyes' pupils contracted. Spectre opened her backpack and climbed into it. After a few seconds, she returned at held out a pile of clothes. Reaper took the clothes from Spectre before lifting her out of the backpack. They quickly changed clothing.
Reaper was now wearing a white t-shirt under a rouge cotton trench coat, white leggings and rouge boots, along with still wearing her scarf. Spectre was now wearing a black dress and green getas under her green cloak. The two placed their uniforms in the backpack. Spectre picked up the backpack and put it on her back.
"Now let's get going.". Spectre nodded and followed Reaper to the huts. The two made their way through the collection of stone huts. Reaper tried to see over the group of people but the orcs in the crowd made it difficult to see over them. She felt Spectre climb up her back and sat on her shoulders, causing Reaper to stumble. Reaper regained her balance and Spectre looked over at what the crowd was looking at. Spectre got excited when she spotted Zalroth sitting in the middle of a makeshift food court.
"Isn't that the guy that Akari brought back last night?." a blue-haired elf asked.
"You could phrase that a little better Rokai." Spectre stood up on Reaper's shoulders and prepared to jump. Before Reaper could try and brace herself, Spectre jumped and launched herself over the crowd, causing Reaper to fall over.
"You brat!" Reaper shouted as she landed on her butt.
Over by the food court, Akari tried to convince Zalroth to eat more of the soup but he didn't seem to want to.
"Is it bad?" Akari somberly asked.
"It's not that it's bad. I just don't see why you're so convinced on making me eat so much food.". Zalroth glanced at the five empty dirty plates piled next to him.
"But your skin still looks so pale.". Zalroth's skin was extremely pale, to the point it looked slightly cyan.
"Akari... that's just how my skin loo-". Zalroth stopped when he noticed Akari was looking above him. He looked in the direction Akari was looking at and spotted Spectre rapidly ascending. The moment Spectre stopped ascending, she moved her arms out of the backpack's arm straps before jumping off her backpack and launching herself at Zalroth.
"Papa!" Spectre happily yelled as she rapidly approached Zalroth like a missile. Zalroth quickly stood up and managed to catch her before she touched the ground. Spectre started to hug him as he watched her bag dramatically descend to the ground.
He quickly extended his right arm. He tried to activate his magnetism magic but Spectre tighten the grip of her hug, sending a sharp pain through his body. Due to the pain, he wasn't able to focus properly and instead of it glowing red or blue the backpack glowed yellow. The bag's velocity rapidly decrease before it was left floating a few centimetres above the ground. Zalroth tried to slowly place the bag on the ground but another sharp pain coursed through his body, forcing him to cancel the magic he was using and the backpack crashed into the ground. Reaper jumped over the crowd and hurried over to Zalroth and Spectre.
"I was planning on punching you in the face but you seem to be in enough pain as it is". Zalroth tried to chuckle but he was slightly interrupted by multiple sharp pains in his chest.
"What's so funny?".
Zalroth asked Spectre if she could stop hugging him so tightly. She reluctantly did and hopped onto the ground. She ran over to her backpack and started to rummage through it. Reaper crossed her arms, waiting for Zalroth to respond.
"Well?".
"It's nothing serious, Phi-Phi. I just find the way you show your concern amusing.". Reaper rolled her eyes and lightly punched him in the chest.
"I meant like this, not like-". Reaper proceeds to punch Zalroth hard enough to cause him to stumble back a few steps.
"-This.". Akari worried that Reaper's punch might've hurt Zalroth but her worry subsided when he started to laugh. Reaper asked Zalroth what happened to him. After Zalroth stopped laughing, he retold her the event that happened in the forest and how Akari rescued him.
"Oh right. Akari, these are the two I was telling you about.". Akari nodded in response.
"This emotionally inconsistent Night Elf is Sophia and this,". Zalroth picked up Spectre. She lightly slapped a bandaid, which had a drawing of her face smiling, on Zalroth's head.
"Is my daughter, the smartest genius in the world, Lola.". Lola playfully waved at Akari. Akari waved back in an equally playful manner. Akari noticed that Lola also had extremely pale skin just like Zalroth and realised he was telling the truth about his skin naturally looking so pale.
Zalroth placed Lola on the ground and she hurried back to her backpack. Sophia watched Lola searching through her backpack before looking at the surroundings and noticing the crowd had moved on. Sophia asked Akari why all these people were situated in the middle of a forest. Akari retold what she had said to Zalroth to Sophia.
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"I see and where exactly are you planning on going?".
"The son of the chief... well the new village chief decided we should head to the Aivikkra Continent.". Lola's eyes widened when she heard the place Akari mentioned. While Sophia and Akari were talking to each other, Lola tugged on Zalroth's trousers. He looked down at her and saw she was holding his long white fur coat. He thanked her as she handed him the coat and he put it on. She gestured to him to come closer. He leaned down so that his head was level with her's. Akari found it cute as she watched Lola whisper something to Zalroth.
"That so, well that's interesting," Zalroth remarked.
"What's interesting?" Akari asked.
"Oh, nothing serious just something Lola wanted to tell me. So you mentioned your village was planning on heading to the Aivikkra Continent?". While the three of them were having their conversation, Scarlett and Snow returned and noticed Lola going through her backpack.
"Hello, I'm Scarlett and this is my sister Snow what's your name?".
"Hi, I'm Lola.". Lola noticed that Snow was wearing Zalroth's mask.
"Hey that's my papa's mask... why do you have it?" Lola asked with a confused tone. Scarlett awkwardly rubbed the back of her head and explained that they sort of took off with it without asking. Lola found Scarlett's explanation super ironic.
"Don't worry Lola I was planning on letting her keep it due to its current condition," Zalroth mentioned before continuing to talk with Akari and Sophia. Lola looked at the mask and realised how damaged the mask was. Scarlett and Snow walked to the front side of the backpack and watched Lola searching through her backpack.
"Yeah, the chief wanted us to go to the Aivikkra Continent since it isn't under the authority of any of the major powers. Why do you ask?".
"It just so happens that we have some business in that Continent.".
"Oh really, so are you two adventurers?".
"Well we tried to apply but an incident happened that caused us not to get registered," Zalroth replied while awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. Akari apprehensively asked what happened.
"The week after he turned twelve he tried to become an adventurer he ended up blowing up the examination hall.".
"Oh my! That must have been embarrassing.".
"Well if you ask me I thought it was funny.". Akari watched as Zalroth and Sophia started to bicker. Scarlett jumped onto the table and said she had an idea.
"I just thought of something,". The two of them stopped bickering and looked at Scarlett.
"Seeing as you guys are going to the same place as us, we should all just travel together and you guys can protect us since all the adults here suck at fighting.". Zalroth thought about it. Akari picked Scarlett up and sat her down on the chair.
"I won't lie I did think it would be reassuring if you accompanied us on our journey". Before Zalroth could even respond, Lola hopped onto Zalroth's lap.
"Of course, papa will protect you guys he's the coolest guy ever and he always pays people back, unless it involves shiny things.". Zalroth awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, while the others tried not to laugh.
Meanwhile, in Kalthorm, The auctioneer angerly paced around his office before sitting at his desk and picking up the gem Charlotte had brought back, with the staff laying on his desk as well. Charlotte, with the other kunoichis lined up behind her, watched as the auctioneer examined the gem with a magic lense. His grip on the gem tightened, causing Charlotte to mentally brace herself.
"This is a fucking fake!". As the auctioneer started to berate the kunoichis, the door to the room began to open, with no one in the room noticing it was opening.
"Senator Mallax-". Charlotte was interrupted by Mallax.
"Silence! You failed to capture that menace, failed to retrieve the staff's gem, brought back a fake, and now have the audacity to try and make excuses.". Mallax became so enraged that he tossed the fake gem at Charlotte's face. Charlotte wasn't sure if she should catch it but, before she could decide on what to do, the gem was surrounded in a teal glow that caused the gem to stop mid-air.
"I would recommend you reframe for harming my subordinates for any mindless reason Senator, though that still seems to be a challenge for you.". All of the kunoichis instantly recognised the callous voice of the man that had just spoken. They all instantly spun around and kneeled before him, with Charlotte jumping over the others before kneeling.
"Greeting Sensei." all of the kunoichis said in unison.
The masked figure was dressed in purely white armour with golden detailing, the horns on his head were also glowing teal. His armour had the appearance of a paladin mixed with a templar knight. The kunoichis' sensei brought the gem to his hand before the glow around it disappeared and it landed in his hand, his horns also stopped glowing.
"What is this Charlotte?".
"It's the Azure Gem that we recovered from the Phantom of Omen. However, Senator Mallax has concluded it is a fake, Sensei.". Her sensei examined the gem and concluded that it wasn't the Azure Gem that was originally from the staff. Mallax tried to say something but was interrupted by the Azure Gem striking him in the face, causing him to fall back into his seat. The Azure Gem flew across the room and landed back in Charlotte's sensei's hand.
"All of you follow me; I have a new assignment for you all.". The kunoichis nodded before they started to follow their sensei out of the room.
"Hold on! They are under my co-". Mallax paused when he felt a literal chill run down his spine. Charlotte's sensei turned to face Mallax.
"Remember your place senator.". Mallax fearfully slumped back in his chair.
"Ye-yes Magistrate Zul-Zulcrestus". Zulcrestus and all of the kunoichis left the room without any further resistance from Mallax. The group walked through the corridor of Mallax's mansion.
"So why did you take the Azure Gem with you, Sensei? Didn't you say it was a fake?" Charlotte asked.
"I never said such a thing. It was that fool who claimed it was a fake.". All of the kunoichis wondered what Zulcrestus meant by that.
"The only reason he thought it was a fake was that it doesn't have any Soul Remnant in it.". The kunoichi with green hair and yellow eyes realised what Zulcrestus was implying.
"Are you suggesting it's not a fake but a blank sensei?".
"That is correct Heather.". Heather screamed internally with excitement to Zulcrestus' praise.
The group stopped walking when they exited the mansion. Zulcrestus turned to face the group. He looked at the blank Azure Gem.
"You're certain the Phantom is still alive?". Charlotte and the others nodded to confirm they were sure he was still alive.
"Very well your assignment is as followed, you are to track down the Phantom and when you locate him or a member of his group, you are to inform me of their location, and unless you are discovered you are not to engage them in combat, understood?". Charlotte and the others nodded, before jumping off in pursuit of the Phantom. Zulcrestus watched as they parkoured into the distance. He looked at the blank Azure Gem before it disappeared into the storage ring around his finger.
Zulcrestus closed his eyes, causing the areas on his mask that represent his eyes, which were glowing a pale light yellow, to stop glowing and tried to sense for someone but had no luck.
"How disappointing.".