…

----------------------------------------

Investment

----------------------------------------

…

A few hours later…

…

After returning to the study and finishing the paperwork, Hadrian asked her to wait for him in the glass pool pavilion.

Once she was outside and on her way to the pavilion, the reincarnated mage went to his hidden workshop and opened one of the weapon caches, which were the large black cases he brought.

Due to his interest in creating things, Hadrian became one of the largest contributors when it comes to the weapons and equipment in AEONS.

Even though he was mostly known as a member of the special forces, he was partly known for producing special weapons, supplies, and equipment for the organization.

His value since then had skyrocketed after he lent several customized items (mystic codes with basic effects) to AEONS’s research division.

Opening one of the weapon caches, Hadrian took out a black medium-sized box.

He also grabbed a few things before closing the case and exiting the workshop.

As always, Maya followed after him quietly, even as he went outside and entered the pavilion.

Hadrian came upon an impatient-looking redhead, whose arms were crossed over her chest and tapping her feet idly against the glass surface covering the pool.

Creeaak

Hearing the door open, Natasha turned and watched as he slowly approached her.

“What’s that with you?” she nodded to the objects gripped in both of his hands.

With a smile, Hadrian held up the object in his right hand, looking at it briefly before facing her.

“Just had to get some stuff. This is called an Aegis Slim Vest. It’s a reliable body armor that protects the torso without giving away the fact that you’re wearing one to the enemy.”

He placed the armor vest down against his leg before pulling up the black box, one hand on the bottom while the other was used to open it.

“And since you have no firearm to rely on, this will be your new gun.”

He turned the box in her direction so that she could see its contents.

Natasha blinked as the first thing she noticed was the interior of the case.

Outside, the case looked unassuming, completely akin to others she had seen before.

The interior though, it was anything but.

The bottom of the case was aligned with tiny lights glowing with a bright blue color, casting illuminating shadows of the contents inside.

The objects themselves were resting on a dark navy velvet cushion, adding a luxurious feel to it.

There were only two items lying inside.

One was obviously a weapon, and the other was a magazine.

At first glance, it seemed no different from a regular pistol, albeit stylish and advanced-looking compared to others she had seen before.

The pistol in the case was jet-black in color, with several ridges on the sides and a tactical handle to allow a firmer and more comfortable grip for the user.

There was a small, custom laser sight attached at the bottom.

Situated on the left side of the gun, there was a strange-looking magazine.

Natasha thought it was strange as she saw no bullets inside the chamber.

Where the bullets should be, there was a small tube on the front side of the cartridge instead.

She didn’t know what it was for, but it does not look like a common .44 bullet would be able to fit in there.

Furthermore, running across its sides were a few thin lines, almost similar to circuits, emitting a glowing bright blue light.

Reluctantly, as much as her fingers itched to grab the pistol and feel it in her hands, Natasha tore her gaze away and up to meet Hadrian’s amused gaze.

“Why are there no bullets inside the magazine?” Natasha asked, green eyes alight in curiosity.

With a small smile, Hadrian answered.

“That’s because there’s none.”

The response caused Natasha to frown in confusion.

Chuckling, Hadrian decided to give her a demonstration instead.

Turning the box to him, he reached in, grabbed the pistol and then the magazine.

He closed the case, locking it before placing the object beside his feet on the glass surface currently covering the pool.

Lifting his hands up for her to see the cartridge and the pistol clearly, Hadrian then inserted the former inside, pushing the bottom and smiling –

Click

– when he heard a click inside, an indication of the chamber being successfully attached.

Vrom

The chamber’s internal parts came to life.

Facing the girl, the mage laughed softly

Natasha’s green eyes were wide and round.

She was staring, surprised by the glowing blue lines that appeared around the pistol the second the magazine was inside.

Catching her stunned gaze, Hadrian smiled.

“As you’ve surmised by now, this is no ordinary pistol. Believe it or not, this gun is considered as the most basic firearm in the organization. But I suppose, in the eyes of outsiders, this would be considered rare and highly advanced, compared to the ones sold by arms dealers nowadays.”

Natasha stared at him impassively.

“Oh, I believe it, Rey. I’m no expert, but even I can tell that gun ain’t normal.” The girl remarked dryly, glancing briefly at the firearm.

Hadrian chuckled at her ironic wit.

"This is called the Classic. Now, the reason why it is regarded as the most basic firearm is due to its shooting style. In other words, it works how a gun typically does. Point, and shoot."

Unamused, the redhead merely stayed silent and looked at him.

Hadrian laughed, amused by her unfazed expression.

“That’s where the similarity ends though. This gun may be basic, but it remains as one of the most favored firearm by many members.”

At this, Natasha became attentive.

“Oh?” She glanced at the gun. “Does it have something to do with those glowing lines?”

Hadrian nodded with a smile.

“Why yes, it does.”

Natasha paused, recalling his mention of the magazine.

“You also said that the magazine has no bullets earlier.”

The smile on his face grew by a tad margin.

“Yes, I did. And it was designed that way on purpose.” He pressed his thumb on the back of the firearm where the hammer would typically be.

Natasha frowned, thoughtful.

“For what reason? I mean, why not just make a better gun and be done with it?”

Hadrian chuckled.

A vague smile settled on his lips.

“Ah, but that is what the maker didn’t want to do.”

The redhead’s curiosity was piqued.

“What do you mean?”

The mage met her gaze with a half-lidded stare, luring her into a slight trance as he smiled.

“Rather than make something common and expected, they decided to stray from that trend and venture out. They didn't want to make a gun that would only be used for several years, nor do they want to make different versions of it. No, the maker has the gun's quality in mind, rather than to make profit from its quantity.”

Taking note of the amusement in his voice, Natasha's interest grew.

It was as if… there was some inside joke that he was aware of, which wouldn’t be surprising to her if it were the case.

Still, despite her impassive expression, she decided to humor him.

“And what is that?”

Hadrian smiled, sensing her curiosity.

“Versatility. They made a pistol that can be used easily, but adaptable and highly capable. First, are these.” He gestured to the glowing blue lines on the gun. “These lines come from the power of the PAG Chamber. The magazine that you saw me install into gun earlier.”

Maroon brows rose behind deep crimson bangs, as Natasha stared questioningly.

“PAG?”

Nodding slightly, Hadrian’s smile grew a tad.

“Perpetual Air Generator. PAG, in short. Instead of storing bullets, the magazine was designed into a small, but sophisticated device that converts air into hard-compressed 9mm pellet-size projectiles. The internal components in the chamber are quite complicated to explain in detail, so don’t bother asking me about it. Just know that it’s like any other pistol, but is self-sustaining when it comes to its ammunition.”

He deliberately ignored the fact that he can explain it in great detail, as he was technically the weapon’s creator.

But considering the making of the pistol involves a bit of magecraft, he decided not to, if not to avoid revealing unnecessary details to her.

Regardless, Natasha looked quite stumped by his explanation.

Of course, there was a hint of skepticism that he could see lingering in her green eyes.

Expecting such, Hadrian merely smiled and began to walk away from her.

Ignoring the look of confusion directed on his back, he grabbed one of the towels from a nearby hanger racks and hung it on a hook.

The distance was about 12ft from where the girl stood.

After making sure it was properly situated, Hadrian returned to where the redhead girl remained standing, stopping once he was next to her.

“I suppose to see is to believe in this case, no?” Hadrian commented idly

The mage flashed the girl a small mischievous smile.

And without waiting for her reaction, he looked to the towel hanging directly across from them, deactivating the safety button on the side of the magic pistol.

He aimed, and fired.

Foom

Foom

Foom

“…?!”

Natasha flinched in surprise as she watched the young man standing beside her, firing rapidly at the cloth with a small smile on his lips.

Her focus was immediately on the pistol’s performance.

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First, she noticed that there were no sounds as the gun was firing.

It was terrifyingly silent, with wisps of blue smoke briefly appearing after each successful trigger.

Only when its bullets made contact with the cloth did she hear audible noises.

And boy, can she hear them.

PAK

PAK

PAK

The impact of the projectiles was quite strong.

She could even hear them hitting the wall through the towel, which spoke of the force of every bullet the pistol fires.

Second, unlike a regular pistol, the barrel of the gun was not moving, and there were no empty shells ejecting from each shot.

Which was to be expected since the ammunition was not the usual kind, nor was there a way for the shells to exit out of the barrel due to its unique composition.

No physical ammo equals no recoil, a feat that many gunmakers would kill to know and plenty of gun-users would like to experience.

Third, Natasha noticed that Hadrian had been shooting for quite a while now, which tells her of the weapon’s amazing ammo capacity.

Eventually, Natasha regained composure and began to take count, pausing once the disguised man had stopped firing before turning to her.

Seeing her focused expression, Hadrian was a bit amused.

“Taking notes?”

Face impassive, Natasha merely gave a serious nod.

Hadrian chuckled softly.

“Thirty-six...” Natasha suddenly spoke.

The mage lifted a questioning brow.

“Hm?”

“The rounds in that gun. It’s thirty-six.” Natasha elaborated, gesturing to the pistol in his hand.

Looking at the object in question, Hadrian paused before nodding.

“Yes, that’s correct. In fact, you can even see it in here.”

Hadrian switched the safety back on.

Then, he turned the pistol for her to see the back of it where there was a tiny rectangular screen with a small bar and a number on it, situated directly below the rear sight.

“Do you see that small bar and numbers on the screen? The numbers indicate the ammo count, while the bar tells you of the ammo restoration.”

Green eyes narrowed as she started at the screen.

“How do you tell when the bullets are restored?”

“The cartridge is programmed to restock once it senses the ammo close to being emptied. The little bar above the numbers will load once the rounds are at twelve or ten.”

“Fortunately, this is the latest model. Thus, the conversion and generating process will take no more than two or three seconds. Older models take longer, some even thirty seconds.” Hadrian explained, adding the last as an afterthought.

“… meaning that you can fire almost right away.” Natasha finished.

Green eyes widened in surprise, as it dawned on her of the pistol’s dangerous potential.

Hadrian nodded.

“Correct.”

With a smile, he offered the pistol to her, handle first.

Natasha blinked.

The girl stared at the pistol, then slowly and reluctantly took it from him.

In her right hand, she tested the grip a few times.

There was no discomfort at all.

“…”

Since her head was slightly tilted downwards, Hadrian did not see the emotions flashing across her face before her green eyes narrowed.

She turned her head back up, meeting his questioning gaze.

The reason for his confusion?

Well, she was staring at him with her trademarked monotone expression.

Inside, Hadrian wondered what he did now to garner such a reaction from her.

Turns out, he did not have to wait long as the girl spoke.

“And you’re just going to give this to me?” The redhead asked, green eyes searching.

“Hn.” Hadrian grunted in response, as if stating ‘isn’t it obvious?’.

“Why?” The question was quickly delivered, almost demanding in a way.

Sensing a sort of tension in the air, Hadrian paused and glanced upwards at the ceiling briefly as he considered his words carefully.

Slowly, he turned back to Natasha, who stiffened slightly at the expression on his face.

Hadrian remained as he usually was, calm and relaxed.

There was even a hint of a smile on his lips as he gazed upon her.

But his bright cyan eyes were abnormally piercing and deep, drowning unsuspecting victims into their depths by the emotions that lingered beneath the surface.

In that moment, Natasha felt strangely entranced.

To the point that she almost missed him speaking.

“To increase your chances of survival, of course.”

Hadrian chuckled softly when he saw her face morph into indignation, clearly somewhat offended by his words.

Nevertheless, he pushed through before she had a chance to voice her displeasure.

“Now, now, don’t look so offended. I know you’re capable of handling yourself in a fight. I’ve seen it for myself.”

Natasha blinked, then relaxed as her ire was appeased by his words.

“Damn right…” she muttered, huffing slightly.

Hadrian merely smiled at her.

“Still, as capable as you are, you have limits. This, you cannot deny.” He gave a knowing look.

“…”

Natasha paused, absorbing this, before crossing her arms under her chest with a huff.

Her actions simply drew a chuckle from Hadrian as he continued.

“Since you’ve been so insistent in following through this favor of yours, I’m lending you these equipment for now.”

Exhaling through her nose, Natasha glanced at the pistol in her hand, turning it this way and that.

When she gazed back up –

“…?!”

The young assassin almost flinched.

Natasha was used to seeing him smile, and was even dazzled by it a few times.

But it was eerie when that turned into the opposite case.

It was similar to turning a light switch.

That was how quick the change she came upon.

She didn’t know when he did it, but Rey now had one hand in his pocket, most of his weight was leaning on one foot as he stared down at her with a calm, stoic expression.

His bright cyan eyes, which were usually calm and relaxed, suddenly turned intimidating as they looked into her own, intense and observant.

Combined with his handsome features and uncommon bearing, he appeared quite regal, almost akin to a king quietly judging a person’s worth.

Natasha had no idea where that thought came from, but it was honestly what her mind conjured upon seeing him like this.

Strangely enough, she felt that this side of Rey was the truest part that she had ever seen him.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I can discern from the way you act and behave that you have a difficult past. No, you don’t need to say anything. I’m not saying this to force you tell me anything about what you’ve been through.”

Hadrian shook his head to stop her from speaking, as he noticed what she was about to do.

“Your past is your own story to tell. I have no right, or any say to it. I’m just providing you with a small measure of support to lessen that weight on your shoulders. If my actions cause you any discomfort, then think of these gear as my investment to your growth instead of just charity.” (1)

Natasha was rendered silent.

At first, she was angry.

Her face quickly morphed into its expressionless mask at the thought of hearing someone say that they knew what she had been through.

That they knew of her pain.

She was about to show her displeasure in the most effective way she knew how.

Violence.

But, as she listened to him, the growing anger turned out to be unfounded, and it was eventually extinguished before he even finished speaking.

The world has a lot of ugliness, in its darkest corners, even in most people.

Natasha had seen this for herself, experienced it even.

But once again, Rey had proven himself to be different from the rest.

Recalling what he said earlier, Natasha wondered what kind of past Rey had gone through for him to become who he was now.

Through sheer will, she forced herself out of her musings, as her mind caught onto something he uttered with interest.

The redhead coughed, to clear her throat and break the silence that settled upon them.

“… investment?” Natasha asked, her tone unexpectedly soft.

Having looked away briefly, Hadrian turned to her once more.

“Yes, though lending them to you is just for my own peace of mind, really. You might think it’s annoying, but I feel a bit uncomfortable that someone as young as you is hanging around me.”

“…”

He huffed in amusement, when he noticed Natasha twitched before a flash of irritation crossed her monotoned face.

“You’re right, it’s really annoying when you point that out.” She deadpanned, glaring mildly.

In turn, Hadrian merely chuckled.

“Hn, yes, well, I’m not exactly safe to be around with, given my recent achievements, and you’re going to realize that soon enough in the next assignment.”

The mage sighed.

“Anyway, it’s best that we get you familiarize with the pistol. The better you know it, the sooner you can use it to its full potential. As for the vest, it might not look that reliable given its average appearance, but I assure you – it’s quite effective against most firearms commonly favored by people these days. I know this because I tested it myself.”

With that, the rest of their day was spent with Hadrian teaching Natasha how to use the Classic properly and its extra functions.

Hadrian gave her instructions and insight in utilizing the pistol and the armor vest’s capabilities, which Natasha was quick to learn and adapt.

She simply absorbed every detail he said to her, displaying a keen intellect and quick memory processing that he had discovered and expected from her.

The wall behind the towel had suffered a bit of indentation from the force of the air bullets, after Natasha shot at the cloth for quite some time.

Hadrian was a bit embarrassed when he explained that tidbit of information to Lionel, having not thought of the consequence of his little demonstration earlier carefully.

Fortunately, the man was understanding and patient with him, merely dismissing the damage as insignificant.

In the end, Hadrian thought to resolve the matter by repairing the wall via spell.

Of course, that plan would need to be delayed until he left Moscow for the next mission.

Otherwise, Natasha would wonder how the wall was repaired without her notice.

Explaining to her about magic just might cause her to shoot him or something,

Not to mention, the headache inducing sermon he would receive from his grandfather for even possibly considering it.

That would not be a fun experience, especially since she has a magic pistol to use now.

Not at all.

…

----------------------------------------

…

Another day passed.

The pair spent their hours almost similarly to the day before.

Hadrian would wake up first (by Maya pawing at his hands), complete his morning routine, and walk past a sleep-eyed Natasha on the way back, greeting her a polite ‘good morning’.

Inwardly though, he had been surprised to see her up earlier than when he had first seen her.

The girl looked shocked, then a moment later, mildly annoyed.

What she was annoyed about, Hadrian does not know.

He only took note of it as he passed her by the hallway, and she watched him return to his room without even greeting him back.

That was okay though.

He probably disturbed her morning by startling her… again.

In hindsight, he concluded that she was trying to catch the time of when he was usually awake.

At least, that was what he discerned from her emotions and body language.

Knowing the girl’s personality, that was probably what she was most likely trying to do.

Later, Hadrian arrived at the lounge (with Maya still following him around) and was greeted by the sight of Natasha, fresh out of the hot showers and in clean clothes.

Surprisingly, she decided to wear a white t-shirt with long-sleeves today, while the rest of her clothes remained mostly in black.

The small change almost caused Hadrian to lift a questioning brow, but he kept his composure and maintained his calm and relaxed façade.

Putting the matter in the back of his mind, the mage simply went into a sort of autopilot for the rest of the day.

He cooked breakfast, making enough to feed four people (in the case either of them wants seconds), with her assisting him in chopping the other ingredients.

Once the food was done, they ate mostly in silence, what with Hadrian engaging Natasha in a bit of an idle conversation for a few times as they ate.

After that, Hadrian excused himself for a few hours to start his work in the study, which Natasha simply accepted with a wordless nod.

For twenty minutes, Hadrian was alone in the study, working diligently in organizing documents and responding to the emails in his inbox…

Creeaak

Thud

…until the door opened, and a certain red-haired girl entered.

Unlike yesterday, he had noticed her entrance.

Other than sending her an amused glance, he merely advised her not to disturb him while he worked.

He left her alone after saying his piece, leaving her to walk over to the chaise lounge, lay on it, and read one of the books she brought with her for the day.

With their attentions divided into other things, they spent a few hours around each other in soothing silence.

Lunch had been almost the same as breakfast.

They discussed the books she read today, which Natasha seemed invested in as they enjoyed the food they prepared together.

Whilst she answered his inquiries in her usual monotone facade, the glint in her green eyes and the twitch of her lips every once in a while, were enough hints that she enjoyed reading.

She was downplaying her interest, but as an empath, Hadrian saw through her mask.

Although, even if the subjects were about survival and combat related, he was happy that she took an interest in reading.

By adopting a hobby that required minimal energy, it would at least stimulate her brain and habit of gathering information.

She was learning new things and relaxing at the same time.

In his point of view, the girl needed to have a safe space, and a hobby that would not stress her out too much. It was a lucky coincidence that she tried his suggestion and took a liking to it.

That was a win-win in his opinion.

When work was done for the day, Hadrian asked Natasha to accompany him to the glass pavilion again to see her progress with the pistol.

The girl did as he asked.

He should not have been surprised by the results.

But in the end, he soon noticed how comfortable the redhead had become in using the Classic, despite having only practiced with it since yesterday.

Such prowess informed him of her ability to learn and adapt at an astonishing rate, making him curious as to whether it was an innate talent of hers, or if it was caused by something else.

Hadrian was observing Natasha use the magic pistol to hit the targets (which he made himself via conjuration earlier in his room) on the other side of the pavilion, giving her a few tips every once in a while.

To her credit, Natasha was attentive to his suggestions, and not once she had looked annoyed during the session.

Two hours later, as he watched the redhead test the Classic’s special feature against the aegis vest, his holo-phone vibrated in his pocket.

Brrr

Brrr

He drew out the device to check.

“Haah…”

Hearing a sigh nearby, Natasha paused her shooting and turned her questioning gaze to Rey.

“What is it?” she asked, brows knitting in curiosity.

Looking up, Hadrian huffed and waved the holo in his right hand.

“The next assignment has just been sent.” He announced calmly, looking away from her gaze briefly to stare at the pool in thought.

As a result, he didn’t catch Natasha’s green eyes widened in surprise as he continued.

“Now that it’s here, I have to review the reports and plan carefully for this tomorrow.”

Face set into a resolute but stoic expression, Natasha stared up at him with a determined frown.

“I want to go with you.” The redhead announced firmly.

Languidly, Hadrian faced her.

The expression on his face was the epitome of calm and grace.

Natasha took a moment to silently admire his level of control over his emotions, as she cannot read anything from his facial expression alone.

It was like looking at tranquil water.

He stood there, almost akin to a marbled statue, yet she could discern no emotion from him apart from acknowledging his seemingly inhuman beauty.

The morning light behind him even amplified his appearance, making him look angelic as the light from the sun reflected against his ash gray hair.

The soft shadow around his face caused his bright cyan eyes to stand out as he met her gaze head-on.

Ironically, the topic of their discussion was a stark contrast to his elegant and seemingly divine appearance.

Then, Hadrian gave a faint smile, placing his hands inside both pockets.

“Sure.”

Expecting to be refused, Natasha had been prepared to protest.

But his calm assent to her demand caused her to relax and feel a bit of elation.

Sensing her relief and elation, Hadrian was a bit amused.

“What? Did you think I would refuse you?” The mage asked with a slight tilt of his head.

Natasha blinked, startled by the sight before her.

“Err…” Then, her mind caught up, and she looked away. “No…?”

Again, Hadrian caught her reaction and further amused.

Smothering the urge to smile, Hadrian went as if he did not notice anything.

“I’ve told you before. You have a role to play in the next operation, even if I am still reluctant to include you in it. Fortunately, this one fits to what we both want. I grant your favor, and you’ll get to be on your merry after this.”

At his words, Natasha faced him attentively.

Hadrian straightened his posture, as he looked at her in the eyes.

“In the meantime, continue familiarizing yourself with the Classic, and only do a bit of light training to warm up. But do not overdo it. Tomorrow will be a busy day for both of us.”

With that, he turned away from her.

Natasha blinked as she noticed him strode away languidly, with one hand in his pocket.

Noticing his direction was to the door, it seemed that he intended to leave the glass pavilion.

“Where’re you going?” She asked after him.

Glancing over his shoulder, Hadrian gave her a teasing smile.

“Back to the study. My handler wants to brief me about the additional details of the mission. It’s a private meeting, so no sneaking into the room until it’s over, little spider.”

Then, he left the pavilion, closing the door behind him with Maya, who had been well-behaved throughout the time she accompanied him.

Natasha stared after his departing form through the glass walls.

Once he was out of sight, she sighed, and returned to practice her shooting.

In truth, Natasha was highly tempted to sneak into the penthouse and listen in to the meeting.

But, knowing him and remembering what he said earlier, Natasha had no doubt that he would be expecting her to do just that, and might have already prepared for her intrusion.

Running that thought in her mind, Natasha’s impassive expression slowly morphed into a mild frown of annoyance.

The more she thought about it, the more likely it was going to happen.

If it was any other person, Natasha might have possibly succeeded.

But against Rey, knowing his capabilities and seeing him in action, she measured her chances of success, and she didn’t like the results.

Having a good sense in judging such scenarios that were likely to occur, Natasha dismissed the urge and focused her attention back to training.

At the very least, his advice was sound this time, one that Natasha does not mind following through.

Still, the feeling of being left out did not sit well with her, as evidenced by the aggressiveness in her shooting that slowly began to ramp up the more rounds she fired at the targets.

It was an irritating feeling to experience, and it was certainly not the first, especially after what she had been through over the recent years.

But, as Rey had mentioned before, she was simply here to fulfill her end of the favor and would soon be parting ways with him.

Natasha would just have to grit her teeth and endure…

FOOM

The air bullet hit the dead center on the target.

…and ignore the pang in her heart.