I locked my gaze on Edward's back. At a first glance, it didn't seem that reliable. It was underdeveloped, and his slight hunch made it even more difficult to trust him entirely. Nonetheless, I should not judge a book by its cover.

It took me by surprise to see Douglass—Gray at the gate. Given our previous disagreement, I never believed I'd get the chance to see him again. Not only that, but it was thanks to him that I managed to delve into this district with what seemed to be a capable party of mercenaries. Unexpectedly, I found myself owing him another one.

He lied to me about his name, now that I think about it. Right in my face. And I was ashamed to admit that I had given him my actual one instead. We seemed to be similar in age, but it was painfully obvious that Gray outmatched me in most categories.

My eyes shifted to Melody's general direction, her form obscured by the height of the buildings as she trailed after us.

'How are you?' I asked.

'Hungry,' I think she replied.

Although we could communicate, it wasn't to the extent we could have full-blown conversations. There was no need to point out so much to Gray, though. It was already surprising enough that he managed to deduce so much about my ability within a couple of minutes. I couldn't help but ponder once more. Why is someone as gifted as him taking chances by doing immoral things? Until he opens up, I doubted I'd ever understand him.

"Guard up, Lucas," Edward told me, which lead my attention toward the gas station ahead. Rust seemed to have eaten a good chunk of the rooftop above, but I doubted it'd fall onto us or something like that. The windows themselves were broken, sharp shards sprouting from their corners. Someone must've forced their way in... or out.

"Do you mind if I ask a question?" I asked, knowing that I had plenty of things I was curious about.

"What is it?"

I stared at the arrows sprouting out of his quiver. "Why are you using a crossbow?"

Mara and Logan seemed to prefer fighting at close range, and despite not carrying a weapon on himself, Gray was fully capable of protecting himself. I saw firsthand just what kind of explosive strength he has, and carrying that enormous backpack around was proof of his sheer endurance.

I, on the other hand, carried around the spear used by my father during his mercenary days. Despite being my first time coming to this place, both of my parents thought me anything there was about the life of a mercenary. That came with many downsides, too. Besides the minimum information about mana and magic, I had no clue how either actually worked.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"I prefer keeping an eye on things from distance. To look at the big picture," he muttered, putting one leg over the window's frame, then the other. "Be careful. Make sure not to cut yourself."

I heeded his warnings and did the same, stepping over the shadow cast by the window frame and stretching toward the center of the room. Although I'd never say it aloud, there was a strange beauty in the ruination that followed after the Overflow.

Just as I opened my mouth, Edward pointed toward the shelves beside us as he took a step ahead toward the cashier, probably suggesting I should check them.

"Do you have any other questions?" he asked, albeit annoyed.

It wasn't that he hated me, but he didn't hide the fact that he didn't trust me either. I probably would've felt the same if I were in his shoes. That's why I hid Melody's presence for so long, and that also should explain why I felt so relieved to have received Gray's help, who already proved to care about Melody.

"What about guns?"

In the Underworld, that subject seemed to be taboo. But what about the 4th District? Besides the loud noise, I couldn't imagine any other reason why mercenaries wouldn't rely on them.

"They're not as effective as you might think." He slammed his fist against the counter after not finding anything in it. "It takes serval bullets to take even the low-ranking monsters down."

There was some food on the shelves. I picked it up, thinking I might be able to feed some of it to my gryphon. Unfortunately, after inspecting their expiration date, I could only shake my head. There was no way I could feed Melody something I wouldn't be able to eat myself.

"And the reason why you're using arrows—"

Edward took one out of the quiver, scratching its bluish shaft across the wall. Although he didn't use a lot of strength, it left a visible line on its surface. It shouldn't have been possible unless—

"They're coated in mana?" I blurted out.

"Yeah, but please don't imagine artifacts or something fancy like that," he said, putting the arrow back in the quiver in one fluid motion. It was obvious he had practiced a lot. "These arrows are just cheap knockoffs. Well, still more expensive than whatever you can imagine. After cleaning them properly, they're reusable. Despite their high price, they frequently make up for the inconvenience."

"But if arrows can be coated in mana," I grumbled as I knelt toward some cans of tomato sauce. "Shouldn't it be possible for bullets to be as well?"

That only seemed to be the natural thing to assume.

"I don't have the financial leisure to use that kind of gun," said Edward and shrugged, going into the backroom of the station. "The income of a mercenary is not that much, as you can tell. Especially in days like these..."

Yeah, we found nothing, despite looking everywhere possible. Following him, I noticed the broken computer on the desk and a flipped chair on the ground. The room itself must've been where the guard rested, watching everything through the security cameras.

"Not anymore, though..."

Dried blood lead all the way toward another door, which seemed to be the back exit out of the station. There must've been some sort of dispute...

"Did you say something, Lucas?" asked Edward, searching through some drawers.

"I didn't."

What I said was of no importance in the slightest.