"So, what have you been up to these past 4 years?" Theo asked.

He was sitting inside the most expensive bar in town. In front of him was Vex, along with a bottle of expensive wine on the table. He didn't want to get a drink there, but since Vex was the one paying, he couldn't refuse.

Vex sipped the wine. "What do you expect a dragon-ranked adventurer to do? What you do is more interesting. One of the leaders of Garuda Mercenary suddenly quit, to live a normal life in Aeston. I mean, back then, you already have everything you wanted. Women, money, strong adversaries you have to face every day, and by being mercenary, you travel all around the free cities. Why? Not complaining though, you've changed for the better."

"Change for the better, really?"

"Yeah. I don't know how to describe what have changed within you. But, I just know."

"Well.." Theo then told Vex about everything in Aeston, especially about Mary.

"So, how many women do you get from these past 4 years?"

"23, though I will only count 3 as my lover. How about you, Vex? how many men did you humiliate these past 4 years?"

Vex chuckled, then took a sip. "Plenty."

After talking and drinking some more, Theo asked about something that he really wanted to ask since they met. "I heard that you and the 'Miracle' are searching for something. Legendary item."

Vex sighed. She put down the glass of wine in her hand and drank it from the bottle. "Okay, let me tell you the truth. I've hit my level cap, Theo."

Theo raised his brows. "What?! But you're still level, what? 29?"

"Yes, I know. It's vexing to kn-" Theo laughed, interrupting her. "What?!" She asked with anger in her voice.

"Oh..Vex. Do you forget that you mustn't use that forbidden word? Vex..Vexing. Vexed Vex." He said with a smirk on his face.

Vex stared at him with an annoyed look. "I take my word back. You haven't changed a little bit." She took another gulp. "ANYWAY! It's really frustrating that I can't level up anymore! Understand?!" Theo nodded. She took another gulp. "NO, you don't! I have to do pushups for months now before I can raise my strength!"

"So the last few years, you've been searching for a way to increase your level cap. Is there really a way?"

She sighed, then took another gulp. Her face started to become red, the sign of her being drunk. "I heard a rumor. There's a legendary item that could increase your level cap. OR this one ritual to increase your level cap."

She put the bottle on her lips again, but Theo took the bottle from her hand before she could drink it. "Enough. You're drunk, and It's bad if you are drunk."

"I'm not drunk!" She slammed her hand on the table. She went silent as she observed Theo's face. Then smiled. "Hey, remember that one time we got totally wasted?"

"No, Vex, no. Enough."

Vex stood up and walked behind him, then whispered in his ears. "Remember how amazing that night was?"

Shivers ran through his body. Many people didn't know, despite her Class 3 Swordsmanship talent, the scariest thing about Vex wasn't her battle capabilities. She possessed a Class 4 Sexual Technique talent. A talent that put even the best prostitute to shame. A talent that she used to humiliate countless men, including Theo.

-------

On the tree outside the inn, a pair of brown eye shimmered in the dark. Subaru, the spy Princess Aria sent to watch Theo, sat on a tree branch, observing her target.

She had been following him since the moment his foot touched outside the central district after he met Aria. Not for a single second had she took her eyes off him and his companion. With the exception when they entered the hell hole named Crawler's nest. but even then, she cast a tracking magic to monitor their movement.

She had used all of her skill and knowledge to follow her princess' order. Hiding in the shadow, blending with the crowd, disguising herself as a commoner, all for the sake of monitoring her target activity. Even during the night, when her target was having fun, she didn't take a second of rest.

That night, however, was different.

The moon hung high revealing the cloudless sea of stars. Princess Aria looked at the capital city one last time before going to bed. It was a great beautiful city if not for the criminal underworld and corrupt noble than run it.

A shadow appeared behind her. She was not surprised nor was she scared of it. She knew who it was. "Princess. I'm here to report." Subaru said. "It seemed Theo had stumbled into Wrath's base. He hasn't done anything yet that could threaten our plan, but he has reported it to Sir Arslan."

Aria turned toward Subaru. "WHAT?!!" She yelled.

Natalie burst into the room after hearing her scream. "Princess, is something wrong?"

"Natalie, call Alex and tell him to prepare the dungeon. Also, tell Kanae to kidnap Theo's lover and bring her here."

"At once your highness." She bowed deeply.

----

Beneath The majestic Redmound Keep lies a sprawling dungeon. Used in the past to held political and important prisoners.

In the empty and silent dungeon, one cell was lit, and from it a scream of a woman. Her hair was blue and so was her eyes. Her pure white skin was covered with bruises and cut wound. Her legs and arms were chained to the ceiling. The one who inflicted such wound was standing in front of her, Aria. On her right arm was a whip and on her left was a torture knife.

She turned from the slave woman she had just bought toward the three people behind. She sat on the chair that had been prepared for her.

The first one was Natalie, her closest Aide, who was taking note of her command with paper in her hand. She was the only one of the three to also sit like the princess.

The second was Alex Red, the general of the Hawk Army of the Amaryn Kingdom and also one of its best knight. He stood tall like a metal rod more than 2 meters in height. He wore a full plate armor that covered everything save for his shining red eyes. The armor was a combination of silver and red color, making it stood out even among the army. On his back, an extremely long red sword hung, Forlorn, one of the Kingdom's greatest treasure. It was almost as long as he was tall, made from unusual metal that glowed red.

The third one was Subaru. She kneeled and her head hung low, ready to receive any command her princess ordered her to.

The woman from before was screaming and crying from the pain. Her tongue was cut so she couldn't cry for help, only scream. "She's annoying. Alex, clean her up." Alex walked to the woman without any word. One swing from his massive sword, and she was freed from the suffering of this world. He then disposed of her remain and clean up the blood.

While Alex was cleaning the mess, Aria looked at Subaru. "Keep your eyes on Theo. Find his weakness and bring him here. Conscious or not."

Subaru nodded, stood up and left the room without one more word. "Nat, call Wrath here."

Before Natalie could even move a finger, another person showed up at the cell. He was a huge man, taller and bigger even than Alex with bulging muscles that seemed like it could explode any second. He was bald with tattoos covering all his skin. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

Aria looked at him, unsurprised with his sudden appearance. "Good. There's a change of plan. We will start tonight."

"Tonight? What's the rush Princess? Surely you don't want to throw our well-laid plan to a mess don't you?"

"Your base were discovered, and soon enough, Sir Arslan will come knocking on your door. You said no one should be able to find It!"

"Who?" 

"Just some rand-" "It's Theo Gladium." Natalie answered him before Aria could. "He found out your base."

"The father or the son?" He asked. "Wait, no. The father is dead. So it is the son." Wrath chuckled. "You should consider yourself lucky Princess. Out of the seven deadly sins, only I and Pride would want something to do with Theo Gladium the younger. And if you ordered Envy to kill him, you will be massacred on the spot, instead."

Aria clenched her hand. "He is nothing. I see nothing in his eyes. He is nothing special!"

"Do you want me to take care of him? I have some personal problem with him."

"No. I will personally take care of him."

"Mark my word, Princess. Do not take him lightly."

"Just do your job!" Aria shouted. Natalie gave Wrath a paper. He read it. "That is your assassination list. You must take care of all them within a month."

Wrath read it all the way to the bottom, where he stopped. "Lord Edward Lion and his family? I thought he was an anti-conservative. He will surely help you in the reform to come."

"Just do your job and you will get your Half a million gold. I don't need your opinion here, Wrath."

"And I will do it. Everything will be done in a month or less." He walked away from the cell and vanished into the darkness.

After making sure that wrath was away, Natalie spoke. "Is it alright Princess? To work with a criminal like him?"

"We can't catch two rabbits at the same time, Nat. I will use the criminal to make my reform and clean this kingdom of its deep-rooted corruption. Then after that, I will start to hunt the criminal. It will be a hard and long process, but we have to start somewhere."

"What about Lord Lion. surely-"

"Lord Lion is a great man, sure, but what we need right now is an army to handle the eventual revolt of noble. House Fenix hold the largest army among the nobility. And Lord Alistar Fenix hates Lord Edward."

She bowed. "Sorry, Princess, for doubting you." She then raised her head. "What are we going to do with Theo, Princess?" Natalie asked.

"Just leave it to Subaru. I want him alive. We can still use him." Aria let out a long sigh. She turned toward Natalie who looked at her with a strange look. "Anything to say, Nat?"

"You should be careful Princess. Wrath spoke of him in such a high regard. Someone that even the Deadly Sins spoke in such a high regard is not a normal person."

"Yes. Yes, you are right Nat. I underestimate him too much."

"Usually you know the true worth of a man in a single look Princess. It's rare for you to underestimate a person."

Aria looked at the ceiling and think about what she said. "I don't know it either. When I looked into his eyes I saw nothing. So my arrogance gets the better of me."

"Shouldn't you be happy, Princess? You always wished to have an opponent who can match you. Someone who you can't measure his or her true worth with one glance."

"I guess you're right. But something you wish and something you want is sometimes different. You will never be satisfied with something you got, even if you have wished it for all your life. But that doesn't matter now. The moment Kanae bring his lover to the capital, I have already won."