“Ahhhhhh—! Morning—! Ehh–!? Hubert! Hubert!! Where is he?”
It was the dawn of the first day in Green, as Levis was finely awakening from his slumbering cultivation session, which was starting to become a more and more common routine with his day-to-day conduct.
Though, as he opened his eyes, and looked around the room, he could clearly see that the bed on the other side of the room was empty, and already prepared, evidently by Hubert, who had awakened far earlier than Levis himself.
[Boy Hubert had left this room some time ago, boy Adrian had come and fetched him, they said something about giving the reports, and that they will return fast.]
“Hmmm—.” — [Well then---, there is obviously only one apparent thing for me to do right now.]
----------------------------------------
“----with the death of the fire cultivator, the madden serpents had been all engulfed by his last attack, which had ended all the beasts. After that, I have taken notice of sir Baron's presence, as he had arrived, and slain the cultivator which had tried to end my life.”
“Hmmm—, this is exactly, as per the report. Well then---, this will conclude the hearing that you ought to present---, so I thank the both of you, captain Rowen, and caretaker Wan.”
Though as Levis was just tweaking up, in one of the many buildings of the Guards' massive complex, Rowen and old Wan, stood before the head captain and his vice-captain, as Rowen was ending his own individual verbal portrayal, of what had happened in the battle three days ago.
“Now then, to proceed with the next part of our meeting—. Hmmm—!” — [He looks steady enough---, I suppose.]
Though, as the man began to speak, he hesitated for a moment, as he took a good look at the young man standing before him, who gave him the appearance of an upright sword, that was looking right back at him.
“Captain Rowen Field! From now onwards---, I will strip you of your position as a captain. You will return to be a guard of the lowest rank, a recruit---. Do you have any comments to voice against my decision?”
“No, sir.”
“Good, then following—, since you are on a designation at the military academy's behest, you are to choose if you want to continue or retire from the continuance of your academic assignment.”
“---.”
“I will continue, Sir.”
“Good, in said case, I will relocate you under the second Captain of our branch, as a temporal recruit. Anything to say in opposition to my judgment?”
“No, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“Good, though right now—, we have but one small problem.”
“Hmmm—.”
Though, at the word problem, Rowen’s eyelid scrunted just so, as he knew that the problem was coming from his own request, which now had become slightly awkward, with his complete removal from his captain position.
“They are here, right? Make them enter.”
“Old Wan, please get them.”
At the head-captains words and gaze, which moved on the door of the room, Rowen, turn towards old Wan who was staying behind him, who moved to open the door, letting Zuger, Square, and then Adrian who were waiting outside, enter the room that they were already in.
“Zuger and Square? Hmm---, so this is how you two look---, and no, there had been no jesting in the report, your face—, aham–, aham-!” — [Better not say out loud that his face is almost like a real square, he might not want to hear it.] — “You two, come closer!”
With, the two men having entered the room, and approached the head captain. The man was now, in an even bigger dilemma. As by the report, the two of them could be said to be victims of a great grave injustice, and yet—.
[What to do? What am I supposed to do—!? If it were not for what had happened, I could have easily given them to this brat, but now—. Hmmm—. They sure are like a hot potato, if I give them to Rowen then---, this really might come back, and burn my hand—. Sigh---, in the end, they are associated with the bandits, performing involuntary or not, murder and kidnapping of the Kingdoom's subjects. But, why is this kid so eager?! Does he really intend of using them to find and deal with the slave black market—? And even you, caretaker Wan—! Are you not supposed to stop him?] — “So—, you really---, want to deal with them! Alone---! In your care!?”
“Yes.”
[Ahhhgrh—, alright, alright! If you want the I will give them to you. But, why are you—, why are you staying silent? Is this not a perfect moment for you to intervene, with the rules and regulations? My dear second, vice-captain Risa, please speak for your poor captain!!!] — “Very well. In that case, I will put a new, formulation about their special release. However, you, and at the same time senior Wan, will have to take responsibility for their liberty, I will also have to add, that they ought to take an oath using a high cultivator's conscious needle, so as to thwart them both from trying to escape, and prohibiting them to not work towards, or aspire to endanger anyone, who does not represent an immediate life threat, to their own lives. This is as far as I can concede for you. Can you accept my terms?”
“Yes, sir. The term is more or less what I have in mind, when I first thought of my action.”
“Hmm—, good. Then—.”
“Sir. May I use my own pledge stone, as I possess an oath stone with East general’s conscious intent?”
“Your fathe—. Hmmm–, very well, you are permitted. Proceed---!”
“Zuger, Square, here!”
Following their talk, old Wan, moved in between the two men, while caring a small, black, and glossy tablet. Positioning himself, so that the head captain and the vice-captain, could see, and witness the oath being made by the two men. While Rowen stood on the side, and with Adrian at the back of the room, next to the door, staying silent, as he could only observe and hear the procedure, for he was unqualified of saying, and even doing anything in the presence of the one's who populated the room, that he was currently in.
----------------------------------------
“This place sure is big---, no matter where I turn, guards in blue everywhere.”
Some time had passed, since Levis had wakened, from his cultivation session, while founding himself alone in the room, with Hubert having left somewhere, and not waking him, so as to inform him of anything. As such, Levis had taken the situation into his hands and walked out of the room which belong to Hubert.
Though once outside, he had come to realize that he had no idea of where he was, as of the last night, he had barely any time to observe his surroundings, while the only thing in Hubert's mind had been to reunite with his room, as though not having seen his friend for a long, long time.
[Since you are on a chicken farm, you will obviously see a lot of chickens, what do you expect.]
[No, not about that—, but this place—, there is no end to it!]
[It is about right, given the population of the city, there is a need for a little army of guards to keep the chaos, and all misdemeanors in check, otherwise, mayhem will ensue if people are alone to do all the crazy ideas, that usually pop into their little minds.]
[Haaa—, anyway, this place sure is big!]
As he was walking, he was regularly turning his head to his right and then to his left, as though admiring the complex of tall buildings that were a dozen or so floors, and from time and time nodding his head to some guards that passed as he walked the roads that were filled with guards wearing blue cloths under their armor, or as entire outfits. Though, what was particular about the place he was wandering about, was the fact that the place was like a town populated by a grand majority of guards, as people wearing normal, or better-saying, outfits which did not involve any blu, were in the minority.
[Hmmm—, I can not find him. I can not find anyone here, there are too many people. And I can not see, all that well enough.]
[Obvious deduction, you grand investigator. You were better off dwelling in the room, waiting for him, while cultivating, rather than coming here, to lose yourself amidst the sea of little people. That way I could teach you the three rules when in a new place—. What, wait!]
“That place has a big window, and it can overlook the whole sea of people, maybe if I look from there—.”
It was an understatement to say that he could not find anyone, as he could not see beyond four people if a large crowd was passing by, less to say that people were coming and going, from building to building, and from other places, making the place seem like a haphazard field of bunnies, running all about to their underground homes, even though all the buildings were actually rising into the sky.
Though having ascertained his current problem, Levis’s gaze fell onto one of the taller, and wider buildings, one which had a long row of glass windows, most likely from a long passage hall.
After agreeing with himself, he made his way to the said building immediately, and as though he was in his own house, he walked as though it was the most normal thing. But as he was climbing the stairs, several lady guards, that seem to be working as receptionists, skimmed and peeked at him, but as he seemed to not fear, or ask them, non of them had the courage to ask the young boy who he was, while he was giving the appearance of taking a short stroll in his house, as they knew, that he could be the son of a high ranked guard, or captain, as such, he was left alone to continued his ascent of the stairs, until he reached for the third floor of the building, where the long hall with the many windows was found.
“Hmm?”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Yet, as Levis stood on one end of the long corridor, at the halfway point, another person could be seen, doing the very same thing that he had arrived to perform.
But with a raised eyebrow Levis begin to walk towards the man, approaching him evermore. Though, as he was approaching the man, Levis could make the more finite details about him, as he was standing and looking at the people below.
What could be said about the stated man, was that he had a rather imposing and strong build, as with the blue vest and pants that he was wearing, were making him appear physically fit, while his two hands were behind his back. He looked youthful, however, that was just an impression from his demeanor, as if Levis had to put it, the man was in the same range of age, as the village chief, a middle age man, with a healthy complexion. However, there was one thing that stood out about the man, and that was his large pointy mustache, which gave him a more suave and refined overall feeling about of him.
“Hmmm!”
But as Levis, came to be within three or so meters from him, the man finally took notice of him, as the young boy began to imitate him, putting his hand behind his back, sustaining one another. Though in Levis’s case, there was one problem, and that was that his head was just so much above the lowers point of the window, making it difficult to see all the well the people that were not in his eye field. Yet, the man did not glance at the boy for too long and turned to observe the people below, the same way he was already doing it before Levis had first appeared.
“---.”
“---.”
“Hmm—, so whom you may be? Whose child are you?”
“Me? I am no one’s child.”
“What do you mean? Who is your father or mother, do I know them?”
“No.”
“I do not know them?”
“No, they are dead.”
“Is that so—, then my consolations, little chap.”
“Hmmm—, thank you.”
“Then who is your guardian at this moment?”
“Guardian?”
“The one who is looking after you.”
“Mmmm—, that would be Rowen, or Hubert now—, I think, I am not too sure. Well, I am searching for any one of them right now.”
“Rowen, Hubert?! Are they here—?”
“Yes, they are guards like you.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm—! What is your name, little chap?”
After the long, yet short conversation between the middle-aged man, and Levis, the man finely turn his gaze away from the window, and the people below, to look at the little boy who had come, and copied his posture without batting an eye since the first moment he had reached the floor.
“My name? Levis—, Levis Ato the Great.”
“Levis. The great?”
“Yes.”
“Arrogant, daring, with a big hubris and ego to boot.”
“What?”
But as the words came out of the middle-aged mustache man, Levis's right eyebrow rose, as though he had not heard the words correctly.
“Exactly what you heard, that's what are you. This is the first impression that you provided me.”
“Eh!?” — [What is this chief mustache saying?]
[Exacly what you are hearing. He is giving you the first impression analysis of your stupid behavior. Which is all the contrary, to my teaching to hide yourself.]
“That is what you are, after all, who in their right mind will call themselves “the great”? That is the first and conclusive sign of your hubris and inflated ego. Maybe the guardians that raise you, did not guide you well enough!”
“What did you say!”
“Eh!!!”
[Oh! Shit, kid, calm down!!!]
The man was instantly startled, as it was in a sole instant, that from the last phrase that he uttered, the demeanor of the unusual, curious, and wilful child before him, took a turn that even he was not expecting it. As a wave of almost perceptible murderous intent came from the now monster-like small human, which stood right before him. With a face that was full of callousness, and coldness that the man would rarely encounter, though it was the eyes of the young boy that seem to hold an anomaly that gave him the feeling, of being eyed by something that was not entirely human.
“Are you insulting grandpa and grandma?!”
“I—, I am not. If I have said something which may have offended you, then I am truly sorry for my ignorant and insensitive words.”
“Hmph—!”
[Kid, calm down. You are showing too much. Retract your intent, and keep a hold on your power, or he will see through your charade.]
Though it was only after the man excused himself, and Urger's echoing words, that Levis, begin to calm himself and bring his rage under control.
“I am truly sorry if I have insulted your grandfather and grandmother. If it is possible I will like to apologize to the two of them.”
“No. Not possible.”
“What do you mean?”
Though at Levis's fact of the matter words, and almost uncaring reply of refutation, the man became a bit confused, as he began to think that he might have truly enraged the young boy before him.
“That is alright, then all you have to do, is nothing more than to deliver my—.”
“They are dead.”
“Ah—. Is that so? Then I will give you my condolences again. Then if I may ask, have they passed peacefully?”
“No, they were killed by bandits.”
“---.”
However, as Levis uttered his phrase, the man had his first physical reaction towards Levis's words, as even the murderous intent had done nothing, but make him exclaim a little, but now, his eyes enlarged, and his face became cold, darker, and stern.
“Rowen, Rowen—, captain Rowen. Are you from the southwest corner of the Kingdom?”
“Hmmm---, I think, that is what they have said, so yes.”
“That makes perfect sense, your grandparents---. Sigh, then all I can say to you is that—, I am sorry, I am truly sorry, I could not save you, and I could not save your grandparents, I am ashamed.”
However, now it was Levis's turn to be a bit surprised, as the man, bowed his head towards him, while his apology did not give the feeling of an act, facade, or deception. Which, in turn, made Levis feel a tad at ease, and a bit relieved for some unsure reason.
“Raise your head. I do not know who you are, but if you can bow in regret to my grandpa, you can not be a bad guard, so you can remain secure, that I, Levis, will remember you.”
“I—, I. Such a thing—, I ought to have been there to help you, to protect the men which had fallen—, and yet, I am powerless to leave my station, my rank, and my duties that ought to be seen after and completed. I have tried my best to send help, it was me who pushed for someone to go through the journey, and yet—, thirty-three young guards have died—, I—, I.”
Though, Levis’s surprise did not end, as the man continue to stay with his head down, as though trying to apologize to the dead men and their families, through himself.
“Ahh—!” — [What do I do?]
[Let him raise his head, and say something consoling. This little boy has an annoying personality, so you better not interact with him for too long.]
[Annoying?] — “There is no need to bow your head, if you believe you have done the most reasonable action that you could have done, at said time. Anyway, what is done is done, so the best thing you could do is to move forward with an even stronger will and devotion.”
“I—, I–, I thank you, chap Levis. If we meet again, I will train you, so that the next time I am not there to protect you—, you will be able to protect yourself, and those important to you!”
[Quite smart from you kid.]
[Grandpa's words, about a broken heart.] --- “Ahh—, yes, I—, thank you for the—, opportunity.”
[Eh!? Anyway, I told you, so you better run—.]
“In any case, you should return to where your guardian is—, do you want me to escort you to where they are?”
“Ahhhh—, no, no need—, I will—, yes, yes, I will just return to Hubert’s room, and wait for him there. Anyway thank you, I will see you another time, chief mustache.”
“Eh!? Wait—, do not run! And my name is William Barrel—, if anything happens just say my name—! And---, he is gone—. Sigh!”
However, as the man was persisting, Levis had the weird sensation of something not being right—, in fact, the strange behavior of the man who had instantly become friendly towards him, was somewhat off-putting, when compared to the first impression of a serious and strait to the fact matter personality. This was why, Levis did not wait any longer, and immediately rushed towards the stairs, and then through the crowds of guards, the ordinary people, and then directly towards the building, where Huber’s room was located.
“Sigh—, time to go as well, time to meet them.”
----------------------------------------
“Haaa—, they are out, and this is finely done—. Huuu, Risa, why have you not intervened during the exchange, and said something about it regarding any regulation?”
Though, as Levis was returning towards Hubert’s room, Rowen and the others were done with their own matters, leaving the head captain, and the vice-captain alone, inside the spacious office. As the man, and the woman looked at one another as though, they were only some old acquaintances.
“Sigh—. It was obvious he was about to fight for the custody of the two bandits. Therefore I did not want to fight a losing battle, so I let the matter proceed, as the head captain had desired.”
“Hmmm?! I thought he was eager, I did not think that he was all that eager—. Wait! Are you saying you felt it like a chore and left it to me alone?”
“Why would the head captain, interpret my action such as so? I am but the second, while the head captain is the first, my authority is obviously sub-ranked by yours truly.”
“You—, you—!” — [Risa!!! I see—, I see, you could have said something, and yet—, you snake---, you snake--, you snake woman! Letting me to wrack my brains out. Aaa---, I got a headache again.]
But between the two’s dialogues, the man became more and more frustrated with the woman's choice of staying silent, while the woman pretended subservience to rank and status, so as to shirk the responsibility on the man. Although, from the two's eyes, sparks could almost be seen flying, as though the two of them were clashing with swords, for no apparent reason, with their gazes locked on one another.
"---."
"---."
"---."
“Captain—!”
“What?”
“Here—.”
“Agrh—, what are these for?”
“Some particular submissions from the public, some of the reports made by the guards, and some general information we have gathered—.”
“Sigh—! Let me see—.”
Though, the tension between the two of them was short-lived, as the woman held her hidden weapon, which could bring down the high ego of the man in a literal instant. As with a hand full of several dozen sheets of paper, the man had his head moved back as though from fear, akin to a turtle trying to hide its head inside its shell, though unfortunately for the man, there was no such shell, as he had to accept the papers and begin to read them, one by one.
“---another bar fight. Please find my dog, what the hell! Why did you let this one? Hmmm—, my husband had been missing for two days, please search for him, missing persons? A fight again. Ohh—, suspicious large amounts of energy stones in the transactions of the black market! This one looks half interesting. Someone stole my elixir. My apprentice has run away, please search for him, haaa---, you search for him, and it is not him the one who had stolen the elixir? A man's hand was found in the northwest part of the woodlands. A man raped by a woman? The man is not willing to give a proper description of the assailant, possibly credence of the good-looking rapist who is traversing the Kingdom. Oh shit, is this one for real! Was this rapist not at Ten Tree city a month ago? Hmmm---, fierce fight in the outer city, the victim unconscious, and half dead. And then, a bar fight, and another bar fight, and another one, fuck this, I want to join in, the beat you fucking bastards for giving me all these papers, just how many of these are here!!?”
----------------------------------------
“Ahhhh—, haaaa!" --- [Are we---, am I in the clear?]
Not long after Levis had run off from the mustache man, and through the path of guards and city people, he had reached the entrance of the building where Hubert’s room was located.
[You can stay safe, as he had not followed you.]
[Haaa—, good. There is something amiss about him—, similar to how I get the same sensation from brother Rowen’s fiance—, Lu–Luise. But, what is it that if sense from them?]
[Now that you are saying this, maybe you can feel their outspreading consciousness in an innate way. You can probably feel their strong will of attachment or devotion. Though, have you gauged him?]
[Hmmm? Kind off—, I did not feel much until I approach him, but he is by far the strongest guard I have encountered till now—, though returning to sensing the consciousness—, eh?] — “Eh!?”
“Ha-ha, ha-ha, good, good that you have returned. I was just about to start a search for your location—, young Levis.”
As there was still some distance away from Hubert's room, Levis had to take several turns, and then move to the first floor of the building, when a familiar voice and face greeted him with a smile that possessed quite the hidden anger and vexation hidden behind it.