It was the afternoon of a busy day, in a town situated at the South-East of Hilltop—nearly a hundred kilometers away. The sun shone brilliantly in the overcast sky, neverminding the clouds. The surrounding hills and plains shone in a grayish light—and if you possessed a keen nose, then you would surely catch the scent of the coming rain.

Winter was at the doors.

The town of Faylea hosted a cozy, reasonably crowded tavern. The crackling of firewood from the fireplace was drowned by the chatters of the locals, along with the faint tunes of the bard. The innkeeper was kept busy as he placed a wine-full tankard on the counter in front of a patron.

Dolisia, the white-haired patron, donned a winter outfit consisting of fur boots with extended fur from the upper end down to the ankle, white woolen pants, and a matching shirt. She wore a brown leather chest plate, leather arm braces, and an armband with a star insignia. Dolisia glanced at her tankard, taking a deep breath before sipping on the wine.

Abruptly, the tavern's door swung open, and a pair of furious boots approached the counter, muffling the footsteps that followed behind it.

"Bimbo!" A raspy voice called out.

Dolisia placed the tankard down as she turned around, her eyes locking on an old man eyeing her furiously. Behind the man stood Joel, dressed in the same armor as Dolisia. As her eyes glanced at the boy's annoyed expression, she understood the situation at hand.

"You can kiss my ass! I ain' payin' ya or ya damn boys nothin'!" the man bellowed.

Dolisia raised an eyebrow. "But we ensured your safe passage from Hilltop. What more could you ask for?"

"What more could I ask fo?!" The man shouted, "For ma merchandise to arrive! Your red-haired freak and this prick wasted four of ma beer barrels!"

"It was either that or your life!" Joel retorted.

Dolisia nodded in agreement. "Joel's right. We did what was necessary. And really, it was only minor collateral damage. You should be grateful that's all that was lost."

The man's face twisted in fury. "What?! I won't pay shit! Dun care if you got me to here, I ain' givin' ya nothin'!"

Suddenly, the chatter of the locals and the lively tunes of the bard came to an abrupt, eerie halt. A hand rested on the shoulder of the man who had been shouting, causing a sense of dread to crawl up his spine at the unexpected touch.

Slowly turning around, the man was met with the sight of a woman with fair skin and piercing blue eyes that bore into him with a cold intensity. She pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing a messy ponytail of light brown hair.

The woman appeared to be in her early twenties, standing at an average height with a strikingly fit physique that was evident even beneath her thick clothing. She wore an all-white uniform, complete with long boots, wool pants, a lace-up shirt, a white leather chest plate, and a cloak. But what truly caught everyone's attention was the golden 5-pointed star emblazoned on the back of her cloak, as well as miniature versions on each of her shoulders.

"Sir," She spoke in a firm voice, "Under luminary law, successful escort missions must be paid for entirely, else there must be concrete evidence of intentional sabotage and damage caused."

As he eyed the woman in a cold sweat, the man's lips trembled as he contemplated a response. He gave up retaliation and clenched his fist in defeat before gesturing for Joel to follow him.

"Goddamn you, brats!"

He whispered in frustration as he stepped towards the entrance, Joel following after him. Dolisia breathed a sigh of relief before her eyes shot up at the woman. The chatters of the patrons and the tunes of the bard resumed as if nothing had occurred, leaving Dolisia the chance to voice her gratitude.

"Thank you, Miss?" Dolisia wondered.

"Captain, and the name's Sylvia." The woman replied, extending her hand for a handshake, "And don't worry, it's our duty to help each other."

"Dolisia, and thanks again for the help, we very much appreciate it." Dolisia replied, "Mind if I offer you a drink?"

The woman pulled a chair from the counter before she sat comfortably, cracking her neck and her fingers before sounding a reply.

"No, thank you. I don't like to drink on the job."

"How about grape juice?"

"Too sweet."

"Uh-huh…" Dolisia contemplated, "Milk?"

"Now we're talking."

As Dolisia glanced at the bartender, the latter nodded in response before he pulled out a milk bottle, fetched a glass, and poured the contents of the bottle before sliding it toward Sylvia. The latter grabbed the glass and sipped on the milk, the roughness of her face relaxing with 6a deep sigh of satisfaction.

"Ah! Never fails my expectations." She said, "Thanks, Dolisia. Good impressions last forever."

"Oh, that's the least I could do." Dolisia replied with a smile, sipping on her wine.

"Though, I don't think I caught you at your happiest moment. Ungrateful clients can be a hassle, especially for newbies. No offense."

"None taken." She replied, "You're spot on. But, how did you know we're newbies?"

"Well, I'm sure not knowing luminary law counts is an indicator." Sylvia chuckled, "Though, I can tell you're good at your job. An escort from Hilltop should take one hell of a time, and effort. But why not a full luminary? If you're so good at your job, then I wouldn't mind someone of your skill and character in our ranks."

"Oh, it's a generous offer, but I'm only temporarily a part-timer. Me and my friends are trying to pursue better career opportunities."

"Well, the offer is open for you anytime." Sylvia said, "Mind if I request something of you?"

"Sure, what would that be?"

"Well, if you don't have an escort at the moment…" Sylvia said, leaning back on her chair. "I need some assistance in my mission. And, if you're as good as I suppose you are, then I would greatly appreciate your help."

"Um…" Dolisia averted her gaze, itching her head. "I don't think I can, we just finished our escort—"

"You'll be paid for your efforts."

"When can we start?"

"I appreciate the enthusiasm," Sylvia said, cracking a smile. "I need assistance in both finding and capturing a group of renegades. They've been raking hell ever since I was gone to an important meeting."

"Capturing?" Dolisia wondered cautiously, "I think that's a little more extreme than our normal status quo."

She lied as naturally as she breathed. However, Dolisia couldn't reveal her history to the luminary. As far as she was concerned, she and her two boys were outlaws anticipating prosecution. In fact, they could be the very target of this luminary.

"I know, I could have requested assistance from another group of luminaries. But, due to the fact that the nearest outpost is too far away, I'll have to make do with the two boys that I have."

"Well…how may I help?"

"If possible, I want you and your friends to accompany us on a patrol spanning three days around this province. It has recently become a hotspot for renegades and criminal activity, so the renegades would most likely be here. Besides, the witnesses I asked said that the renegades have been last seen around this province. After the three days are done, you can then be on your way with generous pay of course. "

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"Sounds reasonable." Dolisia agreed, "So, when can we start?"

"Right as Ray and James arrive from the town hall. We'll start as soon as they're back."

"Well, Captain Sylvia." Dolisia began, turning towards the luminary with her tankard raised for a toast. "To a fruitful cooperation!"

"Aye!" She replied, toasting for their alliance. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Pleasure's all mine!"

Suddenly, the two chairs next to Dolisia scraped the floor as they were pulled from the counter, shortly being occupied by two men. Upon hearing their voices, Dolisia turned around.

"Your biggest beer tankard." Mik ordered.

"Orange juice." Joel followed.

"Boys!" Dolisia's eyes lit up upon seeing the duo. "Right on time! I'd like you to meet Captain Sylvia of the luminaries! We'll be working with her for a few days."

"Wait, WHA—" Joel uttered.

"Sup!" Mik interrupted.

Joel stared at his two nutjob friends—utterly gobsmacked. He took a deep breath before he stood up and dragged Dolisia with him, far from the counter.

"Are you insane?!" He whispered, "A luminary?! Do I need to remind you that we're fugitives!"

"Relax, Joel." Dolisia replied, "If she was looking for us, don't you reckon that she would've caught us by now?"

"Well…I guess, but that's not the point! We shouldn't come into contact with luminaries until we patch our relationship with them."

"Joel, there's money to be made, and there's no evident risk at bay. So shush, let Mama take care of the situation, and just follow my lead."

As she closed the case with Joel—the latter staring dumbfoundedly in response—Dolisia stepped back towards her chair before taking a seat, Joel following shortly after with a frown plastered on his face.

"I hope I didn't cause you any trouble with your boys." Sylvia said.

"Oh, not at all. In fact…" Dolisia turned towards the two, "This is Mik, and the gloomy one is Joel. Boys, we'll help Captain Sylvia here capture some renegades for the next three days. And don't worry, we'll be paid generously."

"Renegades?" Mik wondered.

"Yes, renegades." Sylvia replied, "They're a bunch of insufferable troublemakers. They're dangerous, but they're annoying little brats according to everyone they've encountered."

"What did they exactly do?" Joel asked.

"Well, let me see…" Sylvia recounted, "Being public nuisances, robbery, an immeasurable amount of assaults, and…If I remember correctly, they also burned down a barn. They first began their rampaging spree back in my hometown, Leefside. They even beat up one of my subordinates, poor Charles. As such, it has escalated from simple lawbreaking into a personal matter at this point."

The trio stared at Sylvia with a simple smile plastered on their faces. However, deep inside, they were screaming. In fact, if one stared deeply at the trio's eyes once Sylvia began recounting the crimes, then one would pinpoint the moment their souls left their bodies and were replaced with a banshee shrieking in horror.

Having been the only one with the ability to hide his emotions perfectly, Joel used his skills from being an ex-lawyer to take the initiative and ask the captain.

"So, uh…captain, do you have some information on the renegades, other than their crimes?" He asked.

"Hm…" Sylvia wondered, "Not much, really. It's my first day searching for them. So far, I've only had information from bystanders. The names and descriptions of the renegades are yet to be sent to me. Not sure how long it would take."

"Uh-huh…" Dolisia followed, "So, captain. Do you mind waiting for us? We'll have to run a few checks on the payment after we finish our drinks."

"Sure, take your time."

But before the trio could take the initiative, the sound of a young man echoed from the tavern's entrance.

"Captain!"

Upon turning around, the trio's eyes fell upon two boys in their late teens. The first was a blond-haired youth with grey eyes, dressed in the luminary uniform along with a sword mounted on the baldric he wore around his back. Unlike the captain, the boy's back was plastered with three 4-pointed stars, arranged into a pyramidal shape.

Next to him stood a black-haired boy with hazel eyes, dressed in the same uniform with a sword mounted on his hips. Unlike the two luminaries, his back was plastered with only two 4-pointed stars—arranged vertically—along with a satchel he wore around his torso.

They both stood at the doorway saluting their captain with a standard military salute. The blond boy was beaming with confidence, standing firmly as he saluted, while the black-haired boy seemed tired and nonchalant.

"We're sorry to keep you waiting, captain!" Continued the blond-haired boy.

"At ease, boys. Now, come. I want to introduce you to some fellars."

As the two boys walked towards the counter, the blond one seemed perplexed as he stared at the trio, for they seemed awfully familiar. Meanwhile, the other couldn't care less.

"Boys, this is Dolisia, Mik, and Joel." She introduced, "The blond is Ray, the gloomy one is James."

The trio—now walking on thin ice—turned towards the counter and fetched their drinks. They sipped from the contents of their tankards, glancing at the two boys before briefly greeting them.

"Sup." Mik began.

"Pleasure." Dolisia followed.

"Yeah…" Joel ended.

Upon hearing their names, both of the boys' eyes wandered toward the trio, squinting in perplexion and confusion.

"So, how did it go?" Sylvia asked.

"Um…we…got the posters, captain." James replied.

"Yes, and I suppose you'd want to take a look at them yourself." Ray turned towards James.

James nodded, opening his satchel before reaching for three poster papers stashed inside. Upon handing the posters to Sylvia, the latter shuffled through them thoroughly, pausing for an exceptionally long second as she stared in utter disbelief.

She scrutinized the posters. On the first poster was drawn a horrifically insane man, cackling with his eyes wide open, and glaring menacingly. On the second poster, there was a woman with grossly exaggerated femininity and beauty, winking in a seductive manner. On the last poster, there was drawn a boy with long hair covering one of his eyes, his face frozen into a frightening glare.

They were wanted alive, their bounties sharing the same amount of 1,000 Coe for each. And the names were respectively as such:

THE OUTCASTS

MILK    BOLIVIA    JOE

Upon reading the names, and seeing the portraits, Sylvia's eyes shot up at the trio. Her expression was an inexplicable mix between dismay, disappointment, and confusion. Meanwhile, the trio gazed back, sweat trickling down their cheeks as they sipped on their drinks.

"You got to be shitting me."

The trio spat their drinks at the luminaries before splashing the remainder of their drinks on them as well. They lunged from their seats and sprinted towards the entrance, breaking through the door as they frantically turned their heads, searching their surroundings for a certain something.

"Joel!" Dolisia called out, "Where the hell did you park the wagon?!"

"In the town hall!" Joel said, "Fucking haul ass!!!"

They ran, sprinting faster than they ever had. The town hall was quite a distance away, located at the other end of the town. It was a long run for the trio, but there were no other options.

As they ran towards the town hall, Mik heard a thud resonating from behind him. As he turned around, his eyes fell upon Sylvia—soaking wet as she stood in the doorway of the tavern, glaring with bloodshot eyes. Upon witnessing her menacing glare, Mik felt a chill run down his spine.

"Guys!" He called out, "RUN! OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT!"

Mik hastened his pace, and so did Joel and Dolisia, sprinting until they had no control over their legs. However, it was futile. As he glimpsed behind him, Mik spotted the luminary captain dashing towards them at an inhuman speed. She was less a woman and more of a raging bull driven by fury. In response, Joel turned a corner.

"The market!" He said, "We'll lose her there!"

Not a second wasted, the trio turned another corner, ran across a few alleyways, and landed themselves in the town square. They briefly scanned their surroundings before Joel pointed to their right.

"There!"

They followed down the path, making their way through the busy market. Joel glimpsed behind him, and much to his dismay the luminaries were hot on their tail. And by the looks of it, they were bound to be caught.

Suddenly, Joel slammed onto a solid surface—seemingly a brick wall—and plummeted on his back. He instinctively glanced behind him, perplexed at the luminaries who were slowing their pace as their eyes gazed over him. As he turned around towards the wall, the boy was in shock, for it was no wall

His eyes fell upon a blonde-haired woman of Asian complexion, accompanied by a tall man with the same features. It was them. It was undoubtedly them!

"Oi! It's Joel!" Sumiko cheered.

"I can tell." Tatsuo replied.

Before he could respond, Joel noticed the duo's eyes staring over him—their faces shifting into a serious glare. As he turned around, he noticed the three luminaries glaring aggressively as well. The locals at the market backed away from the commotion, leaving a ring-shaped area in which the two Easterners and the luminaries stood facing each other.

"Captain, those are—" Ray began.

"Kurosawa and Tatsuo." Sylvia interrupted, "I've seen the posters."

"And you're captain Saliva, right? You're pretty famous." Sumiko said.

"IT'S SYLVIA!"

"Yeah yeah. Anyway, Seagulls." Sumiko interrupted, "We're a bit unlucky to bump into you, and I'm sure you're unlucky to bump into us. So let's pretend we've never seen each other, and move on with our day before this escalates to something that you surely won't like."

The captain glared at Sumiko. For a low-life criminal to underestimate her, even insult her…was outrageous. She took a single step towards the duo and flung her cloak away. She took a deep breath, took a stance, and bounced in place—alternating from one foot to another as she fixed her gaze on the woman.

One glance from both Tatsuo and Mik was all it took for shivers to run down their spine. The pose that the captain struck, her guard, her bouncing, and the frightening glare plastered on her face. Their experience was enough to warn them by pure instinct of an enemy who—by all means—was dreadful and redoubtable.

"Sumiko…should I summon?" Tatsuo whispered.

"No, don't. Heartbreak is coming soon, we can't stir up too much of a commotion. Jay will not like it." Sumiko said, "I can take care of her."

Sumiko clasped her hands together as if she were holding the handle of a blade. She closed her eyes, drowning in deep concentration. Suddenly, a yellow light flashed from her hand. The light expanded and shaped in her hand before it faded and materialized into a longsword of pure steel. There was no mistaking it, it was a carbon copy of the one that belonged to the Templars.

Joel and Mik's eyes widened in shock and utter dismay. A sword materialized out of thin air? Did light flash from the woman's hand? Was it magic? Trickery? Wizardry? What it was they didn't know, but they were certain that whatever it was, it wasn't anything they ever expected to see.

"Joel, get out of there!" Mik warned.

"Don't move a single muscle," Sylvia ordered sternly, stomping her foot on the ground. "I will not hesitate to kill you."

The boy was petrified. However, he ignored the woman's words and attempted to stand up and scramble away from the crossfire. But before he could…

"Joel!"

As he turned around, the boy's eyes fell on Mik gazing at Sylvia, beads of sweat trickling down his cheek. In fact, if his eyes weren't deceiving him, he could've sworn he saw a quick tremble in the red-haired boy's hands.

"Don't…she will actually kill you." He warned, "Don't move."