Dungeon 41 - Crusade

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The tropical breeze blew over a Marowak's body, and for a moment, he wished he had fur so it could ruffle on this wonderful wind. Ah, how that would be delightful. But alas, the reality was far from it, so he merely hummed a tune.

The ground beneath him was full of dirt, and a few plants moved with the breeze. It brought him a sense of peace that he adored, so he picked one flower and smelled it.

"Well, I guess the botanists are, indeed, correct. Soil from a volcanic area is the best kind," Scar looked back, seeing a volcano far away from him. It showed no signs of erupting soon, and brought a sense of relaxation to the Marowak. "Fascinating."

He shoved the thought away, not wanting to drift from what he came there to do. And so, he turned again, now checking the ocean. He looked as far as his eye could see, but did not spot any land in the horizon.

"I know you are far, far away from my current location, master Necrozma," Scar raised his head and let out a prolonged sigh. "But I shall dedicate this meditation to you. It has been two months since we recruited a new member to our fraternity, and things… have been going well."

The Marowak sat down and closed his eyes. Focusing entirely on his master. Nothing else bothered him, not even the sound of waves, or flying-type Pokémon chirping. No, this was too important for any distraction.

"He is eager to learn, and I taught him so many things. New moves, mindfulness techniques, everything to help him on his… no, on our crusade."

Scar then opened his eyes, serenity filling his whole being. He smiled and looked over the horizon. "The day of your revival draws near, my lord. Please, be patient."

Having finished his session, Scar turned back to see two Pokémon he recognized; a Lopunny and an Electivire. His teammates. With a renewed smile, he soon approached them.

Scar put his hands on his back, smiling. "Greetings, Maxwell, Lilith. It is a pleasure seeing you two again."

"Ya talk like we don't see each other often," the bunny snorted, twitching her long ears. Scar noticed that she now wore gauntlets around her hands and had a large, western hat on top of her head, but paid it no mind.

"Yeah! Sup, boss! Didn't mean to interrupt your… thing, sorry!" Max rubbed the back of his head. He had a few sparkles on his hands. Scar assumed they were from a recent fight.

"That is not a problem. I had finished it anyway," Scar pointed out. "But you both have not answered me yet. What brings you two here? We agreed not to meet until we found more information on Necrozma."

"Actually, I kinda have a question," Max raised his arm. "Why's Percival not with us? Shouldn't he be doing the same thing? Lookin' for Necrozma?"

"...Ya big doofus. He's on a different mission," Lilith explained, looking at her friend and chuckling.

"Correct. Percival is doing a mission all by himself. I gave it to him as a testing ground," Scar began to walk away from the shore. "If you so desire, I can tell you details about it."

"Huh. Figured you'd keep an eye on him. Being your prote… pro… y'know, the thing!"

"Protégée, Maxwell," Scar replied, hiding a smile after the conversation's focus shifted to someone else. "And yes, in normal circumstances, Percival would be here with us. However, he noticed an intriguing case going on here, and asked me to investigate it. Of course, I was curious, and accepted his offer."

"Well, I'm all ears. What's he doin'?"

"One could say he is doing… a reconnaissance mission."

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"Mister Evans! Get your fat, blue ass right here, right now!" A booming, feminine voice spoke.

"Y-Yes, mistress!"

A Lucario stood before a mirror, sighing. He looked at his reflection and took a deep breath. From the counter, he picked a hair clip and wrapped it around his dreadlocks, making it look like a ponytail.

"I said get your ass here!" She shouted again.

"I'll be right there, Miss Muller! Just suiting up!" The Lucario put his bag on the floor and picked a blazer to put it around his chest, but not before checking a claw-shaped scar in that area. He growled and finished his preparations by adding a trouser.

At last, he left the bathroom area. Now standing on the first floor of a mansion, said Lucario took a glance around, checking the never-ending hall on his right and left, and then the stairs right in front of him.

The very architecture of the house screamed "noble", from its polished floor to the sound of chefs cooking in the kitchen, not to mention the lightning. He recognized a luminous orb as the source in the ceiling as he climbed down.

Once he got to the floor, he walked towards the hall, rooms where employees could sleep lined at the sides, until he arrived at the living room; a space so big it could fit half a house inside it, and to top it off, there she was.

One Salazzle was sitting on her couch, holding a glass of wine. She moved the glass, before drinking its content. She then clicked her lips, savoring the flavor.

"Percival Evans. Truly an uncommon name around these parts, but I have to admit that you do the job well… when you feel like it," she sipped more of the wine and continued. "Remind me again, why do I pay you…?" she asked, almost dripping venom from her mouth with her glare.

"...To take care of your every desire, and to protect you, miss Muller," the Lucario answered.

"And remind me, who am I?"

Sighing, Percival answered. "Mistress Adelaide Muller. Owner of this mansion and prestige member of the high-class society of Cydonia."

"Thank you, darling. I appreciate it~" she laid down on the sofa, putting the glass on a nearby table. "I do have one more question for you, what took you so long? I got… very lonely."

...Damn it. She's doing this again, isn't she?, Percival thought, keeping his annoyance to himself, and smiled at her. He struck a pose, but inside, Percival was dying from embarrassment. "Miss Muller, aren't you the one who keeps saying your emp–pardon me, your servants have to be fashionable, stylish, and above all… desirable? I was making sure to be presentable to you."

She laughed, a smug, enticing laugh. Percival felt almost compelled to join her on the sofa, for some reason, but restrained himself. Not only was that unprofessional, but… she wasn't his type, honestly.

"Desirable is the proper word here, mister Evans," she replied, making a gesture for him to approach.

"Well, I'm here now. What do you want me to do, my mistress?" he pointed to the glass. "Would you like more wine, or can I clean that up?"

"...You're free to clean it, of course. I just wanted to see one of my most… stunning servants. If you don't mind, of course."

Percival blushed, turning around to grab the glass, when his aura sensors began to twitch, and he instinctively stepped to the side. He feared to know what that meant, but checked it himself by looking back.

As he suspected, Adelaide had tried to grab his bottom and was currently in the process of trying again, while looking at him with a smile.

"M-Mistress… this is wrong," too uncomfortable to stay like that, Percival tried backing away from her.

"It's only wrong when you resist~" she stuck out her tongue. "And you belong to me. Now, mister Evans, how abou–"

The two were interrupted by the doorbell ringing, which promptly made Percival escape from her clutches and recompose himself, clearing his throat.

"M-May I see who it is?" he asked.

"...Urgh, must be some kid wanting cash. Check it, if it's not anyone important, you are to come back here. Understood?"

Percival hoped that it was someone important, gulping as he walked away from the area. After a few minutes of strolling, he managed to get to the front door, opening it.

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To his surprise, Scar had appeared on the other side, along with his two teammates. Percival was shocked, but kept his cool in case Adelaide returned anytime soon.

Max, in particular, had the biggest grin Percival ever saw on his face, and this made the Lucario pout.

"Dude! You're a butler now?!" He wrapped his arm around the Lucario's shoulder, still grinning. "When the boss told me, I couldn't believe it!"

"Yes, yes I am. And I hate it," Percival rolled his eyes, ignoring Max in favour of looking at Scar. "But that's besides the point, what are you even doing here?"

"We wanted to check on you," Scar replied. "Any useful information on her?"

"...Not right now, but I think I might get close enough to her and get it."

"Close, eh?" Max whistled, trying to get a peek at the mansion, while his body sparkled slightly. "I have to say, you're a lucky guy. I wanted to get this mission!"

"...Which is exactly why I gave it to Percival and not either of you," Scar sighed. "Salazzle are dangerous, be careful. She might have gotten you in her grasp."

"Hey, what does that even mean?! I could do this mission without any problem!" Max protested.

"He means we'd both focus more on her than the mission, doofus," Lilith facepalmed.

"Fine!" he walked away from Percival. "You're probably right, but can you blame me? She's really cute!"

"I agree!" Lilith cheered.

"Ahem," Scar cleared his throat. "I suppose we shall leave you here for now, Percival. But again… be careful, alright?"

Percival puffed out his chest. "Don't worry. Remember, I killed an Aggron and I turned a Gallade feral. I got this."

The trio soon left, and Percival looked up. Memories of a time long before now flooded his mind. He closed the door and went back inside, before Adelaide shouted at him again. The Lucario gulped and walked towards her.

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This time, he made sure to be locking eyes with her when picking the glass. Of course, she noticed this and glared back at him. Percival ignored it and put the glass on a silver platter, ready to clean it.

"After I'm done with this, do you want something else with me?"

"I was hoping we could… share a drink," Adelaide said, waving to him. "Perhaps a cocktail? I heard it's quite enjoyable."

"I-I'm not sure. I barely–" Percival stopped, and an idea clicked on his mind.

"Barely what?"

"Barely remember how it tastes. I got knocked out pretty quick…" he smiled sheepishly.

"Hmph," Adelaide grumbled. "Males are really weak. No wonder they fall on my clutches so often…"

"W-Well, I'm sure there's other reasons for them to be in your clutches…" Percival grinned, dropping sweat.

"Perhaps," Adelaide stretched her body. "Anyway, I need to prepare myself. There is a party with other nobles today, and of course, I must attend."

"Do you need me to come with you? As a bodyguard, or a plus-one."

"Normally, I would say "yes" in a heartbeat, but…" Adelaide stood up, touching the Lucario's chin for a moment. "I'll have to decline. I can take care of myself, darling."

He shivered at the touch. "Alright. I still need to clean the mansion anyway. I'll see you soon, right?"

"Of course!" Adelaide stuck out her tongue. "When I get back… we'll have some fun. It might take a few hours, those parties are long."

She climbed the stairs to her bedroom, and Percival grinned to himself. If it took that long for her to return, it was the perfect opportunity to do what he came there to do in the first place.

Well done, Lan–Percival. You're in the Pyroar's den now. You'll have to be extra careful...

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The rest of the team walked across the town. It was a common stroll for the three, but Max stopped to take a look around.

His first gaze was the large wall that surrounded the city. Max gulped, he was used to it, of course, but it was an odd decision, for sure.

"The king's crazy or what? Who the fuck puts a wall ar–"

"Watch your mouth, Maxwell," Scar glared at his companion, forcing the Electivire to shut up. "I am sure King Edgar has his reasons to build it. Perhaps it is to drive away foreigners."

"I'm aware this place's its own thing. Independent island, yada yada yada," he shrugged.

He soon looked again at the city, walking right past a restaurant with a couple sitting outside. They were eating a cake that smelled so nice Max stopped to sniff it, forcing Scar to drag him along.

Another thing he noticed were houses that looked aged, their architecture telling of how they've been around longer than those who inhabit them. On the stone-brick streets they rose, towering over the trio like two canyon walls.

"Gotta say, this is pretty sick!" Max cheered, his eyes were literally sparkling excitement at the view, small sparks coming out of them.

"Seems like ya're having fun," Lilith scoffed. "Anything important?"

"Honestly? This place's gotten some upgrades," he pointed out to the structures, more specifically, to pillars that sustained some of the multi-storey buildings.

"It makes sense," it was Scar who spoke this time, sighing as he did. "You see, it appears that this town got raided a few months ago, and the king was forced to employ one of the famous exploration teams to defend Cydonia."

Lilith nodded. "Gotcha! So they made the general architecture stronger in order to endure future threats!"

"Precisely."

Max continued to look around, but apart from some kids playing, he didn't think there was anything worth commenting on. Instead, he spent his time wondering where they were going exactly.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Uh, boss?"

"We will meet with the king, Maxwell," Scar answered, already knowing Max well enough that he knew the question before it was even asked.

His two teammates glanced at each other. They barely arrived in town, and were already talking to the king?

"Huh. I mean, boss, we know the guy already, but aren't those things supposed to be scheduled?"

"I scheduled it before."

That shut down Max again, and he pouted. Scar was acting way grumpier than usual, for sure. "Fine, fine."

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As they approached the castle, the scenario around them changed. Instead of tall buildings, all Max could see were trees on left and right, taken care of by some Kricketune.

Can't say this guy doesn't have style…

The castle was tall and well-designed. The walls were brand-new, not having that many cracks or anything of the sort. Overall, it was like the place itself was welcoming them.

And not just the castle. On the entrance, a single Haxorus stood, decked out with a bow-tie. He was smiling, his tail swished, and his scales, colored black, almost looked like they were shining.

Max looked at Lilith and whispered in her large ears. "Hey, psst… who's that?"

She rolled her eyes before responding. "Vulcan, right-hand mon of the king. Seriously, how out of the loop can you be?"

"Hey, not my fault if this stuff's not my thing!"

"Silence, the two of you," Scar said, glaring back at them.

The Marowak walked a tad bit faster than his companions, but wasn't quite running. He simply wanted to talk with the dragon as soon as possible.

As the two were face-to-face, Scar offered his arm for a handshake, one that Vulcan promptly accepted. The other two soon joined Scar, shaking hands with the dragon as well.

"Ahem," Scar cleared his throat. "I have to point out that it is great to see you again, Vulcan. I see you received a promotion!"

"Indeed, I have," the dragon nodded. "And yes, it's a pleasure seeing you three again."

"Wait, I thought you were the right hand before!" Max looked at Lilith, who was busy smelling some flowers, and snarled at her, to which she stuck out her tongue.

"No. I only got promoted recently," Vulcan replied. Despite the annoyance, he continued to smile. "You see, as much as I loved being part of the Royal Guard, getting this close to the king means I can protect him better."

"That king's a fluke if he needs protection…" Max whispered.

"Maxwell, please be more respectful to our hosts."

"Fine, fine, boss…"

"Now, where was I?" Scar touched his chin in thought. "Ah, yes! We scheduled a meeting to discuss our next plans."

"Hm, yes, I'm aware," Vulcan turned around and opened the door. "King Edgar is expecting you…"

The dragon tilted his head as he stared at the group, looking a little confused.

"I thought you had recruited another one?"

"Indeed, we have. But he is on another mission."

"...Well, that's fair. Come on in, we really shouldn't keep the king waiting."

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Percival managed to dispatch the rest of Adelaide's servants. Oh, that word was a terrible way of describing employees, he hated even thinking about it.

Alright, now, if I were to hide evidence of money laundering, where would I put it…?

A rhetorical question. Percival closed his eyes and began to analyze. Catching her was obviously going to be difficult. Not only was she… charming(as much as he wanted to deny it), but she was a noble.

I can think about this later, he thought, now with open eyes. Where do I start? If she's laundering money, she needs to have more than what she says.

So all he needed to do was find concrete evidence that she declared a wrong quantity. Percival looked up, checking the stairs. Adelaide's room was up on the second floor, he decided to see if there was anything inside.

If there is proof, it shouldn't be hard to find it.

He was excited, with a wagging tail. It had been so long since Percival had done any investigation that he forgot just how good it made him feel. Like he could take on the entire world and not worry about anything.

Joining Scar and the others had been a good decision, after all. He felt it in his heart. He was helping the world.

Percival grinned. "Well, at least it's not a steel-type this time, can't say I miss those guys… especially the hotheaded one."

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The dining room was lively and regal, with a distinct air of royalty. Max took in the place by checking it out. He was surprised by how well the table was set, despite it being one of those tables large enough for a whole family to dine in, and the windows that gave everyone inside a nice view of the town below them.

Not just that, but the wooden walls were glittering, full of life and so shiny anyone could see their own reflection when looking at them. An effect only made better by the chandelier hanging on top of the room.

And, of course, the room also had a painting of the king himself; a portrait of a Tyrantrum wearing a shiny, golden crown and a cape. Lilith glanced at it, and her eyes widened. Inside the crown there was a jewel, shaped like a prism. She found it to be beautiful, and somewhat familiar. As an archeologist, she felt compelled to study it.

He pointed at the area, checking it in with the bunny, until he drifted off again.

That guy's ego is huge. Sheesh.

Max's thoughts were interrupted by Lilith poking him. "Dork, can ya stop snoopin' around? They're waitin' for us!"

"Gotcha, Ears," Max soon sat on a chair, and used this opportunity to check the table. Instantly regretting it.

He gulped, not recognizing most of the silverware. They had too many forks and knives, were they expecting him to use one for each plate? Weird. Rich mons were so weird. Lilith was the second to sit down, followed by Scar, who sat in between the other two.

The same Haxorus from before walked in, standing in the middle of the room. He bowed and closed his eyes to greet them. "Guests, the king is here to join you. He shall arrive soon."

I wonder how this guy is, Lilith wondered. She could see the curiosity in Max's eyes, and assumed he had the same idea. Bet he's arrogant. Not sure why Scar's the only one allowed to talk with him.

Several Fraxure joined the dining area, holding trumpets in their hands. They soon formed at the sides of the entrance and blew on the instruments, producing a sound as regal as the place they were in.

The door opened, and from it came a huge figure. A Tyrantrum, who looked just like the one in the painting, walked towards the table. He held up his head , and the fluffy cape on his shoulders managed to touch the ground.

"All hail… King Edgar the first!" Vulcan said, bowing down.

"Hail to the king! Hail! Hail!" all the Fraxure spoke in union.

The monarch waved with his tiny arms as he sat down, before the cape was removed by two Fraxure. Then, Edgar sighed in relief, looking at his three guests.

"Greetings, my loyal subjects," he said. Edgar's voice sounded very different from how his appearance would suggest. It was soft-spoken and calm.

"Greetings, my king," Scar said, bowing. "We are here to discuss the latest update on our mission."

He pointed to his two companions and continued. "As you can see, I brought my teammates with me. I figured it was time for them to meet you."

"...I see," Edgar replied. He gazed at them, removing all softness from his voice. Now he almost seemed to be analysing them. In the end, he trusted Scar's judgement and smiled. "Well, I do not have problems with them. Any ally of yours is my ally as well."

"U-Uh, thanks, your majes–" Max began to speak, but a glare from the Haxorus shut him up.

"As for our meeting…" Edgar continued. "I would like to say that we will receive another guest. She is a member of royalty, like myself. Her name is Adelaide."

Without the king noticing, Scar snarled after hearing that name. The same Pokémon his protégée was investigating. However, that opportunity proved to be for their advantage.

Hmph. I already have a plan in motion. All I need to do is put the pieces in place.

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Somehow, Adelaide's room was more... feminine, than Percival thought it would be. She had a large bed, enough to fit two medium-sized Pokémon, like himself, and the room was decorated with pomptuous, pink furniture.

Her window was open, and the Lucario took a peek. It was almost night, and since he didn't really know how much time she was staying away, he would have to rush, much to his annoyance.

"You've been through worse, Percival. Pull yourself together." He whispered.

His own words made him continue his investigation. He was almost angry at not being able to use his aura senses, as there was no living being inside for him to check out.

Like Scar taught you. In. Out.

As he checked the place, Percival didn't detect anything. At least, not at first. His feelers twitched once he looked at the cabinet. There was something, a fickle sign. That was all he needed.

Percival went to open the cabinet, and to his shock, there was no locker. No protection. Nothing. It was out in the open.

What…? Is Adelaide this stupid? Why not add a layer of protection?

Percival grumbled, knowing that his time was limited and he had to finish this as soon as possible. Regardless of why the locker was open.

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Hearing the king talking about politics was incredibly boring for Max, so he just thought of other stuff to distract himself, as did Lilith. They both regretted coming to the meeting.

Scar, however, was eager to hear what the monarch had to say. He paid utmost attention.

"Our village has recovered from that attack eight months ago. I admit, having that team's help was essential to our survival, but I am glad we no longer need to rely on them."

"Of course! You did what was best for your people, your majesty. I am sure they think this way."

Edgar raised a glass with his tiny arm, and one of the Fraxure approached him, pouring wine into it, which he promptly sipped. "Hm, delightful! And yes, I did the best option for everyone."

"It has been far too long since we had a meeting," Scar said as another Fraxure poured wine to him. "And do not fret, I have news that I think you will enjoy."

"Please, feel free to tell me."

"We spent a few months gathering intel about Necrozma," Scar pointed out, and quickly glanced at Lilith. "During our travels, we managed to find an old book on Sandune."

"Oh, that old thing?" The bunny opened her purse, taking out a book that looked ancient, with a nearly destroyed cover and withered pages. She put it on the table. "Betcha wondering what's in it!"

"Ah, I'm afraid I never introduced myself to you, miss… Lilith, I presume?"

"Yup!"

The large dinosaur smiled. "I am King Edgar the first. Now, yes, I am curious about the book's contents."

"I'm an archeologist," she replied. "Graduated pretty far away from here, y'know Pokémon Square?"

"Hm, indeed. That town is on a different continent."

"Not really relevant to what I'mma say, but sure!" Lilith opened the book and showed it to the king. A few specks of dust fell on the floor, and the pages were a bit tattered.

Inside the pages there were various letters in odd shapes. Unown shapes. Edgar tilted his head, as he had no idea what those things were.

"Care to explain that? I am… curious."

"Don'tcha worry, your majesty!" she grinned, putting the book down. "This is easy for me! Now, what this thing says is–"

Lilith stopped. Inside the pages, she saw it. The same jewel as the one on Edgar's crown. There was no mistaking it, that was the same prism.

"What is it now, Miss Lilith? I would like to–"

The sound of smoke came out of the door, and drew everyone's attention to it. Lilith looked down, only to see pink gas coming out of the door as it opened.

It revealed a tall Salazzle, wearing rings around her fingers, and large shades. Along with her came a few Salandit, some of whom were whistling at her, and some others were clapping.

Almost like the tone of the meeting shifted, the Salazzle walked with grace and charm, stopping a few times to wink at the king and his subjects, some of them winking back at her.

Finally, she sat down, raising her head. "Well, hello, darlings. Please don't tell me you started the party without me~"

The king snorted. "Everyone, this is Adelaide. She is one of my close friends, and I want you all to be nice to her."

Adelaide set her eyes on Scar and slowly walked towards him, still smiling. "Ah, if it isn't the marvelous Marowak… it has been far too long, don't you think?"

"If anything, it's far too soon," Scar rolled his eyes, until he felt someone poking on his arm.

It was one of the Salandit, holding a paper and a pen. The lizard's tail wagged and Scar smiled at them.

"Mister, mister! My lady told me all about you, can I get an autograph?!"

He picked the pen and signed the paper with his name on it. The Salandit gasped in reply.

Adelaide couldn't help herself and looked at the signed paper as the Salandit walked next to her."Interesting. It looks a lot like my handwriting. Didn't know you were such a big fan~"

Scar raised his arm after the lizard backed away from him. "If that is already settled, then I request that my companion, Lilith, continues. The information we acquired is of uttermost importance."

Max nearly choked, and leaned in closer to Lilith, whispering. "I changed my mind. It was nice coming here. Like… whoa. She's just…"

"Y-Yeah." Lilith blushed and cleared her throat a few times before continuing on with her explanation. "During our journey, we managed to find Him. We found Necrozma."

An overwhelming silence fell upon the dining room as the others processed the information. A legend, and a very powerful one at that, had been found? It was amazing. It seemed so strange, yet fascinating.

Edgar spoke up first, grinning. "Oh, how glorious! Our village can thrive with His help! But… where is Him?"

Scar shook his head. "We seem to have a problem. He is sealed. He cannot leave the island, forever trapped inside."

"Yup!" Lilith pointed at her book again. "And this is where this little thing comes in. This book is old. Really old. It's gonna take me some time to translate it, but it tells how Necrozma was sealed."

"My, my. What an interesting detail, dear!" Adelaide grinned. "But here's the thing… what will that do for us, the nobles?"

"Not just that. I assume you will search for a way to bring Him back?" Edgar frowned. His teeth showed, if only for a second, and his breath became hotter, and a small puff of smoke came out of his mouth. "We have spent far too much time on this crusade of yours. We need evidence."

"Of course!" Scar spoke up, fiddling with his fingers. He expected such a thing to come out of this meeting, and was prepared for it. "Your majesty. While it is true that my team and I require your support, the opposite is also correct. You need us."

The monarch growled, his gaze meeting Scar's. He tried crossing his hands, but the tiny arms stopped him. "Is that so? Well, then by all means, enlighten me!"

Scar stood up, and began to walk in circles around the room, with his head raised. "Do I need to remind you of the constant attempts on your life? And how I managed to save you everytime?"

The majesty simply retorted. "And yet, I have royal guards, who are very capable of protecting me."

"The same guards who failed to protect this town during the invasion?"

His words were sharp, yet tranquilizing in a way that Edgar didn't think possible. He wanted to get angry, scream or even attack Scar, but as he heard those sentences, that explanation, his anger faded away.

"This has always been our deal. You support my cause, and in exchange, I protect you. Not to mention that when my Lord returns, He will bring peace to the world. Including, obviously, this place."

"Which is, of course, something I already do," the monarch growled, almost defiantly.

Scar hummed. "An appropriate statement. But don't you think that if we offer to bring that same peace to everywhere else, that will be good for your public image, your majesty?"

Adelaide clapped her hands, which caused all the Salandit with her to do the exact same thing. "Wow! I'm impressed, dear! Such a powerful speech!"

The Marowak sat down once more, ignoring Adelaide and focusing only on the king. "So… your majesty, what is your decision?"

"...I don't know yet."

A few Druddigon showed up in the room, carrying plates with food. The king sighed, his stomach growled.

"But. For now, we feast."

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The Lucario took out a big sheet of paper from inside the cabinet. He sat down on Adelaide's bed and began reading.

She declared a different quantity. This is laundering. I can tell.

A wide smirk grew on Percival's face. He was right, after all. And Scar gave him a perfect mission to start this new journey.

I know what she's done. This is proof. But… How do I deal with her?

What a feeble question, because Percival knew exactly what to do with her. Something that would remove her from the equation entirely.

Perfect. Now, to make a few calls…

He glanced at a wired phone next to Adelaide's bed and began typing a number on it.

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The phone call was picked up, but before Percival could do much, he heard a loud burping sound from the other line, followed by hysterical laughter.

...Disgusting.

"Sunset Salvation HQ!" said the voice on the line. "What can I do for you?!"

"Sunset Salvation? That's… new," shrugging off his annoyance, Percival continued. "I know you're a Gengar. This is Percival speaking, I'm in the middle of a mission and need some help."

"Oh, oh, Percival! Got it! What's the help you need?"

"I need this ready for tomorrow, got it? So, listen up…"

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Scar and his teammates were leaving the castle, with the Marowak being the furthest away from it, and the other two soon followed him.

"Boss. Got a question for ya," Lilith spoke up. Scar glanced at her for a second, before turning back to his stroll. "So, I kinda recognized that jewel on the king's crown. It was… well, on the book, y'know?"

After hearing that, Scar stopped. "Is… is that so?"

"Yeah," Lilith showed the depiction in the book. "It's colored dark, has the same shape as the book's picture, and has the same engraving of a crescent moon with the crease facing upwards, looking vaguely like an eye."

Scar checked the drawing on the book; it was indeed identical, down to the symbol. A smile slowly spread across his bony mask.

"Hmph. Interesting," Scar pondered, scratching his chin. "I've been told Edgar's family is, well, royal. His ancestors were close to legends."

"Do you guys even know what the stone's for?" Max asked, not really expecting an answer.

Lilith shrugged. "Nah. I mean, I'll try to figure that out."

"Oh, right!" Max gasped. "Hey, boss, what's up with Adelaide? You guys had a history together or something?"

"...Damn, the dork's right. Did you score her?"

Scar glared at them once more. "No, I did not. As a matter of fact, I took an oath years ago. Do not focus on that. In the meantime, we should go home and rest. I will try to catch up on Percival's mission tomorrow."

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The next day started out normally, with Percival taking care of Adelaie's needs for most of her time inside the house, only making a pause when she went for a meeting in town, much like the day before.

Now he was free to start his mission. Percival had planned the whole thing already, and was sure it would work. It had to.

First, the distraction. Adelaide's employees were nothing but that. Employees. He had nothing against them, and so, they were going to be fine.

That was why he called them all off the house, saying that Adelaide had requested an "intimate moment" between the two herself. And considering how she acted whenever she was with him, none of the employees questioned it.

Not that he enjoyed this particular situation. He did find Adelaide charming and beautiful, but her personality? Terrible, spoiled, arrogant, and the worst of all, condescending.

The second part of his plan needed her to be in the house, so he had to wait. Wait for long, tedious hours.

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Finally, she let it be known that Adelaide was back by singing a soft, romantic tune once she got inside her mansion.

Obviously, she noticed the whole place was empty. Not a single servant, nobody but her was there. Not to mention how dark it was. She could barely see beyond her own snout.

Then, a single purple flame appeared before her. Its shine soon grew bigger, revealing a Lucario holding it on his paw.

"...Percival?"

He grinned. "Why, yes, that would be me."

The Salazzle hissed, showing her claws to her opponent. In her face, where once was a flirty, romantic mask now stood one of anger and bitterness.

"What the fuck are you doing?! Where are my servants?!"

"Your servants? Listen to yourself," he said, not moving an inch. "...They're free, Adelaide. Free from you! You're a noble, a pitiful and pathetic noble."

"Yes, I'm a noble! That's why I can do those things to them!"

Suddenly, Adelaide jumped, lunging in at the Lucario to slash him down. Before she could do that, the purple flame changed its shape to a sphere that was launched right on her chest, sending her across the room.

"A-Asshole…" she stood up, panting and hissing, before releasing a purple goop out of her mouth.

Percival just ducked to dodge as he created two bones made out of aura on both of his arms and dashed, stopping right in front of her.

Adelaide's tail swished, and venom dropped from her fangs, falling on some of the furniture and making a hole in it. "Who do you think you are?! You're nothing! I'm worth so much more than you!"

She tried slashing him again, but Percival dodged each strike. Adelaide grew weaker after every attempt, and the Lucario used this in his favor by striking her arms with the bones, before shooting another sphere that knocked her down once more.

"You disgust me, Adelaide. This is why I'm here. You said you're worth more than me, correct?"

Percival then turned his back on her, walking towards the mansion's exit.

"You couldn't be more wrong. The world will be a better place… without you."

As he left the mansion, Percival held onto a device with a single button on it, and pressed it down. A large explosion engulfed the mansion behind him, burning into the ground as he walked away.

And he could not be happier.