7th chapter : laughs and worst .

“So you are saying that you got in a training session with this woman named Yuna nee, and in a palace only you can get into? What's with this nonsense, did you go somewhere last night?” Alice responded antsily as she was worried about what happened to Marco after seeing Carla flustered from finding him in his bed full of injuries and bloodstains. it was somehow not something they would expect to happen.

After telling them the full story, Alice and Carla were indecisive about whether they believed him or just believed what they had in mind.

“Oh, now I remember, old man Eyezar said he needs something from us to be done” Alice said as she was playing with Sophie.

“Really?” Marco replied as soon as he got out of the bath.

“Yeah….What the hell!!!?? Marco what happened to your body!!?!!” Alice was startled as she saw Marco’s body full of scars and mostly well built.

“You mean those scars. I don’t remember, but they’re not new, it’s been a long time since I got them” Marco replied calmly as he saw Alice checking on his body.

“It’s true that they’re not new, but you have a lot of things to tell us from now, you know”. Alice and Carla scolded him as they were preparing themselves to go outside.

“Ok, I guess, I’ll follow you right after I do some stuff”.

Marco responded as he closed the door and went straight to his grandpa’s room. The atmosphere was something that clearly felt heavy for him to decide to go to his grandpa’s room. He exhaled a breath .

“Are you sure you want to open it?” Arthur said as he went after Marco while holding the hand of Sophie.

Marco looked at him then sighed after turning to their side. He looked at his little brother’s and sister’s eyes as he felt like it wasn’t supposed to be opened now.

“I guess, I was getting worked out for nothing, let’s leave the door this way for now. Sophie, don't get close to this door, ok?” Marco replied as he sighed again and smiled at them “Well, I’m heading out, Arthur clean the food junk in your room before you get more, and make sure Sophie gets enough fun today” Marco added as he went on his way going after Carla and Alice.

“Uhm, as you see, I have some work outside the country to bring some other stuff. so since Eyezar had requested to bring his luggage, go and have fun in the Granddam district!! bye bye!!” Emilis gave the three of them a sudden quest.

“One moment, why the three of us only?” Alice asked as she was kinda annoyed.

Emilis looked at her, then to Marco “Huh, actually I was hoping this to be Marco’s first quest job, the district is kinda not a place for the normal people and it’s hidden. it’ll be nice to teach him that there’s some places for us” Emilis replied.

he pointed to Marco who sighed as he fixed his glasses.

“Well, I don’t mind either, I’d like to find this kind of stuff” Marco said as he was preparing himself to go.

“So for now, go to Eyezar’s place first and take the list he wants to bring. otherwise you can’t go there” Alex interjected as she closed the door after Emilis’ gone.

“Sounds a deal to me, so anything new in the progress of the enchantment?” Alice asked eagerly.

“Nothing much, I’m not that skilled in those spells and despite having a high state I still couldn’t figure it out without master. the restaurant is finished so we can get back to work by tomorrow but our house is gonna wait more” Alex replied as she had some upset reaction.

“By the way, I never asked this, Alex sensei and Alice, you two live together?” Marco asked curiously.

“Oh right! we didn’t tell you, well that could wait for later, now you have a job to do, it’s not just the two of us, Xavier and Zack too, the four of us have lived together since we were in primary school. chitchat needs to wait, now go” Alex responded as she had a little smile on her face.

She set the others off to their job and went back to the office.

After one hour.

“That’s reassuring, now if you would mind, I’d really love to bring some dark levs from there, It’s not hard to get these from a dungeon but it’s better when it’ll get poured with cleansing water so while you get to Granddam pass by and take some from an old lady there. One last thing, don’t lose this luggage ok, or else I have to report this to the council”.

Eyezar said as he gave them the list, Marco looked at the list and sighed as he had an annoyed face.

“You’re making us do your groceries, aren’t you ?” Marco asked him straightly.

Eyezar was startled a little bit and tried to deny it but in the end Marco accepted his request.

“Not like I have a lot of things to do, but just a little bit I’d like to see this hidden city” Marco pleaded while having a little smile on his face.

Both Carla and Alice giggled a little after seeing his face, they saw him as a child who’s taking his first steps into the world.

“Something's wrong?” Marco asked, responding to their giggles.

“No, nothing, just seeing you acting this way makes me kinda excited, now let’s go” Alice said as she was looking at him having fun.

After taking the list and the coordinates of the hidden city, they set sails and went there.

“Huh, the door changes places every day? why?” Marco and Carla asked as they were talking to Alice.

She replied, “Not long ago, one of the none holders humans crossed it by a total chance, the council had to do a lot of new measures to avoid situations like those. Granddam is a merchants’ city, normally all the guilds and other holders that want to sell their item drops and other stuff come here!” Alice had a smile on her face as she responded.

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“Then what about us, red mermaid?” Marco calmly asked again.

As he was walking, Alice looked at him as she smiled a sad smile.

“We were once a big guild, long time ago, red mermaid was known for its record on clearing the dungeons around the world and ruling on the top of all the guilds therefore things happened and we had a lot of casualties in the end we were disbanded by the council. Master Emilis was the one who rebuilt it. He's the last old member from that time, literally when he found us, me and the rest of the current members, well we were kids back then but he sheltered us and he was working hard. I didn’t say it before but the council really really hates us!! so don’t expect much of welcomes in Granddam”

Alice answered as they reached another antique shop after going to another city by the train.

“We are here, sorry for dragging you all this way” Alice said as she smiled a little smile.

Marco and Carla felt a little hesitation in her last words and both sighed as they patted her head.

“Whether we are loved or hated, if we are together as a family screw the outside world” both said to calm her down and went inside first.

Alice looked at them as she giggled a little “ family, huh, well it doesn’t matter now?”.

“Uhm, so you are here by a request from Eyezar, that old man, he sends the worst guild just because it’s close to his place. Well, I don’t care anyway, just go and don’t cause a fuss” an old man said as he went and pulled a book from his library to open a door that was enchanted.

Marco looked at him with deadly glares as soon as he said the words - worst guild - therefore he wasn’t annoyed.

“The classic book pulling thing, well the place is already rotten, wonder why the council chose such a worse place to use it as a door?”.

Marco roasted him as he made the guy angry then went inside the portal. Alice and Carla were surprised by the sudden reply of Marco and giggled a little after that they followed him.

“Ooh!!! So this is Granddam!! nice place!!” Marco was impressed to see a city underground but filled with lights, a lot of stalls and people wandering all around the place.

“Welcome to granddam, normally we come here to sell what master brings from his other work, since we are short on numbers we are kinda deemed to not step a single step in dungeons, sorry to tell you that?”

Alice said as she sighed upset about what she told him.

“That doesn’t change a lot, now let’s see, first on our list is to meet the guy with luggage”.

As they were wandering around Marco was impressed while looking around him, they didn’t take much time to find the guy.

“Oh, Alice chan?!! Been a while !!?” a guy that works in a cafe where they were supposed to meet in Granddam seemed to know Alice who was a little happy after she saw him.

“Oh!? Links!! Been a while!!” Alice replied as she went and patted his shoulder, after some time she remembered that she wasn’t alone “Oh right, right those are my juniors in red mermaid, you know Carla and…this is Marco. This is Links, one of the old friends of our orphanage” Alice introduced Carla and Marco as she made them bow to pay respect.

After explaining a few things to Marco about their old friendship with Links, Marco glared a little at Links then sighed as his face was a blank one with no expression, Links felt something off as he just smiled awkwardly. They took the luggage from their client as he arrived a little bit later.

“I see, so you’re a vice master now, glad to hear that thou you are the vice master of the most hated guild by the council. gehehe!! and glad to hear some new things about you guys!!” Links said as he served them some drinks.

“Yeah, I don’t intend on staying a lot here but we are in a quest job, Eyezar san told us to bring him some stuff” Alice replied as she drank her cup quickly and paid him, after saying goodbye they went to their next destination.

“Uhm, dark levs done, the last thing on the list is the blue cleansing water around the frozen lake shop, where is this shop?” Marco asked as he was looking at the bottle that holds inside the dark levs.

“It’s not far from here, so let’s see, Marco go and get them, I mean I’ve been doing all the talking till now, I wanna rest a little” Alice yawned as she gave Marco the money and told him to go.

He had no problem going and buying the water. After he bought it a sudden guy passed next to him as he was holding the luggage. Marco didn’t notice him but as soon as he reached Carla and Alice he found them paralyzed because of some stuff.

“G….Get…th-that guy!!!” Alice murmured as she noticed that Marco was still safe from the effects.

Marco heard her words and looked behind him to see the guy almost reaching the gates of the city, he dashed as he released his sword.

“Gehe, such a simple task!!” the guy said as he didn’t notice that he was being chased by Marco who caught him by the chains of his serment right before he could cross the gates.

“Simple task you say?” Marco unleashed a bloodlust on the guy while standing on top of him.

The guy tried to turn around to attack Marco but couldn’t move because of the chains. In the second he turned around he felt the bloodlust and pressure crushing him as he saw Marco’s dead eyes glaring at him while holding the sword. The guy acted like he was about to surrender but he smirked at the last second as his partner came and took the luggage. the other thief dashed away therefore Marco didn’t move a single step.

“That’s why I can’t stand trash people.” Marco coldly talked as he pulled his hand as if he was grabbing something to see the other guy already being caught by the chains, Marco was pulling him to where he was standing.

After catching them, a few council members came and asked about the situation as the people were watching. Marco told them that he stopped some thieves trying to take his property. The councilors started to laugh as the guy who was caught by Marco started to tell them a few lies and the people didn’t want to believe him too, the whole thing was set as if Marco caught them by coincidence.

“My kohai is telling the truth, otherwise this guy has poisoned us to get what he wants” Alice interjected suddenly as she arrived after the effects wearing off.

“Oh, Isn’t it the worst vice master!! means that this guy is telling the truth, what?!! Is the red mermaid already getting into robbery!? gahahaha!!!” The councilors mocked Marco as they set the guy free.

Carla and Marco were mad as Alice didn’t reply therefore Marco took the luggage and gave it to Alice.

“Hold on this for a second?” he whispered to her.

After that, he released his serment again, pulling slightly his hand as well as pulling some chains. He caught the two guys again as the council members tried to stop him but Marco had already slashed all their clothes leaving them naked. The crowd started to laugh as Marco mocked them in return.

“Aah!! I’m the worst!!! I couldn't even land a good single hit, I mean I’m the worst so of course I’d hate the council” Marco talked in a funny manner and ended it in a cold voice looking directly at the council guys who were getting angry at him.

“Bastard!!!” one of the guys said as he attacked Marco but Alice knocked him down and Marco had already pointed the edge of his sword at another member who attacked from the back.

“Man!! I’m really sorry, I meant to discipline my stupid kohai here!! but the hit came across your face!!! I’m really sorry!!!” Alice yelled in the same funny way, acting like what Marco did.

Carla laughed a little as she held the bags and took some steps closer to Marco and Alice.

“Now ladies and gentlemen, the worst guild members are about to leave!! bye bye!!” Carla finished the show as she grabbed both of them and took them away.

After that incident, the three returned safe and went right to Eyezar’s shop.

“Ask us for a stupid work again and I’ll make sure to cut those pointy ears” Marco threatened him as he glared deadly looks at him.

“O-ok !! I won’t ask again!!” Eyezar instantly responded as he looked stressed out. “Thanks for helping me on getting my new reserves for this month, most of them are rare items and good serments, so as always I’m thankful, I guess I still wanna live to see the red mermaid becoming great again”.

He gave Marco a token of gratitude, Alice and Carla some items from the back of his shop as a token of gratitude too. Marco looked at him as he felt like Eyezar was toying with them.

“Oy ! creepy geezer! Are you mocking us?” Marco coldly said as he crushed the token.

Eyezar looked at him with a sweat down his throat before Alice would save his ass. She caught Marco from the back and went out with Carla to home.

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