33rd chapter : the orphanage behind the districts .

After wanting to discover the other part of red mermaid. Marco found himself in Mustfit city to search and read up all the documents had his hands on by Emilis. Along with staying with an old acquaintance of red mermaid, he found that his current whereabouts were the starting point of red mermaid.

After three days from talking to Fabia,

“You really are skilled with that hand of yours!! you sure you wanna return to work with Emilis!!” Rebecca said as she was praising Marco over his cooking skills.

“I can’t stay for too long, I still have a house to go to and a family to look after. Sorry Rebecca san”.

Marco was acting friendly since he got the hang of working with them, same as how the things worked for red mermaid members with him.

“Marco , I heard some rumors about a masked man roaming around the new orphanage? Are you doing something suspicious again?” Fabia came as she was putting down the booze bottles.

“I’m pretty sure that my face is expressionless but I don’t think that I need to wear a mask. Also I’m good with only reading the documents and what you Fabia sensei gave me” Marco responded as he wasn’t that sure of how to speak about the things.

After learning that sour truth about what actually happened and how Carla ended up a member, though it may look like she was forced into. Marco had started to search for the last members of the scientists’ team. He didn’t find much but in due course he found some things that may be important to check before returning home.

He would stay up late at night to continue consulting the documents that Fabia brought for him. She used her fame from a few old friends of hers in the council and took out the old reports from nine years ago for Marco.

“Are you still staying up to this time?” Miha asked as she saw that his room’s light was on.

“Yeah, I gotta finish reading these before going home” Marco responded as he was immersed in consulting what he had in hands.

“If you don’t find anything good then why check these reports?” she asked him as she saw the pack of paper with his handwriting.

“I think these infos will be useful somehow, it’s not like I’m completely wasting my time” Marco responded as he took a sip of the coffee that Miha brought for him.

“You’re far stranger than any red mermaid member we ever met. Anyway, don’t stay up too late and get enough sleep”.

Miha patted his head as Marco looked at her speaking.

“Did you pat my head on purpose or out of habit?”. Marco asked as it was unusual for him to get patted.

“Ahaha!!! sorry!!! I did it on purpose! I suppose that no one ever praised you for something” she said laughing about the situation though she left the room shocked as she heard his answer after that.

While training, Marco was talking with the three of them.

“You know she got a point, have you ever got praised for something?” Selicia said as she was throwing tree needles on Marco because it was her time to train him.

“I don’t really remember getting praised for something. Well, as long as I do a good job or something like that, I don’t need praise. Anyway, what do you think about that new orphanage?” Marco responded as he was half focused.

“You mean about its background? I checked what you wanted though it was hard to get separated from you, there’s an old laboratory but I don’t think that there’s something else. It’s destroyed to its ashes” Yuna responded as she was taking a seat with Cedric.

“I suggest to stop by now Marco, we will get the chance to find out what was in there” Cedric said, sighing about their current situation.

“Sensing that kind of fragment, It was indeed something related to our family, However, I dunno who was there since it was far too frail to be called cursed euro particles” Selicia said as she beat Marco’s ass the way she wanted while speaking.

“I don’t want to admit but It far too suspicious, I wanna search about it more. Maybe there’s a lead to my parents or grandpa” Marco stood after letting Selicia bite his neck like a vampire for losing.

“I know what you feel but honestly, It’s better to not do things in a suspicious way. First, there’s Sophie’s case who appeared out of nowhere but she feels the same as us. Second, Arthur who’s evolving at a fast speed without you knowing in the first place. Your progression is also putting red mermaid in distrust of you, they feel like they’re backing down for no reason with you in the game. That’s why I guess you should take a rest now”.

The three of them had stated some good arguments putting Marco in the logic side of the things, he looked aside for a few seconds.

“You three got a point, I’ll step aside for now. But, I’ll keep looking for the documents as much as I can. I guess there’s some things that are way too doubtful in this society” Marco said as he took back his shirt and washed his face then took a seat with them.

They sighed looking at him but they all patted his head as a praising sign though, he glared at them daggers for what they did.

The next day, 22nd May 19xx.

“You’re finally leaving! It was a good week though it was too short!!” Fabia said as she was saying goodbye to Marco with the rest of the girls before opening the antique.

“Yeah, thanks for showing me these tricks too. I’m kinda glad that I came to see the starting point of our guild” Marco smiled a fine smile while looking to the front of the booth.

“Make sure to say a hi for the others from our side!! It’s true that they haven't seen us for a long time but I’m sure that they’ll remember us” Tanya said as she smiled at him.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“I’ll sure do, goodbye.”

Marco took his leave with the same state he came with, adding the papers he was holding in his bag which were filled with notes and reports from what he read and searched about.

After seeing him go the girls sighed.

“Fabia ma, we didn’t mention to him that we were actually red mermaid members but stopped being after what Emilis did to us” Rebecca said as she was still looking at Marco going on his way.

“Nah, I didn’t tell him. I bet he figured that out but didn’t really give it a thought. He may be a strange fellow but he’s a good guy” Fabia grinned as she was fixing the booth on the front door.

As Marco left on his way. He took the longest way, getting to buy some stuff in return for Sophie and Arthur. Eventually, he took the closest 1898 gate and returned to the new city. Marco took a deep breath then went on his way to the train station.

“Are you sure you wanna return now?” Yuna asked him.

“Are you contradicting yourself now, you were the ones who said that I need to return home. Plus master is arriving today too. I bet Sophie would get mad, and she’ll be more mad if I don’t return the same time as him” Marco was talking while sitting on the train station alone.

Eventually he returned home early to find that no one was home yet.

“Seems like they’re in the restaurant. Sigh, I guess he’s doing what he wants now” Marco was referring to Arthur but didn’t realize that it was Sophie’s idea to stay in the restaurant.

After putting the bag in his room and putting the paper notes aside on his desk. Marco took a quick shower and went ahead to red mermaid.

“I wonder how Sophie would react when she sees me. It’s the first time that I went, disappearing in her presence” Marco said as he reached the restaurant “I’m back” he casually spoke after entering.

Xavier and Carla stood there for a moment as they saw him. In the next second Marco sighed and went ahead to the kitchen.

“Sophie!! I’m back!! and I brought some presents!!” Marco said as he gave her a small plushy that looks like a white rabbit.

Sophie pouted at first and stayed silent, making Marco surprised while patting her head as an apology.

“You sure took your sweet time?” Alice said as she entered from the backdoor holding some boxes.

“Ah, sorry I had to check an old friend of mine,” Marco said, trying to hide where he was staying.

“Anyway, since you came. Master did also arrive a few minutes earlier, he said that when you return we will hold a meeting” Zack was cutting bread while speaking.

“A meeting huh? I guess it’s too early. Why not leave it for tonight?” Marco asked as they looked at him.

He saw that they didn’t really have an answer so he kept silent about it.

A couple of moments later. After Alex’s arrival with Arthur, the restaurant was closed around 3pm in the evening so they could hold that meeting. They gathered in the office with a strange vibe of silence camping around.

“So let’s start this meeting!!!” Emilis said with a smile on his face breaking the silence “First, I wanna say that we're gonna train illegally but that doesn’t matter since all of you are gonna exceed their own limits!! Second! They didn’t want to give me any updates about the festival parts. I checked other guild masters and they said that happened to them too, well it’s not a bad idea to have a surprise!!” Emilis was certainly enthusiastic while talking as they all felt like he was overdoing it.

“We don’t really mind that training, seriously master!? since I’m going to be in charge of the training then it’ll be no problem to make sure they exceed what they’re in” Alex said with a dark scary smile.

They all felt it was wrong to let her wander in her daydreams but didn’t say.

“I’ll take care of the paperwork for the rest of the three months. If we are going to train then we need to write a formal application to the council right?” Alice said as she was rubbing her hair a little on the back.

“Please do!!” Emilis responded “Now, Marco kun!! Can you give me back my credit card and tell me the reports you got on what you wanted to know. I guess the antique was quite a lively place wasn’t it!!? You wanted to know about Carla’s parents right?” He broke the ice for Marco who was calmly listening and destroyed the sudden peace in the room.

After hearing the name of the antique they all looked to Marco then at Emilis who stood giving his back to the window.

“Eh?! My…My parents?!” Carla said all flustered as she wasn’t expecting that.

“Ah yeah sure, here’s your credit card” Marco said while giving him back what he took.

“Thank you!! I’ll make sure to pun-!!”.

Emilis replied but before he could finish his words Marco sent him flying through the window to the outside with a strong punch to the face. He followed after that, going out from the window and jumping straight to where Emilis was.

The others didn’t understand a thing as they were shocked too from what just happened, since Emilis has always had a barrier installed in case a surprise attack tried to get him. With that shock of Marco who broke through that barrier with ease and calm.

“Stand up master, that was a weak one. Well, Fabia sensei was the one who asked me to do it anyway, my side hasn’t even come yet”.

Marco calmly said as he was stretching his arms while the people around saw him and Emilis who was laying on the ground and smiling from that punch.

“So you fixed things!?” Emilis asked as he stood wiping his nosebleed.

“Not really, they still hate you. As long as you apologize they might consider fixing things” Marco responded soon before the others would come “Even if you’re our master you need a punishment and to make sure not to act as a jerk. I hope you know how to fight without the euro master” Marco said ignoring their words.

“I guess you got quite cocky recently. Letting you search about Carla’s past and red mermaid's recent past isn’t a good thing after all” Emilis said as he took a stance too.

The things that Emilis said made the situation worse as Marco was having a cold look on him Emilis had quite the devilish smile. In the second they were about to clash both suddenly stopped as Carla stepped between them. Marco was the first to pull back and so Emilis did after, Marco looked at Carla who was facing him. He didn’t expect for him to get slapped on the face by her.

“Who told you that you can just walk and meddle in my past and belongings!?!! You’re an outsider!!! What right have you to do that!?!! I hate you!!! never show me your face!!!” she said, raging in a storm of emotions as she wasn’t expecting that Marco would search about her past.

Seeing how she reacted Marco didn’t really gave it a thought. He looked around as he saw that red mermaid members were watching silently and luckily that neither Arthur nor Sophie were present in that sudden incident since Shoko took them to do some shopping. He exhaled his breaths then looked at her again as Carla was holding her tears.

“I guess you’re right, I’m an outsider. Well, I’ve never considered myself as an official member anyway, just, I acted on my own, for a fragment of thoughts you’re the first girl after Hana that made my siblings act lively and live good memories. I… am gonna return home, I’ll prepare dinner and go again, I may take Arthur and Sophie with me maybe” Marco said holding some words in his mind “And master I hope you got what I wanted to give you. I honestly don’t think ill of you, but what you did needed some more thought about it. I’ll be out of contact for the next three months, if you don’t really like my presence then I’ll be back when it is time for the festival. I’ve caused you trouble, I deeply apologize for my rude way of acting in front of you Carla san”.

Marco bowed and looked down calmly, not saying any more words. Alice and the others didn’t really say a thing, looking at how he acted all the way down, after hearing his words and seeing him leaving Carla realized that he never called her using honorifics with her name.

That troubled her heart more but she didn’t say a word and collapsed on her knees not knowing what to do.

“That’s a turnout of events that I didn’t expect, I guess I’ll make him fix that window later. Let’s get back to work everyone, where are you going Alex!? We have work to do!!” Emilis said as he saw that Alex was heading out on her own while ignoring his question.

Soon after Alice and Xavier stopped her saying that there’s not really something they could do.

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