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Chapter 348: Chase
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“Warn your kind, Malory, tell them to either meet me or wait for my hand to reach their base. If I as much as smell the slightest scent of their betrayal and fractioning away from the code of law of the Enchantment Temple, I’ll make sure that they will wish they are dead. Are we clear?”
When Siva left this instruction, he made sure that Malory was listening and watching attentively as he ‘confiscated’ the items that never existed in any place anywhere.
Yes, he was acting in the boundaries of the laws of The Temple, but he was also acting upon the fact that he had ‘free reign’ on how to protect the interest of The Temple.
He dialed a call to Pistareen directly, “Although it is a bit early in the morning, aside from surprising, I have a gift for you.”
Siva activated the Real@D features of his call and showed Pistareen the lump of items he had taken from Malory.
“This guy was going to meet with Draco today and is going to use these resources to help Draco pay me up with his debt. Where do you want these resources delivered today?”
This straight to the point report frightened Malory down to his ancestors’ bones. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of ‘sir’ and ‘lord’ between the two of them. Meaning, they have equal footing and this “Magic Knight” is allowed to act on behalf of Pistareen’s full authority.
Pistareen was surprised but then he laughed. He glared angrily at Malory and then asked Siva, “I can’t believe you’d act this fast.”
“Just doing my job.” Siva hinted to him. They’ve already agreed. Siva was ‘hired’ as a Magic Knight so of course, with every successful application of his ‘job’, he would always get a reward. The two were using the ‘bounty system’ in their covenant.
“Let Little Red handle that matter. Just do your best and be careful of their plans… these guys have fallen so low that they will protect their own personal interests more than their dignity.”
“Well, I’m still waiting for those items I asked you.”
“They are currently being arranged and the days I’ve given you is my most conservative estimates.”
“I trust you.”
“Later then.”
The call ended and Malory was stuttering what to say. The reason why Pistareen has never lay his hands on the personal businesses of the High Elders is because he was very busy regarding the matters of the Enchantment Temple as a whole.
But now that he had a detachable iron hand doing the sweeping for him, Malory felt that the terror of Pistareen’s seat is now becoming visible to him.
They have severely underestimated this amiable and always smiling old man.
Siva turned around to him and hissed, “Well, what are you still standing there doing nothing for? Get your ass to do what you’re told!”
“Yes sir.” (T^T)
*****
“What?! Inquisition? Since when did you get that kind of department in your ranks?”
[I am more surprised as…]
[Huh? Who are you talking to?]
[It’s none of your business! Draco, I haven’t said anything regarding you but you owe me this one.]
“Wait… hey… shit. He got caught.”
Draco hasn’t gotten a good night sleep ever since the day he had met Siva.
The whole day yesterday, he scoured the city for the resources he demanded.
Being a Grand Knight, yes, he is one, but it only touched 50% of the entire bribe ticket. But last night was the worse since of all the items Siva demanded from him, his problem was the 100 Megatons of Cryogenic Elements.
For some reason, a huge bulk of them had been purchased by many groups and only had around 70 Megatons available for him, purchased, even, thrice as the normal price.
“Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT!!!”
He was clearly aware of what’s at stake here. If he doesn’t meet the required items, Siva might as well start his own broadcast channel since just the very fact that a King Candidate affiliated to him, a Grand Knight, had committed a sin against one of their living cultural heritages, an Archmage.
Forget about him, even The Kingdom might fall because of the anger of the citizens.
An Archmage is a very special existence to them, the Terrans. They were the last vestiges of what they could recognize as the greatest era of their entire civilization and offending one is akin to offending the entire Terran Race.
“Damn that bastard Zelga! He’s good at making trouble but he’s better at putting his tail between his legs and hiding when everything went amess.”
He only had six hours left before noon. He had to find a way to prevent that worst case scenario.
“Bastard. Bastard! BASTARD!!”
Draco kept on cursing and kicking the ground to let go of his frustration.
“Grand Knight.”
“What! Ah, I apologize for shouting. What is it?”
The knight that got yelled at sighed as he handed a report panel to his superior.
“Grand Knight Velcro said this is urgent.”
Draco frowned deeper and deeper. His scowl was almost enough to make him look like a monster. It was an official missive to all of the Grand Knights of the factions; a convention must be held today at noon in the castle.
“Shit.” Draco was a Council member, the only one of the Grand Knights. He gained this seat the same way he gained his Grand Knight chair, he had schemed and bribed his way into it.
As such, while he may be the youngest member of the Council of Elders with little influence, in the ranks of the Grand Knights, he was one of the greats… or at least, superficially. Alas, his entire demeanor in front of Siva and the closest of his subordinates are two different pictures of his title.
To attend this gathering as a Grand Knight is one of the privileges of his seat as a Council Member, but do so means that he will be laughed at behind his back. So he was invited as a Grand Knight by one of his colleagues instead.
But… “Damn it. Just as I needed more time!”
He can’t let the other factions know of Zelga’s big blunder, all the more of the same members of his own Knight Order.
As such, he was left with no choice.
—tsk. Blast it.
“Knight. I need you to do something for me. But I need you to do this in secrecy. Can I trust you? To do so will mean your promotion but failure to comply will mean you demotion and detention.”
Draco was running a risk of being found out if this person fails but if he succeeds, it means that he will be able to protect the peace of Jeremiah.
He cursed inwardly because in the path that he had taken since day 1, this was just a parcel of its troubles and challenges. There was also no going back once you’ve taken the path of bribery to solve things out of your hand.
He gave the instructions to the knight and even if the knight seemed to look like he was thinking, as the order was given by the only Grand Knight to be a member of the Council of Elders, he did not let his thoughts linger more than it must.
Stolen novel; please report.
Seeing the knight scram, Draco heaved a sigh.
—this is just a little bit of money. I can always earn them in the future if everything goes well.
With that, he scrambled away as well.
*****
In the back alleys of a familiar street, nine women dressed in white wizard robes with red scarfs and capes were happily chatting.
Well, two of them were pouting and albeit the nine of them, including the ones who should have no reason to wear them, were wearing masks, the charms of their unique personalities were still the reason why many of the men around them turn their heads at their direction.
Putting aside the four escorts who were all pretty faces themselves, Eleanor’s soft and elegant way of walking is top-grade eye-candy; Cassiopeia’s proudness invited admirers of all age-levels; Niobe’s curves ignited lustful fires; Kathleen’s cheerful playfulness was adorably pleasing; and FlowerLord’s ice-cold aloofness that accentuated more her fiery determination... were all the reason why their group was catching attention.
In this lively market place, everywhere they go, they always invited admirers. Some are courteous and greeted them, and even gave them a few gifts which they happily accepted; some, however, were so rude that they even went as far as block their paths just to get them.
Majority of them, however, were elegantly and very gracefully fended off with a mighty “get out of my sight” and “please just go die” lines from an elegant mistress like Eleanor.
To see someone as gentle and elegant as her say those words of unfathomable vulgarity while still maintaining her well-mannered smile was a sight to see in itself. And her ‘best friend’, Cassiopeia, was so proud of her that she practically clapped her hands each time she fended off a villain.
Still there would always be a bunch of men who had thick skin and blind eyes.
While they were unable to divine the intent on her words, they would even get closer and almost to the point of touching them.
It was here that they will always receive the fire of FlowerLord’s or Kathleen’s wraths, sending a few of them forcefully logged out or unconscious.
This had happened to them since yesterday and today wasn’t an exception.
As they walked on, they left an aftermath of either heartbroken men or unconscious bastards. Thus, their group earned a moniker of ‘untouchables’ as they went their way to either collect information or buy a few things they liked.
*****
10 AM, The Back Alleys
“So, Oppa, we’re good with the deal, right? Just let us know if you have another useful info, ‘ayt?”
With a wink Kathleen paid the secret merchant in that vegetable stand his due payment and the old keeper smiled, satisfied of the transaction.
He told the group, “He had hired the three men yesterday and they should be finished on the exams by today’s noon. We will send them on the hotel’s lobby for your verification.”
“Nah, if it’s that guy’s arrangements, then he can just deal with it himself. We’re just errand girls.”
She dismissed it half-jokingly and half-serious.
The black merchant was startled.
Errand girls…?
Just what kind of man has such a monstrous level of charisma to put these ‘untouchables’ as just his errand girls?
The merchant stopped thinking about it. In the place he worked for, these kinds of beauties are a daily occurrence and some of them had been tamed so much that they begged to be conquered everyday by their masters or his friends.
After their transaction was complete with that agent of the black market, they left the back alleys and were headed back to their hotel when—
“Ouch!”
“Shit.”
Kathleen was happily leading their group and she bumped into someone who was in a rush. Both of them fell on their behinds.
“You bumped into me and the first thing you’d say is a curse?!”
“Get out of my way. I’m in official business.”
“…the fuck?”
Putting aside FlowerLord, the second place for having a short temper was Kathleen Brew. She is a playful girl when in docile mode but when she’s agitated, she’s just Alice’s twin: a Rajang.
(AN: Monster Hunter, ultra-aggressive monster)
She bounced off to her feet and grabbed the man’s collar and lifted him up like a baby.
“You' fucking testing me, boy?”
The man slapped her hand, looked behind him, then glared at her, emphasizing the emblem on his chest, “You are hindering me on my official business as a knight of The Order of Jeremiah. I will only warn you once again, if you don’t get out of my…”
“Mothafacka! You didn’t only apologize to me, you actually even threatened me?! Are you knights of The Wall really this arrogant, huh?”
In the midst of Kathleen’s sentence, FlowerLord, who heard the knight’s claim of his alignment, snapped into action as she lifted the man off his feet and threw him towards the back alleys.
Even Kathleen was surprised.
“You!” the knight was so enraged but because he was in a hurry, he only glared at their group as he fixed his collar and then stood up, “I’ll remember this.” spoke his threat, and then turned his back on them.
Kathleen and FlowerLord didn’t pursue the man but the latter still left her words for him, “Tell that fucker King Candidate who lusted over my friend to watch his back. I will kill him as soon as he gets out of the city.”
The knight stopped, “How dare y—” he wanted to make the impertinent woman pay for speaking ill of a King Candidate, but when he recalled the bit about that ‘particular’ King Candidate and the sin and matter the woman was talking about, she was startled to have realized something.
“You’re friends with her?”
“WE are friends with her.” Kathleen emphasized.
The knight just so happens to be the same knight in the office of the Guard Captain yesterday and so he knew just who that King Candidate has just offended with his lustful attempt.
At that, he became fearful as he realized that the Capital was lurking with these frightening beings.
To him, any person associated with that faceless knight was a frightening existence.
And now that he thought about it, the knight only then noticed the same ‘uniform’ that this group is wearing. White and red-themed; no mistake about it, they are related.
“Shit.” He cursed his luck as he tried to turn his back hurriedly. But before he could even do so, another mysterious person appeared at the other end of the alley and pushed him off his feet.
A surge of Mana erupted from the mysterious person and it made Eleanor’s face slightly frown as she felt the high-level magic used on the knight.
“Thanks for the info.” The mysterious man said and he grabbed a small bluish pebble that had a few images playing over its surface from midair.
The images were the scenes that happened for the past 24hrs… especially of the scenes in the Guard Captain’s Office.
After he stored the pebble to his Inventory, it was only here that he noticed the people on the other side of the back alley.
“Hm?” the man wore a tattered dark grey cloak and his face was covered by its hood. When he saw what was happening on the alley that he had just turn into, he became alarmed.
Just one look alone was enough to tell anyone that this was a character that moved in the dark and avoided the public eye as much as possible.
And yet, when he turned this corner, aside from his target, the first person he saw was the all-female group led by the masked FlowerLord and Kathleen Brew.
FlowerLord, however, recognized him instantly.
“Julia!”
“Damn.”
—someone who knows me.
Julia cursed and immediately turned to leave but FlowerLord didn’t let him run as she chased and yelled at her group.
“Help me catch that guy! He’s got a bounty on his head by Senior Dante!”
“A bounty by dad?” Kathleen was surprised but FlowerLord was already darting after Julia. She turned his head to look at Eleanor, then to Niobe, then Cassiopeia, and finally, back to the retreating figure of their companion. She asked them, “Let’s go… this is fun!”
She was the first to run after FlowerLord.
Niobe looked at Eleanor and then Cassiopeia bid her a glance, “I also work for Senior Dante and he took good care of me like his own daughter. That man stole one of his treasures, the Memory Orb, and since then, we’ve been looking for him.”
Cassiopeia darted off to follow the two. Niobe, who was lost, looked at Eleanor for support.
Eleanor chuckled, “Let’s go. They’re our friends.”
Niobe nodded, “Let’s.” and they went to follow.
The four escorts, however, were crying tears of joy just behind their Mistress.
“She said they’re her friends.”
“Ah, the lonely figure was gone…”
“Our innocent mistress has friends now.”
“This is Christmas Day, I tell ya!”
From the bottom of their hearts, they were really happy to know that their Mistress, a lady whose sole purpose was to fulfil The Oracle’s oracles, is now beginning to be part of the world she lives in.
Having friends is a first step and they were also looking forward to the day that—
“—no, that’s too early.”
“Yep. Too early.”
“Just this is enough for now.”
“Mn. Mn.”
They also followed suit, passing through the knight that was still frozen there as he sat at his behind, leaning to a wall of a building.
Only when a good while had passed did the man’s blank eyes came glowed back with a spirit and he blinked as he looked around him in confusion.
“What am I doing here?” He stood up and dusted himself. “This is the back alleys of the Western Market District. Why am I here?”
As he thought about it, he also recalled that there was something he must give to the Enchantment Temple.
“Shit. Where is it?! I fucking lost the item! Oh my god, the Captain’s gonna kill me!”
The knight started to search frantically for the [item] that he should be giving to The Temple but he can’t find it anywhere… and he won’t because it was already at the hands of High Elder Halma.
As it turns out, Julia’s magic stole his memories of the past 24hours. Who knows when they will be coming back… or maybe not?
*****
“Don’t let him touch you!” FlowerLord warned the cat beside her. “Your memories of the past 24 hours will be temporarily blocked for half a day. But for NPCs, they will lose their memories of the past 24 hours permanently.”
Kathleen shuddered at the idea.
“Scary! Why is this game allowing that?”
“Beats me. But it’s really true and two of my best friends in The Circle forgot about their past 24hrs for half a day inside the game back then.”
As she spoke to here, a call connected through FlowerLord’s Communicator. It was Niobe.
She put the device on her right ear and heard the voice of Niobe.
[We’re right above you.]
FlowerLord looked up and saw her, Cassiopeia, and Eleanor, followed by her four escorts, using the ledges on the walls of the building to run after the two of them.
The call was in conference and so Kathleen also connected to the call through Efel’s invitation.
“I will say this once, don’t let him touch you. That is especially for you, Lady Eleanor. You will lose your memories of the past 24hours permanently if he so much as grazed your skin and activated his magic.”
[Understood.]
The man was fast but FlowerLord and Kathleen, especially Kathleen, were athletic types. The latter was even a Thief/Assassin combination that used speed as her main weapon.
“I will trap him in advance.”
“I’ll be counting on you.”
“Mn.”
Kathleen used another alley to turn and jumped like a monkey, walling her way towards the roof.
FlowerLord pulled out her [Ceres] and then bid a flick of a finger, launching a Black Spear towards the man’s back.
“You’re not getting away!”
SHWOOSH!!
BOOM!
An impact resounded and black matter expanded upon contact as Julia was pushed off, albeit the minor damage, using the said attack as means to propel himself even further.
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A fight in the city’s back alleys had turned into a heart-racing chase…
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Next Chapter: The nightmare of Henna arrives…
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