"The name is Hakro Manus. The H is silent," the man bowed his head of shoulder-length blonde hair so that he wouldn't hit his head on the entrance to the shabby shack. He wore a military uniform with a hexagon on the chest.
"Ah, yes, I understand you're here tracking the King's Eyes," the elderly village chief said with a polite smile and pulled a chair. "Make yourself at home."
"Oh, I would surely never make a home out of a place like this." Hakro sat at the opposing end of the long table as the village chief. Then he heard teeth clench and looked to the side where a young man stood with a pot of tea in his hand. "Your son?" he asked the chief.
"My protégé," the chief corrected before signaling for the boy to pour the tea.
"You have a son?"
"I do, yes."
"But you have a protégé?" Hakro snorted with amusement and shook his head. "A man can't manage his own son but his hands are still trusted to take care of an entire village."
"My son is a difficu—"
Hakro interrupted with a raise of a finger but did not speak, instead lowering his hand slowly. With that, the matter was settled.
Then Hakro's expression turned emotionless for the moment he pondered the situation. The mountain near the village had been annihilated. Work of the Shadow it seemed. It meant the girl with the King's Eyes wasn't very far. Now they just had to know which direction to go, so they had to rely on these locals.
Hakro took the cup of tea from the boy and waved him off. "I understand wanting to show courtesy to me, but I just need your information. Do you have anything useful for me?"
"As a matter of fact, I hear some from the village saw a mysterious woman with dark hair."
"And when was this?" Hakro asked before deciding to take a sip of the tea.
"You see, I was hoping you could provide some—" the village chief stopped talking as Hakro spit out the tea.
After he had gotten all the horrible liquid out, he spat on the ground. Then he turned back laughing. "I don't know what's worse. That piss or the fact that you want compensation for your legal duty."
"Oh, I only meant that—"
Hakro slammed his hands on the table and leaned forward, his dark and narrow eyes growing more and more so. "You will give me the information without wasting any more of my time or you'll pray to the Love Gods that you never knew my name."
The chief's mouth drew a straight line.
Then...
"You threaten a chief in his own home!"
Hakro turned his head in awe. "The protégé has spoken." He stood up and walked up to the young man who began to tremble visibly. "I'm sorry, my hearing has worsened as my thirtieth year nears." He leaned in, his expression incredulous. "What did you say to me?"
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"I— I didn't... I meant..."
"Shhh," Hakro shushed the young man before turning to the chief. "Have you ever heard the expression 'slap the bitch out of someone'?"
Before either could move, Hakro had brought his hand from behind his back and smacked his palm on the young man's cheek so hard and fast his neck snapped. The young man fell limply to the ground, his head bent unnaturally, bone pressing out of the skin.
Hakro clapped his hands. "Done." He turned to slowly walk up to the chief who sat back down, his body going limp like his protégé's. "Now, tell me what you know, my goodman. Until my patience wears thin."
***
After walking out of the chief's quarters, Hakro took a small cylindrical object from his pocket and blew on it. No sound came, but only a few moments later, a short woman appeared in front of him.
"Geez, Manus, you don't gotta blow so hard," the woman whined like a child, rubbing her ears.
"Oh... my mistake," Hakro apologized monotonously as he walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her. "To Jean."
"You don't gotta grab me so hard." Bri elbowed him as if it would hurt his stomach more than her elbow.
Hakro looked up and contemplated squeezing the small woman straight to hell. Then he breathed out and relaxed. "Shut up and do it."
Bri grumbled but obeyed and space folded. One time wasn't bad. But when long distances were concerned, Hakro got dizzy. Teleporting was disgusting. Everything about Bri was. The brat was even more insufferable the the rest of the Hexa.
When Hakro felt his feet on the ground again, he pushed Bri away and took a wobbly step before spitting on the ground. Suddenly they stood upon a hill that encountered a cool breeze.
"You found something?" Jean's soft voice came.
Hakro looked up at the silver-haired woman sitting and eating fruit with her hands. "I did. You're supposed to be looking too."
Jean licked her fingers. "Am I? I will get right on it." Then she tapped her head in mocking realization. "Oh, but you already did the work. How good of you."
Hakro sighed with a slight smile before looking at Bri who was standing awkwardly on the side. "Go get Vas and Yuko."
"What about Luu?" Bri whined.
Hakro shook his head before giving her a dead gaze. "Her too. Now leave."
After the brat disappeared, Hakro looked back to Jean who had crossed her legs and leaned her cheek on her palm.
"The news?" Jean asked.
"The girl was seen five days ago. She's moving West."
"Has Bri checked base?" she inquired, her gaze directed nowhere as she used that mind of hers. "Anything from Aomon?"
"Fucking Aomon," Hakro spat. "You seriously think that monk is any use?"
"I think he found her. And I think she killed him. That's what happened to that mountain."
Hakro looked away in thought but rejected it. "Seems excessive. I think the Shadow's rampaging from low stimuli," Hakro said, stretching his neck. "Need to put that beast to sleep for the next century already."
"Oh, you're using your brain?" Jean asked with an intentionally smug voice. "What do you need me for then?"
Hakro looked back with a smirked. "You're easy on the eyes."
Jean gave a small laugh. "You would be as well were it weren't for that expression of disdain plastered on your face."
"I'm afraid I can't help it." Hakro said. "But how is it that Aomon found her before us when you're here?"
Jean tilted her head and shrugged. "Luck?"
Hakro scoffed, but didn't pursue the matter further as he turned to the spectacled man who had just appeared. "Found anything, Vas?"
The man threw up. Wiped his spectacles on his clothes. Brushed his clothes. Then threw up again.
The man put a palm on the ground and erected a chair of stone. "Why does it need to be this century when the possessor of the King's Eyes isn't killed by the Shadow's first attack? It's ridiculous that the Hexa have to hunt a little girl."
"You'd rather be at war?" Hakro asked, his expression twisting at the man's whining. He couldn't help but ask himself why it was this century that the six most elite Sorcerers—each the best of their category—in the entirety of Stratum was filled with pussies.
"I would," Jean commented.
Hakro looked at her with disappointment. Even the one he liked the most out of the bunch wasn't ideal. "You would rather face hundreds of thousands of men than a single girl?"
"The men don't have the King's Eyes. The girl does."
Hakro snorted. "For all your brain's enhanced processing, you still believe in myths. Eyes don't make a girl the most powerful being on the planet."
Jean looked at the sky. "I suppose you can handle her on your own then."
Hakro popped his knuckles. "As a matter of fact, I think I will."