"Ngh..."
...
I wake up to a familiar yellow-white ceiling. This should be the infirmary of the BOV.
My body and head are wrapped in layers of bandage, I can feel some cooling herbs against my wounds.
I look around to see a woman fidgeting with packets of medicine and slotting them into their respective shelves. She turns around and jumps.
"Eek!...Oh...you are awake."
She goes up to me and checks my body. "Does moving hurt?" she asks.
I shake my head.
She takes off the bandages around my body and removes the bloodied herbs before taking a cloth to wipe the substance on my body. The healer pulls another clean roll of bandage and a bottle of liquid. She pours the liquid over my wounds and wraps the clean bandages.
"Great! You are recovering rapidly, though a bit too quick," she says while disposing of the used bandages.
"Well, my physique is unique haha."
The healer nods. "Rest here for today, you can probably leave by tomorrow. If you would like any, there are some apples on the table."
I nod and thank the healer and she leaves the room.
...
To my right is Grad on a bed, unconscious. With better lighting, I can finally make out his facial appearance, he has a scar on his cheek.
I take the apple off the basket on the bedstand and munch it. Minutes later, Kae appears in the infirmary.
"Arsto..." He says.
I smile and waves. Kae ignores it. I awkwardly put my hand down.
"So...what about the thing I asked you to do?" I say. I asked Kae to watch the activity around the BOV building.
Kae walks closer and sits beside the bed. "Nothing was out of the norm except a carriage. A similar carriage drove around the premise six times. Did you ask me to do this knowing that?"
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I nod my head. "Somewhat. I heard a General visited Haeru's BOV. However, I find no reason for the General himself to come merely to reprimand Captain Melissa and escort me to the banquet, a Captain is enough for the latter."
Kae rubs his chin. "So something is going on...but they are good at hiding it."
"It's just a possibility."
Suddenly I feel the change in Mana Flux Density prowling around the room.
I put my finger to my lips.
Kae tilts his head and raises his brow, confused.
I take his hand and write "We are being bugged."
Kae widens his eyes and looks around. I stop him.
"Let whoever it is eavesdrop on our conversation, it will be less suspicious." I write.
"So how is your daughter?" I ask out loud.
"Ah...she is doing well." Kae plays along. "Working as a mercenary, I rarely have a chance to see her. I should buy her something."
Moments later, a knock comes on the door. It opens and reveals an old man wearing a white coat. It's General Arctius.
I turn back to Kae and tap his shoulder. "Continue doing what you did, your daughter will be proud," I say, secretly asking Kae to continue his supervision.
Kae nods and bows to the General before leaving the room.
"Good evening, sir," I say, lowering my head.
Arctius smiles and walks to me. "Are you the one that let Bodev go?"
"I..."
Still smiling, Arctius gazes down at me. "You should have died. I find it odd that two mere mercenaries survived."
"I guess I was lucky," I say, breaking my formal tone.
...
"Sir, get to the point, this is unlike you." I throw a stare back at Arctius.
With our eye contact still locked, Arctius nonchalantly replies "Unlike me? "
A tense silence hangs.
"Heh...impertinent bastard." He scoffs and releases insurmountable bloodlust.
The pressure falls on me like a waterfall, my body starts to tremble, yet my mind stays clear. Arctius cannot kill me. Not here.
Arctius' bloodlust dissipates when he realises my firm gaze.
A small smirk widens on his face. "I understand your confidence, I have no evidence to arrest you and you have a perfect alibi." Arctius turns to Grad. "An impressive plan, no doubt."
Arctius turns to the door and says "I don't care why you infiltrated the BOV or what you do. But do not interfere with my scheme. We are peas of the same pod so I hope I make myself clear."
And he leaves.
...
Peas of the same pod? Ha! What a joke.
I glare at the door.
"Don't lump me in with the likes of you," I mumble.
----------------
An enemy boss has appeared!
Arctius Ferz Kaile Monseour
Strength:????
Weakness:????
Tribe: Human(?)
Lvl:458
Hp: 1000000/1000000
Mana: 8000/8000
Atk: 1590
Def: 219
Dex: 271
Mag: 219
Luck: 81
----------------
----------------
"Boss Index" can now be accessed
----------------
...
Those stats are nothing compared to the higher demons but one flick is enough to disintegrate my existence.
The question mark beside his tribe "Human" might mean that Arctius already gave up his humanity.
Up until now, everyone that I've faced was considered a mere "mob". This is the real game of "Elvis Arcane".
==================================
I leave the BOV building and stretch my arms in the warm light.
I take a deep breath. "Hah...I love the smell of fresh air."
Kae shows up with his long and untidy black hair. Usually, he ties a small ponytail and is neat. Now, soot and dirt cover his body.
"What-"
"Shut up," Kae says, embarrassed.
I let Kae take a bath before further questioning.
He leans against the walls of my dormitory room and sighs. "I tried tailing the carriage yesterday. It had a suspicious route. It first stopped at some normal restaurants and bars so I assumed its goods are food. However, it stopped at a blacksmith soon after and loaded some boxes onto their carriage. It has a peculiar smell so I went to sneak a look. The boxes had some blue crystal stuff."
Blue crystal stuff...
"Does it smell like a grassy pungent aroma that cools your nose when you sniff it?"
"Yes."
"It's drugs," I reply.
Kae furrows his brow. "Drugs?"
"Yes..."
Kae looks around and walks closer. "What do we do?"
"Nothing."
"What? But those drugs...are they harmful?"
"Definitely."
"Then why?"
I throw a glance at Kae. "You are acting as if you are my subordinate. Did you forget your role is to monitor me?"
Kae jolts and clicks his tongue. He sighs and walks away.
"Don't worry, there is a way we can deal with those drugs. But not when Arctius is here, he can kill the both of us without lifting a finger. We have to hold it in until the banquet is over." I say.