"Even after all our attempts to play along as just your regular shop, we still ended up with kids attacking us... and you..." the man in the suit commented while unsheathing his blade.
"I can somewhat understand the Aurum kids; they help knights deal with criminals for more points. But you... you look different from them. So tell me... who sent you here?"
After saying that, he swung his sword in rapid movements.
I managed to deflect the attack with my daggers, but I could feel the weight of his power every time I parried.
"I don't think that should be important to you. After all, your little business ends tonight," I said as I stepped back.
"A simple fighter of justice? No... you don't look like one. No... you're like us." He mumbled in a raspy voice as he prepared another attack.
"Like you? Don't even think about it. I'd never get involved in the kinds of business you run here."
We kept clashing blades, even if it was mostly him on the offensive while I kept my guard raised.
"I wasn't talking about that. Those Aurum kids... even the ones of the lower ranks in the academy, and those of lower social class, still have this sense of nobility, of righteousness..." The man continued attacking me, although his strikes were considerably less powerful now, as if he was holding back while he talked.
"These kids grew up in a peaceful time. No major wars between the kingdoms, maybe worrying about monsters if they were unlucky enough. None of them know about war, about a true slaughter. You are a mercenary, just like us."
"I was raised by them, but I never went on missions with them. They wanted me not to get involved while I was still young."
"Then you know about a mercenary's pride, don't you?"
"I know about it... and I personally dislike it a lot."
Loyalty to the job at the cost of your own life? Even if it means clashing with those you consider friends and family? That's simply an ideology I'll never get behind.
He stopped attacking and backed away. His eyes, half closed, could be seen through the sunglasses he wore.
With a long, tired sigh he kept his posture but sheathed his sword. "I see... it seems you still have much more to learn."
With a precise, slow movement he grabbed the handle of his sword and bent his knees, ready to burst forward with an explosive movement.
"!!!"
However, he simply vanished into nothing—disappearing right in front of my eyes.
This feeling... multiple attacks. One at my stomach, horizontal. One at my neck, diagonal. One at my arm.
It seems this technique of striking different spots in a single second is really popular among swordsmen in Terra.
I managed to dodge the slash aimed at my stomach. The slash at my neck gave me a shallow cut, nothing I couldn't power through, just a minor injury. The last cut I managed to parry with my dagger.
---
After knocking on the door of the Golden Dragon house and waiting a second, the group was greeted by the second prince of the Raychmen kingdom and his bodyguard.
"You... what do you all want here?"
"Don't be so rude to them, my liege. They're Alen's friends," Cecil commented with a laugh.
Kaida simply lowered her head, avoiding the prince's eyes.
"Then is it right to assume you're looking for Alen?"
"U-uhm... hm." Kaida shyly nodded.
"C'mon, Kaida, don't be shy! Yes, we're looking for Alen, Prince Theo," Yani said, making up for Kaida's lack of courage in front of the prince.
"You're not in luck. He has been disappearing at these hours for the past few days."
"Is that so...?"
"What do you guys need him for?"
"Shut it, Cecil!" the prince ordered, unexpectedly firm. "This late at night, carrying your weapons and armor. It's obvious you're looking for Alen to help you."
"Huh... yeah! We... well, tell them, Kaida," Yani said with a nervous smile.
The pink-haired girl got nervous and looked to her teammates.
"I... we got a note about a dangerous group... detailing how they were involved in the production of drugs..." It seemed that with every other word Kaida's voice dropped lower with embarrassment. "I... do tend to get notes telling me mean stuff... but this one doesn't read like a bullying letter; it reads genuine."
"And you need Alen's help?"
"Basically, yes!" Yani added.
"You did this last time too. Your group is so weak that you need help from someone stronger. Are you also not going to report this dangerous information to the Red or Blue towers? Not going to let stronger students handle this?" Theo crossed his arms and looked down on the sinners' group.
From the back, Tirino could be heard clicking his tongue and stomping his feet. "You shit prince! Who do you think you are? We don't need any of your help. C'mon, let's go!"
Before Tirino could leave, Cole hit him in the back of the head and shushed him.
"I'm sorry about that, Prince Theo," Yani awkwardly said as she began retreating.
However, Kaida remained, her head lowered and fists clenched. A moment later she bowed deeply and, without saying a word, turned and started leaving.
Seeing this, the blonde prince sighed. "I may distrust and dislike you like everyone else, sinner, but I also don't hate you like Von Themys or most other people do. If you want help, go to the Red Bull house—that's where Atro is right now. He'll probably be willing to help you."
"We were actually going to contact him after Alen. But thanks anyway, prince!" Yani commented cheerfully before they all left.
...
Cecil's expression was unreadable to most, his eyes closed and a smile that barely conveyed any emotion.
"I don't want any comment about it, Cecil."
"I thought you would've been more aggressive toward her given how affected you were by that incident."
"I wasn't that affected in that incident, and you know it. I have fewer reasons to hate that sinner than others."
"I've gotta say, my liege, I never thought I'd see the sinner Kaida Thican surrounded by people who didn't hate her," Cecil commented with a light chuckle as both students made their way back into the Golden Dragon house.
"And the one who started that change was Alen..."
"He really knows how to cause a storm wherever he goes!"
"I swear it's like problems just follow him wherever he goes!"
---
"That was impressive, kid. Not many can live after three peaceful devouring slashes," the man with sunglasses commented as he retreated after I parried the last of his three split-second slashes.
What a cool name! Why can't I think of something like that for my own skills!?
"One of my family members could do that with her eyes closed, at will, and could do more than twenty in less than two seconds. And she called that going easy on me," I proudly said about Karla's sword skill.
"You must've had some amazing teacher. Yet you still ended up using daggers. What a waste for a skilled swordsman to train someone like you."
With that said, the man started running toward me, his sword ready to slash.
"Gola, Tinalara, come out!" I called.
Immediately, a big shield came out of my cloak and defended me from that man's attack.
"Eh?"
Not even a second later, Tinalara jumped out of the cloak and slashed with her machete.
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the underground hallway; the man managed to deflect Tinalara's attack at the last second.
Thanks to her momentum, Tinalara continued past the man and landed on the ground, adopting the Wolf's stance and turning around.
Not giving him time to react, Gola continued the pressure and bashed her shield against the man.
"Ugh!" The man was sent backward, but didn't receive any significant damage.
"What happened?" the man looked around in confusion. In just a single second, he was now surrounded on both ends.
Behind him, a petite woman with green skin and purple hair held a strange fighting stance. In front of him, another green-skinned woman wore heavy armor with a big shield in one hand and a small mace in the other.
"You girls can take care of him, right?" I asked.
"Of course, mister! We can definitely knock him out," Gola affirmed confidently with a smile as she looked back at me.
"Do we kill him, or do you want to keep him alive?" Tinalara asked, studying her opponent.
"Free choice. If you need to, kill him. If not, just tie him down after he loses consciousness."
"Awright, mister!"
"I am the boss of the squad, Gola! Just so you remember who orders come from," Tinalara said with a hidden note of jealousy in her tone.
"Of course! I already know that" the orc girl smiled.
Seeing both girls close in on the swordsman, I ran down the hall to find where the spirits could be.