Back in Melbourne, a pair of men dressed lazily in the vermilion colours of the Emperor’s army could be seen walking the streets of the Merchant City.

  Even for the Emperor’s men, this was early… so it was no surprise to find that their movements had more direction than they usually did, heading straight rather than branching off every now and then to terrorize people in the name of searching for a ‘hero’.

  Yusa yawned the sleep out of his eyes as much as he could. The frigid cold was not a problem but the discomfort of having to wipe dew off his armour irritated him in the morning.

  His right hand rested on the pommel of his sword while he walked through Melbourne’s streets on autopilot.

  Today made three days on patrol in this backwater town and he was growing exhausted, more mentally than physically. The pressure of having a Dark Magic user taking charge of this search together with their commander didn’t make the situation any better.

  It was becoming more and more obvious that whatever this boy was to their masters was enough to make them feel fear… and yet, they were convinced he was harmless.

  The search for the ‘weird’ boy was taking longer than any of them had expected, and yet, it made sense that they’d hit a dead end. What were they expecting to find?

  The descriptions of the boy were far too noticeable for anyone to ignore. If he truly was ‘loved by the world’ like they all said, then wouldn’t he be the easiest person to spot in a Merchant City as small as Melbourne?

  It wasn’t a good hiding place… and yet, he remained hidden from them.

  There was a high chance the boy had skipped town. But if he really was in hiding, then his overwhelming characteristics would be the first thing he would change about himself. It was basic common sense.

  Their suspicions of Alistair lingered within their strategy meetings with soldiers eager to end this charade, growing more than ready to bring him to the forefront and have this whole mission done and dealt with.

  After the demon stampede though, sympathy sided with the boy. He’d ventured close to Death’s Door and made it back, a feat no one took lightly.

  That day had been an odd one for Yusa.

  He liked watching cocky brats get the lesson they deserved… but something about this one made his stomach turn instead.

  What made the allegations on Alistair stick though, was the fact that the boy was among the hardest people to find in Melbourne.

  It was the reason Yusa and his colleague were up this early, following orders meant to either silence or aggravate those allegations.

  The sun was still about half an hour from rising, and Yusa found himself making it through Melbourne to one of the few places he was sure Alistair could be found.

  ‘That boy is good at hiding,’ the man sighed, ‘No one can even find his house.’

  Still, it was probably better for the boy to stay hidden. If he was so easy to find, Yusa reckoned his arrest would have happened already.

  So perhaps this was better, ‘Wait… am I seriously on that miscreant’s side? Just because he can stay hidden so well… I’m growing soft. If it wasn’t for his caretaker, he’d be a normal boy waiting for an execution… just like that scorpion boy.’

  Suddenly, Yusa’s sleep vanished. Something about what Alistair had said a few days ago came back to him. ‘What was that about not wanting to bother his caretaker by mentioning the location of where he was living?’

  If Alistair was staying with someone, then didn’t that mean the boy was being protected by whoever that was? And if the person taking care of him felt the need to protect him, then what did they have to hide?

  “You have that look again, Yusa,” a rusty male voice cut through the silver-haired man’s thoughts, “You’ve figured out something, haven’t you?”

  The man standing beside him was one Yusa stayed wary of. Their commander’s right-hand man, Roan, was known for being particularly ruthless when dealing with criminals… and his definition of a criminal was often quite… relative too.

  “I’ve just been thinking, Roan. That boy we keep circling back to. He hinted a while back that he was staying under someone’s roof. Now, I’ve heard his story of having come from Earl’s Hollow from the men at the gate, but don’t you find it odd that we can’t find that house…? Not even by accident. We’ve scoured every inch of this Merchant City, but we can’t find anything,” Yusa explained.

  “You think his caretaker is protecting him from us?” Roan asked with a thoughtful expression on his scarred face.

  “It’s just a thought. I’m sure it’s nothing,” the grey-haired soldier replied. Out loud, his idea did not sound that much like evidence of the boy’s identity.

  Protective enchantments were commonplace. Odds that they existed before Alistair even made it to Melbourne from Earl’s Hollow were high.

  If anything, the only reason he lingered on this boy was his gut instinct.

  Yusa wasn’t as persistent as the rest, though, driven by their need to have this mission done and dealt with, even if it meant sacrificing the life of an innocent child.

  Yusa’s gut was rarely wrong… but this was different. It was like he knew he was onto something… yet at the same time, he wished he was wrong.

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  When the Emperor’s soldiers were sent to catch a mark who was also the target of a Dark Mage, only bad things awaited that mark.

  If Alistair turned out to be the boy they were looking for, then Yusa wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to catch him. He was the reason the girl, Scarlett, was still alive and a survivor of a demon stampede.

  Someone like that was just brimming with raw potential. Potential enough for Yusa’s guardian to acknowledge him. The silver-haired man’s guardian was the quiet kind that didn’t say much… and yet Alistair had drawn a reaction from it… just by existing.

  The pair reached their destination—a large building with a symbol on its welcoming sign well-known in all towns and cities.

  Two swords and a shield—the symbol used for an Adventurer’s Guild.

  “You ready, Yusa?” Roan smirked.

  Yusa returned his smile, “Always.”

  With that, Roan pushed open the doors of the Adventurer’s guild, putting the might of a Stone Temper Rank into his hands as he did. The hinges groaned as the thick wood swung in complete 180-degree arcs, slamming heavily into the walls.

  The room went silent at their entrance, stroking a part of Yusa that gave him intoxicating satisfaction.

  ‘Ah! This is it! The respect that comes with being a part of the Emperor’s Army. I can never get used to this,’ the silver-haired man silently reveled in the attention as they walked in, looking too serious to be bothered by the matters of unimportant riffraff.

  The two Emperor’s soldiers, vermilion cloaks waving unnaturally behind them, strolled into the Guild Hall completely void of any form of decorum.

  They strolled in like no one could touch them, banging the heavy double doors and thumping their shoes with vigorous strides.

  “Damned red cloaks!” a man grumbled off at the side.

  Yusa had heard the word many times and each time, he’d heard it used negatively… but that never bothered him. He regarded the man who’d said it for a bit and noticed he was holding a goblet of ale.

  ‘Ale this early in the morning and he calls himself an adventurer?! Pfft! This town is full of nothing but trash… just like every other Merchant City on this continent.’

  Roan reached the receptionist’s desk and slammed his fist down, “Hey, Woman! Have you seen a kid named Alistair waltzing around here? Clueless face. Green Eyes. Smells like a Peasant.”

  The woman at the reception looked up from her work and regarded Roan with a neutral expression. Two seconds of silence passed with that same impassive expression on her face.

  Yusa swallowed while the room hummed with magic, a sign of Roan’s agitation, “Are you deaf, woman?”

  Yusa stepped aside and looked away from what he was sure was about to become a scene, only to see a large man descend a flight of stairs. The room went instantly colder and Yusa’s stomach turned, ‘Crap.’

  “Is something the matter, gentlemen?” the man’s voice cut through the silence of the Guild Hall like a sharpened blade.

  Roan, who’d been growling, straightened himself up and turned to the Guildmaster. The receptionist was one thing, but this Emerald-ranked adventurer was no joke. Out of everyone in this washed-up Merchant City, Yusa found himself wary of a handful of people.

  Guildmaster Schiller was one of those people.

  “Your… receptionist should be taught proper manners when addressing the Emperor’s Soldiers,” Roan spoke calmly, “We are in search of a boy named Alistair. He became an adventurer fairly recently. Black hair, no talent to speak of. Seen him?”

  “My receptionist responds to anyone with a query for as long as they have the decency to show her the respect required of one that manages all these rowdy adventurers,” the Guildmaster reckoned.

  Roan scoffed, something Yusa found remarkably bold. He then continued to answer defiantly, “The weak bow to the strong. That’s a universal rule.”

  “Is that so?” the Guildmaster raised a brow at the man.

  Yusa, noticing the man’s aura start to quiver, decided to step in. His hand flew fast, smacking Roan hard at the back of his head and just in time to stop him from saying another word.

  The same logic Roan had used was easily reversed when dealing with the Guildmaster.

  Since the man was evidently stronger, it put them in trouble to negotiate this way, “Pardon my partner. He’s a bit of a loose screw.”

  “Keep him on a tighter leash then. For a second there, he almost sounded like he was ready to bow down to me,” the Guildmaster laughed out loud.

  Yusa only managed a half-smile. Deep down, he was irritated by this forced show of respect. He wanted nothing more than to force the woman behind the counter to reveal everything she knew of Alistair’s whereabouts. It was now a full day since anyone had seen him, and the longer they spent without knowing where he was, the more uneasy he became.

  “We’re looking for a boy called Alistair. Have you seen him?”

  “Hmm… I haven’t. But you know what, I spend a lot of time in that office of mine. There is one person here who’s always present. She’s bound to have seen him if he came by. If you apologize and ask politely, I’m sure she’d be more than willing to help you out,” the Guildmaster replied in an innocent tone.

  Yusa felt like grinding his teeth, but instead, he spun Roan around and forced him to bow his head at the woman despite the man’s grunts and complaints, “I apologize for my comrade’s boorish behaviour. If you could find it in your heart to pardon his rudeness, I would be very grateful.”

  The woman tilted her head and sighed, “Lucky for you, I don’t fancy empty words… especially from Red Cloaks. Five gold for information on Alistair’s whereabouts.”

  “You would charge the Emperor’s Men money carrying out a mission for His Majesty’s orders?” Yusa asked with silent rage spilling into his voice.

  Helga stood from her place behind the counter and narrowed her gaze at the man, “Five gold marks… or you walk out the way you came in.”

  “You heard the woman, guys. Either pay up or leave,” Guildmaster Schiller folded his arms across his chest.

  Yusa fished five gold coins from his pocket and placed them on the table, a fee much higher than half his bi-weekly allowance. Deep down, he wanted nothing more than to make this woman and the Guildmaster pay for humiliating him… but he was also the master of keeping a calm face.

  It was times like this that he excelled in appearing calm and collected, biding his time for when he’d rise again.

  The woman picked the gold off the counter and sighed, “Alistair and his party left on a quest this morning. The quest could take anywhere from a single day to five, depending on how much trouble they find on their way.”

  Yusa’s blood went cold, “Where are they headed?”

  “Ten gold marks for that one.”

  “What?! You said you’d tell me their whereabouts.”

  “And I did. Where they are headed is a totally different question, not to mention, a private one,” the woman responded indifferently.

  “You BITCH!” Roan yelled out, shooting for the woman, only to be plucked out of the air by a strong hand.

  Guildmaster Schiller was a man of higher Temper Rank and by definition, stronger than Roan’s Stone Rank Level Two. For him to treat Roan like this, however, he would have to be much higher than a few levels.

  The next few moments found them being tossed out of the Guild Hall, cursing their luck. Roan slammed his fist into the ground, making it shudder from the impact.

  He snapped back at Yusa, the calm and collected soldier, and said, “You! You smacked my head. I could have you punished for that.”

  Yusa nodded, “I’m ready to receive any form of punishment you can think of, sir. In the meantime, we should inform the commander and Master Avaros. Alistair might not be in Melbourne anymore, but he couldn’t have gotten far. If we hurry, we might be able to catch up to him and his party.”

  The ragged man picked himself up and straightened his clothes. “I see why the commander likes you. You’re far too weird to ignore.”

  “I thought it was because I was smart and calm when making decisions,” Yusa tried.

  “Meh! Don’t sweat the small stuff. Your punishment is to make back twice the five gold you just wasted getting that information. I don’t care how you earn it back… just that you do and give me five gold in the process. Now, come on. We have to report this to the Commander.”

  “Yes, sir.”