Al De Baran, the canal town. It was said that its beauty rivals even Hugel, the most beautiful city in Schwartzvald Republic.
The river flow, the windmill, and the mysterious clock tower reside in here.
It is one of the city that was destroyed to annihilation 10 years ago, but somehow, the Philosopher Caen was able to restore it to its former beauty.
When Erkard reached the town, he was trying to find the contact person he was supposed to find in front of the clock tower.
"(Hmm, where is contact person? I thought that somebody gonna call me in the city gate. But there's no one who seems to be waiting for my arrivals.)"
He didn't realized that there was somebody who's walking towards him.
"Guildmaster Erkard!"
"...?"
Erkard turned around to the voice. In there, he saw a familiar person to him.
"It's been a long time, isn't it?"
In front of him, stand a female swordsman with a blonde hair dangling until her shoulder, and a big glasses that covering her eyes.
"Levia?" Erkard murmurs.
"That's right. It's been 5 years, isn't it, guildmaster?" she answered.
"Hmm, indeed. But I'm not a guildmaster anymore. I've left the position 5 years ago, after all."
"But you're still the guildmaster for me. I mean, you have proven yourself that Phantasm Trigger isn't what really matters in the guild! Considering the states of the guild at that time, it was a big achievement!"
Erkard just shrugs his head when he heard that.
"Knock it off. So what are you doing in here?" he said.
Levia's thinking for a while, and then...
"Hmm, since its you, I think that its okay..."
"Hmm? Is there any problem?"
"Not really, actually. I was tasked with a message delivery, actually. The person I should deliver the message should be coming from the gate today."
Erkard was surprised. He seems to know where is this story heading...
"Say, is this task was given to you from Captain Herman?"
"...! How did you know! ?" Levia was surprised.
"Then you have found the person you're looking for. Yes, it's me."
Levia looks completely surprised.
"...is it true?"
"Yes."
"Then show me the proof. What is the code?"
"Not so fast. Instead, show me the proof that you're the messenger, first."
Levia stay silent for a while, then she's taking out a small pendant with a crystal ornament.
"Alright, I believe you." Erkard said.
"You're mean, guildmaster. You actually didn't believe me?"
"Well, I'm just being careful, after all."
Levia shrugged herself, and then continue...
"Then, what is the code?"
"Firmamentum aeterna iustitia."
"Hmm, correct. Then I shall tell you about what you should do next..."
"Hold on a minute."
Erkard stopping her before she started talking again. Levia was confused as the result.
"...? What is it?"
"Is it okay if we just talk in here?"
"...oh..."
They realized that they're in public place. It would be more wise if they moving to a more quiet place.
"Then, shall we move to the inn?" Levia suggested.
"Sounds good. But I don't know where is it."
"I shall guide you, then. Follow me."
Levia then moving while Erkard follows behind her. They talks to each other while walking.
"Say, how is it going after I left the guild?"
"Huh?"
Erkard asked something to Levia.
"I mean, I don't know much about the guild after I left. How was it?" he continues.
Levia just walking silently. She seems thinking about something.
"...? Levia?"
"Well... It's fine, actually. But it's boring." Levia said.
Erkard was curious with her remark.
"Boring?" he said.
"Yeah. I mean, the guild is running fine, but that's it." Levia answers again.
Erkard shrugghed his head.
"Hmm, is that so? Guess now we have moved to the era of peace, huh?"
"I guess so. Ah, here we are." Levia said while pointing in front of her.
There, an inn lies. They walks inside and rent a room.
"Here's your key. The room is in the 2nd floor." the innkeeper said.
"2nd floor, right? Thanks." Levia said while taking the key.
Then they walks upstairs to the room. As they walk, they continues talking.
"Say, what are you doing now?" Levia asks.
"Hmm?"
Levia stops in her tracks. Seeing that, Erkard stops too.
"I'm curious about what are you doing after you left the guild."
"Hmm? Well, I'm taking a knight promotion test."
"Promotion test? That's amazing. Not many could receive the recommendation to take that test now."
"Well, I guess."
"But you're still wearing a swordsman uniform. How so? Don't tell me that you've failed?"
"I didn't. I should have been promoted by now, actually. Ask Captain for the reason. Say, how about we continue inside? There's a problem that I like to be cleared."
"...a problem? Alright, come on."
They move inside, and once there, they continue again...
"Well, I shall tell about your next..."
"Hold on a minute."
Erkard stops her again. This time, Levia really didn't understand.
"Again? We're already moving to a more private place. What is it, this time?"
"Actually, I don't have the letter."
Levia looks confused.
"...what letter?"
"...huh?"
Now is Erkard's turn to be confused.
"The letter that the previous messenger give to me, of course. Didn't Captain told you about it?"
"...? He didn't. He just told me that I have to reach Al De Baran at a specific date, meet with a person, give him something, and then goes my way." Levia answers.
Erkard never thought that he would receive that kind of response. He now doesn't know what he should do. But then, he realized something.
"Give him something? What do you mean?"
"Oh, yeah. Captain told me to give you this." Levia said while giving him something.
It looks like a letter. Erkard then opened it.
"...to Erkard, when you opened this letter, I believe that you have lost the letter that the messenger in Prontera gave you...what! ? He knew! ? ...Though if you still have it, you can throw it out now...what the hell! ?" Erkard shouted.
Hearing that, Levia was bursting her laugh.
"Hahahahaha! What was that! ? That was stupid, indeed! Hahahaha!"
"This is no joke for me! I almost died because of that letter!"
But Levia didn't care, as she continue to laugh, holding her stomach in the process. Erkard, realizing that he can't do anything to her laugh, he continue to read the letter.
"...well, the letter is a fake, after all... You damn old man! I'll kill him the next time we met!... I'm sure you're cursing me right now... Eh! ? He knew! ?... But it was for the best... As if!" Erkard continues...
"That way, I might be able to show you the danger that the real letter would have. Yes, it was a decoy, so you know more about your enemy. But, then again, the real letter never existed in the beginning. If there any, then it was in this letter. Yes, you shall have the content of the real letter, by reading this letter…!"
Erkard realized that he's getting to the important part. He starts to read it seriously.
"(Find a person named Lord Baedrello of the Giants in Juno. He's a giant sage, who usually spends his time reading books in the Library in Sonotora Island. He's one of the most tolerant of the radicals, so I'm sure that he would listen to your story to some degree. Tell him this 'We have an information about the new monsters in your region. Please cooperate with us.' That's all. I know that you might be having trouble with going to Juno itself. So I have arranged with a trustable person and make the protection lower at midnight. After you was able to sneak in, find a place to hide in the library. I also have arranged so the window in the back part was opened. You can use it to your advantages. That's all. Good luck, Erkard. If you want, you can also go with other peoples, but keep it minimum. And this letter will burned by itself after you've finished. Sincerely, Herman.)"
...
BURN!
"Woah!" Erkard threw away the letter.
They stand silently as they watch the letter burns until it turned into ashes.
"That was fast." Levia commented on the letter that has turned to ashes.
"Haah... That old man... He should ask someone from the thief guild for this kind of mission." Erkard said, not realizing that Andrew's habit are catching up on him.
"But that sounds fun! I mean, a sneaking mission! ? That sure make your heart beat!"
"Well, it might be." Erkard said, but his mind seems wander to another place.
"(New monsters? What is this all about?)" he thought.
Levia, watching as Erkard is thinking about something, she ask something to him...
"Say, what happened to the previous letter, actually?"
"Hmm? That letter was stolen from me."
"Eeeeh! ? So there's still people out there who can outsmart you! The world is really vast!"
"...sheesh, you don't need to comment on here and there, you know."
Levia just watch him in great interest, and Erkard then said...
"Guess I should start preparing for the journey, then." Erkard said as he was walking towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Levia asks him.
"To the general store. I might need some tools on the journey, so I should buy some in there." he said while holding the door's handle.
"Oh, you're going for a shopping? Then follow me! I know where you can buy good stuffs!"
At that time, on the other place...
"Huhuhu... That damn brat..."
In the Prontera slums, Lucio was standing on the street while reading the letter he took from Erkard.
The content of the letter was : "Congratulations! You found a Fake Letter! Sincerely, Herman."
BREEK!
Full of anger, Lucio tear the letter to half and threw it away. From behind, the assassin Elua was approaching him.
"Elua, how is it going?" Lucio asks her.
"I'm sorry, Sir Lucio, but we still can't any of the peoples who disappeared."
Lucio bite his lip slighty when he heard that.
"It's been 4 days. Then perhaps searching in this place wouldn't have any good after all."
Lucio realizes that this is not the time to be wasted on a fake letter. He then turned to Elua and said...
"Elua, I'm going Juno. The elder in there might know something about all of this. And while I'm gone, you and Rezo shall take command in here."
"...! Sir, then I would be prudent if at least that I'm going too! The journey to Juno must pass the border in Al De Baran! As we're allied with the Schwartzvald Republic, they won't let us go through normally!"
"Idiot, and that's exactly why I must go alone. The lesser the people who go, the easier to bypass their border, after all."
"But...!"
"Sheesh, no need to worry. You guys reside in my Phantasm Trigger. So I could call you guys anytime I want, right?"
"No, it's not that! While indeed it might be okay, but I was more worried about your wound! The wound in your hand still haven't even closed yet!"
Elua said while pointing to Lucio's left hand. In there, his hand was bandaged, and blood looks still seep through the bandage. Lucio hides his hand from Elua's sight.
"No need to worry. This is just a small matter. It would be healed on the way to Juno." Lucio said.
But he knows that it was a lie. And Elua also knows that it was a lie. The wound should at least have been closed 4 days ago, and the recovery should on the way now. But for the wound still not closed even now…
"Sir, Elua was right. Please, at least let her go with you." another voice was heard.
Lucio and Elua turned to the voice. The other assassin, Rezo was standing in there.
"I could manage this place by myself. Your health is more important. So please, let Elua do as she wants to." Rezo said again.
"Don't be foolish, Rezo. Even with the three of us, we can barely manage this place. What can you do alone?" Lucio said back.
"But Sir, you could always use your Phantasm Trigger to return to this place."
"That was…" Lucio want to talks back, but he can't.
He saw his wound. The wound is not just taking away his blood little by little. Somehow, the wound also took away his power and energy. His power to connect this place to the real world is limited currently. Rezo and Elua, when they saw that, they realized it too.
"Sir Lucio, is it that wound?" Elua asks.
"…!"
Elua looks sad when she saw that.
"I knew that the wound is not normal! So please, at least let me go with you!" she said again.
"W-wait, just now, that was a mis-..."
"No, Sir Lucio. Please, let her be. If you're still stubborn about it, then how about that I also go too?" Rezo added
Lucio fells silent, and shrugged his head when he heard that. He realized that he's already cornered.
"Sheesh, alright. You win. Rezo, take care of the slums. And Elua… come with me." he said.
Rezo and Elua smiles when they heard that. Then, simultaneously, they shouted…
""Yes, Sir!""
Thanks for reading this chapter! As always, your review are appreciated! See you in the next chapter!