Chapter 4
Golden Dawn
"Okay! I'm ready, Yuno!"
Johan sported a grin, holding his Grimoire as he prepared a spell. They were currently one of the many training grounds the Golden Dawn base possessed.
"Got it." Yuno nodded as he took a step back."Wind Magic: Gale White Bow!"
A total of six wind arrows appeared in front of Yuno, firing them simultaneously at the new addition of the best squad in the kingdom.
"Obsidian Creation Magic: Seven Shields!"
Seven small shields began surrounding Johan, stopping every one of Yunos' attacks without budging an inch.
"His defenses are top-notch. I dare say they surpass my expectations." Klaus noted, amazed at Johan's performance."I was a little skeptical about a new member entering the squad without a proper test, but I see that I was mistaken. Regardless if he's a peasant, he's got skilled equal to Yuno's."
"I think he's great too." Mimosa agreed, waving at the two newbies."I think we should stop for now. It's lunchtime and I'm sure they're hungry after sparring for a while now."
Yuno and Johan stopped what they were doing and noticed Mimosa waving at them."Seems we're cutting things short for now. Thanks for agreeing to be my sparring partner, Yuno. You're a pretty cool guy."
"Not a problem." Yuno managed a small smile, turning to Bell, who was told to stay put on the sides."Seems we're stopping for now."
"Finally!" Bell exclaimed, hands in the air."I thought you guys would never stop training! You didn't even introduce me properly, Yuno!"
"And who is this little lady!" Johan made his way closer to the duo."How are you doing? My name is Johan Axelbreeze from Suke village! I'm the newest addition to the Golden Dawn so that makes me Yuno's junior."
"I don't think you should call me your senior or anything." Yuno shook his head."You're older than me. It wouldn't feel right."
Bell rolled her eyes at Yuno and offered her hand to Johan."Well, it is very nice to meet you, Johan."
"I can't believe I'm shaking hands with the spirit of wind." Johan couldn't help but chuckle, grabbing her tiny hand carefully with his."Here's hoping we get along. Anyway, I'm starving. Do you guys mind showing me where the common room was again? I forgot?"
"Honestly, how can you forget such a thing when I gave you a proper tour yesterday?" Klaus sighed, rubbing the edge of his nose and causing Johan to just laugh aloud."Not a problem. We can have lunch together."
"Great! I'm so hungry I could eat an entire boar!"
As the group left the training grounds, two individuals made themselves down as they observed from the bleachers.
"So, what do you think, Vice-Captain Langris?" Cain folded his arms as he continued observing them exit the premises.
"For a lowly peasant, he would make for a nice shield in case you're ever in danger. Whether he uses his magic or himself, doesn't matter." Langris Vaude, the Vice-Captain of the Golden Dawn, cracked a smile glaring down below at them with arrogance in his eyes."But it could have been worse I suppose. However, you should keep in mind that since you brought him in, he'll be your responsibility if he makes our squad look bad."
"That's not a problem." Cain closed his eyes in thought."I liked what I saw and I thought that talent like his couldn't be wasted. If only I could have brought in his little friend, I would have. But I didn't want to test my luck so I let my...brother...take him to his excuse for a squad, the Black Bulls."
"Oh?" Langris rose a brow, amused."You saw your brother? And he's in the Black Bulls. I take it now you understand just how much shame I endure, considering my older brother is in that squad as well. I suppose we have more in common than I thought. We both look down upon our siblings and they both share the same squad."
"I don't look down upon my brother, sir." Cain confessed, taking Langris by surprise."I simply despise him. That is all."
"I see." Langris noted, his smile returning once more."Anyway, I think you're right that talent shouldn't be wasted, even if they're just some worms compared to people like me. However, those kinds of people tend to grow a big head and think they're much more than what they are. You know I want to be captain of this squad and I want to have a relaxing time doing so. So in case any one of those commoners gets ahead of themselves..."
"I'll deal with them and put them back in their place." Cain finished for him, earning an approving expression from the Spatial magic-user."Don't concern yourself with such things, Vice-Captain Langris. I'll handle all the things you shouldn't bother with."
Before Langris could say something else, they hear someone calling for Cain.
"There you are." Letoile stopped her jogging and took a deep breath."I apologize for interrupting your conversation, Vice-Captain, but the Captian wishes to speak with Cain.."
"Well, I won't keep you from your duties." Langris patted Cain on the shoulder before strolling away."Do come by my office when you're done with whatever you need to do."
"Will do, sir." Cain gave a quick bow before giving a nod to his squadmate."Thank you for letting me know. Now, I wonder what the Captain wants with me."
Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, Yuno, Bell, Johan, Mimosa, and Klaus were enjoying their lunch together. Though to their utter shock, Johan was now on his fourth serving.
"This food is so good!" Johan cried out as he finished his current dish, grabbing the glares of some of the other Golden."It's been a while since I had a decent meal."
"You should really mind your manners, Johan." Klaus chided him, handing him a napkin."I understand that you like to indulge, but remember one must always keep their manners. Especially since you're new and a commoner. The other members might think poorly of you."
"I don't think you have any room to talk." Yuno pointed his fork at Klaus."When I joined the squad, you looked down on me as well."
"That's completely different!" Klaus protested, his cheeks flushing.
"I do have to say you have a great appetite, Johan." Mimosa couldn't help but marble as he rubbed his full belly.
"Maybe having all those muscles make him hungrier." Yuno shrugged, taking a sip of his drink."Asta eats like a pig."
"Asta?" Johan quirked a brow, interested."Friend of yours?"
"My rival. He might as well be my brother since grew up in the same orphanage but I would never say that in his face. He's part of the Black Bulls."
"You don't say?" Johan grinned, rubbing his hands."It just so happens that my friend Raiden is part of the Black Bulls as well!"
"Oh, right." Klaus rubbed his chin."I heard that it was Cain who recruited you and his twin brother, Abel, took him with the Black Bulls."
"Is that so?" Mimosa blinked in surprise."What a coincidence, Johan! My cousin Noelle is also part of the Black Bulls."
"That's great!" Johan couldn't help but exclaim in glee."Hopefully, they become good friends as well. Raiden can be a little gloomy and grumpy here and there but for the most part, he's okay."
"You have it easy." Yuno rested his head on his palm."Asta is a knucklehead and noisy. I doubt they'll be the closest of friends."
"Probably, but it's always worth it to try." Johan jovially clapped his hands, earning a small smile from Yuno."Especially in this line of work. We have to count on our squadmates and help them in return, right?"
"You are absolutely correct." Klaus nodded his head, satisfied by his statement. He noticed someone approaching their table and immediately recognized the person."Arthur! How are you today?"
The man in question simply sighed, taking a seat opposite of Mimosa and greeting her with a cordial nod. He had shaggy ginger hair that reached his neck accompanied by a pair of green eyes and a scar on his right cheek going vertically downwards. He was wearing the standard Golden Dawn uniform just like the rest.
"I'm great, thanks for asking, Klaus." Arthur gave out a tired sigh, his head falling on the table."But tired...I came back from my mission a day ago but the paperwork was brutal. But it's nothing compared to what you guys went through. I heard what happened in the Capital and the attack of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Glad everyone was okay."
"It was a very difficult task and the enemy was strong. But we managed to pull it off. Of course, there was one casualty..."
"Right. Captain Fuegoleon." Arthur's face was solemn as he faced his other squadmates."Hopefully, he recovers and goes back to leading his squad. I can't imagine what Leopold is going through right now." He coughed in his hand, realizing he was ruining the mood."On another note, I came here because the Captain ordered me to seek out the newest member!"
"That's me!" Johan rose his hand enthusiastically."My name is Johan Axelbreeze. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"The pleasure is mine. My name is Arthur Pendragon." Arthur extended his hand and grabbed Johan's hand, shaking it."I'll cut this short and sweet. Captain Vangeance says that there is a bandit or possibly two that are hiding in the capital. They took advantage of the whole attack on that Capital fiasco and stole a good amount of precious objects. Our job is to track them down and capture them. Easy first job, I'd say."
"Consider it done." Johan stood up with a bright smile."I'm afraid I'll have to cut our conversation short. I'm looking forward to getting to know you later."
After saying his goodbyes, Johan followed Arthur as they exited their base.
Meanwhile, as this happened, Cain was sitting on a chair in front of his Captain, awaiting his instructions.
"I'm happy to see you, Cain." Captain Vangeance smiled at his subordinate."First, I'd like to thank you for bringing in such a promising recruit. Normally, I don't accept new members that don't go through the proper examination, but after seeing him in action, I'm glad I made the exception."
"It was nothing, Captain. I merely found him and his friend on my mission to my old orphanage."
"Everything went well?" The Captain inquired, thinking carefully on what to say."I apologize for not letting you know sooner than your brother would be there. I'm afraid Yami made a last-minute decision but next time I'll make sure to not let it happen."
"No need to apologize, Captain Vangeance." Cain shook his head."It was...not pleasant. But it was how I came in contact with Johan, so it was worth it in the end. But I know that's not why you called me in here today, correct?"
"Right you are. I have a very important mission for you. It needs to be done quickly and discretely. You see, there was a murder in the Common Realm. However, no one is really sure of how the culprit is except one person. The witness, which you will have to bring from the Common Realm over to the Capital so a trial can be held."
"Hold on, why me in particular?" Cain asked, confused as to why he was being handed this assignment."Why not assign this to a Spatial Mage and have this done quickly?"
"Because the witness doesn't have any evidence other than his word to defend his case." William elaborated before continuing."That's where the element of surprise comes in. The culprit knows or at least believes that the witness is aware of their crime and will most likely attempt an assassination before coming to the Capital. I think you can imagine how this will play out."
"I understand. So our main mission is not only protecting the witness but also to ambush the culprit and catch them redhanded. Quite a good strategy, if I say so myself."
"Your destination is Yvon and the person under your protection is Steffano Ronald. However, you will not be doing this mission alone. There will be a Magic Knight waiting for you in the Capital and you will rendezvous with them to start your mission."
"Very well." Cain sighed, not looking forward to working in a team."I should be on my way. Thank you for trusting me with this mission, Captain."
"Remember, quickly and discretely." William reminded him, raising a finger."The element of surprise is in your favor. Use it well."
With a nod and a quick bow, Cain exited the Captain's room and headed out to the base. Whoever was his partner, he hoped they would pull their weight in this mission and not bring shame to his squad.
"They're late," Cain muttered under his breath, irritated. He was waiting by the gates of the Capital and was beyond tired of waiting. He had gotten there about twenty minutes ago and there was no sign of anyone approaching him. Just the many civilians passing by and going on about their business. For an attack having occurred here a few days ago, the town was mostly back to normal.
"Oh, are you going to be my assistant on this mission?"
Cain rose his head, glaring daggers at the source of the voice. A rather curvy young woman with long black hair tied up in ponytails and purple highlights at the ends was walking over to him. Cain didn't know why but he just noticed the star-like ornaments at the end of her pigtails She was wearing black heels alongside a brown pantyhose that had stars printed on them with a black skirt with white strips that reached the middle of her thighs. She was sporting a long-sleeved white dressing shirt that showcased her generous bust and a black jacket that seemed a little too big for her and black gloves. To his surprise, she was wearing a Coral Peacock robe. Perhaps her most distinguishable feature was the purple witch hat, decorated with gold decals, black ribbon, and another star ornament.
"Eyes up here." The emerald-eyed girl huffed, folding her arms under her chest."You didn't answer my question. Are you my assistant?"
"First of, I wasn't looking at your chest." Cain furrowed his eyes, his cheeks nearly turning pink at the accusation."Secondly, Miss, I think you got it wrong. You are my assistant. And you're late."
"Uh...no." The girl narrowed her gaze, her hands resting on her hips."I'm pretty sure you will be assisting me. And there wasn't any agreed set time, so don't be making things up. It's unbecoming of a member of the great Golden Dawn, don't you think?"
"Fair point." Cain relented, albeit he wanted to tell her a thing or two about her smart-ass attitude."It doesn't matter who is assisting who. We will be doing the same thing after all."
"I suppose you are correct." The girl nodded as they both fell into an awkward silence."Aren't you going to introduce yourself? You are a gentleman, aren't you?"
"And you are a lady. Or so it seems." Cain retorted, rolling his eyes."Name's Cain."
"How very elegant." She couldn't help but chuckle."I apologize. My name is Luna..."
"Not going to tell me your last name?"
"It's not important. Plus, you are one to talk."
"I'm an orphan."
Another pregnant silence followed the young Magic Knights, not knowing what else to say to each other.
"We should go." Luna brushed one of her pigtails aside, giving Cain a sly smile."I do hope you don't slow me down. I have high expectations of a Magic Knight of the Golden Dawn."
"Then I better not disappoint." Cain decided not to humor her and fall for her bait. Setting his broom on the floor, he stood on top of it and began levitating."Where's your broom?"
"Ha! You are indeed amusing." Luna held back a chuckle, covering her face with her mouth. She pulled out her Grimoire from her satchel and looked through the pages. Her Grimoire was purple with what seemed to be the solar system printed on it. The three-leaf clover serving as the sun and the other small black circles as the other planets going around in orbit.
"Constellar Creation Magic: Gravita Star!"
A golden star appeared out of her Grimoire, expanding in size as it circles, letting off particles of some sort. Luna spared Cain a condescending smile, jumping on top of her star and flying away at great speeds.
"What...?" Cain shook his head, gritting his teeth."Like I'd be defeated in a race! Time to go full speed!"
Without wasting time, Cain chased after Luna as fast as his broom allowed.
"Hey, you're catching up. Not bad!" Luna giggled as Cain kept getting closer and closer."Not bad. As befitting of a Golden Dawn member. But you are an orphan, right? That means that you're nothing but a peasant."
"So what, you're a royal? A noble?"
"Mmmmm, I wonder." She brought her index finger to her chin."Well, time to up the ante."
Without warning, Luna sped up even faster, leaving Cain in the dust."Such speed. Constellar Magic...sounds interesting. But my Yang Magic won't lose against it! Yang Creation Magic: Heaven Piercer!"
A bow made out of white energy manifested itself in Cain's hands."And now Yang Magic: Order The Arrow!" A small arrowed appeared in Cain's hands as he aligned it and took aim. He could barely see Luna at that point due to how much distance she had covered but that was enough. Firing the arrow, Cain waiting for it to do its job.
"Order The Arrow doesn't do any damage to the person being shot at but it's a good spell for tracking."
The arrow was incredibly fast and kept going without losing momentum until it finally attached to Luna's Gravita Star."Huh?"
"And now." Cain tied the white rope that was attached to the arrow and tied it around his arm before he began accelerating as he used Luna to gain more speed.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Luna cried out, flustered as she stomped her feet.
"You're using your magic to fly!" Cain couldn't help but smirk."I think it's only fair that I do so as well, no?"
Luna was fuming, unable to come up with an idea that could stop Cain from getting closer to her. They were reaching close to the Common Realm and she didn't want to lose to him in their race.
On the other hand, Cain continued pulling on the rope to close the distance in rapid succession, getting closer and closer to the Coral Peacock member.
Luna began ging up and down in an attempt to shake him off, which to her surprise, seemed to start working.
"What are you doing?!" Cain cried out as he was forced to follow her movements, getting dizzy."Stop!"
"You stop!" Luna barked back."Get your spell out of my star!"
"Luna! Watch out!" Cain's tone suddenly turned to panic.
"Do you truly believe that little trick will work on m-"
In a matter of seconds, Luna's spell had crashed against a tree branch and vanished, letting the girl fall several meters to the floor. She froze midair, unable to use her magic, and simply closed her eyes, ready for the impact that never came.
A hand grabbed hers, stopping her from falling. She opened her eyes, coming face to face with Cain who had stabbed the tree with his arrow and was using it to hold himself while also holding her."I told you to watch out! Seriously, are you a child?! You could have been hurt!"
"I-I..." Luna stammered, unable to find the right words to say. She hit her cheek with her free hand and glared at Cain."How rude! Maybe if you didn't shoot that arrow at me I wouldn't have lost control!"
"Now you're blaming this on me?!" Cain was considering just drop her right then and there." I would expect a "thank you" for stopping you from falling!"
"Thank you! There!" She huffed, pouting and avoiding his gaze.
"You're welcome. Let's call it a tie." The brown-haired teen swung her over to a branch nearby, letting go of her hand once she had found her balance."So, now our mission begins. Do you have a plan?"
"Certainly. I think it'd be wise for us to travel on foot since that way we'll increase the chances of the culprit to try something." Luna explained as she created another Gravita Star and jumped on it, descending. Cain opted from dispersing his spell, dropping down to the ground."Then we'll restrain him and take him to the Capital where the trial will take place."
"I thought as much. I suggest we stay here for the day. Perhaps renting an apartment with various windows could prove useful. I am an excellent archer so I'll be perfect to keep watch. You seem to be quick on your feet, so you can stay close to the witness."
"Good thinking." Luna nodded, smiling in satisfaction."Okay then, let's get going."
"Ladies first." Cain bowed mockingly, earning a giggle from his partner.
"So you CAN be a gentleman after all."
"Don't push it."
Johan and Arthur were walking in the capital's busy streets, keeping their eyes open in case they found their target.
"According to this report, the perpetrator has slick back black hair and a goatee. Identifying feature is his heavily bandaged left attribute seems to be fire. However, they also reported having seen another person in the scene. "
"Slick black hair and bandaged arm. Could be due to an injury. In which case, we might not have much time if he decides to remove it." Johan handed the report back to Arthur. Something he found interesting was that Arthur was almost as tall as him, albeit not as built.
"I took care of that. Our first destination is a bar called "Wendigo's Nest.". It's in one of the darkest corners of the Capital, almost hidden. If anyone has information about a thief running around here, it's the people there."
"I see. Good thinking, Arthur. You're a pretty reliable guy, you know? Been a Magic Knight for a while?"
"Kind of. Four years." Arthur informed him."I'm 21. I had to retake the exam a couple of times until I finally got in."
"Oh? How come?" Johan inquired, wanting to know his reason for having to retake the test.
"I wasn't very creative." The ginger told the hulking newest member."You see, I depended on my magic too much to do everything for me. Coming from a noble family, I was born with incredible talent. However, I was never in the need of training. "A noble doesn't do things like training." My mother would say."They do not need to waste their time in trying to perfect something that is already perfect". How wrong she was. It doesn't matter how talented I was, I was way over my head. I bowed to train and train to get a better grasp of my power and never fail again. I learned a valuable lesson."
"So that's how you got into a squad? You waited to hone your ability until you were strong enough to take the exam and be scouted? The Captains must have been quite surprised to see your development."
"Well, not exactly." Arthur wagged his finger, holding back a laugh."I always did enough that the majority of the Captains would always raise their hand. Some would even personally try to talk me into joining their squads. But I wasn't happy with my performance and I really wanted to feel like I earned my place, you know?"
"Y-yeah..." Johan sweatdropped, the whole seriousness of the story suddenly vanishing.'To be sought out by all the Captains every day and for him to turn them down until he was happy with his skills...he's very diligent. Perhaps way too much for comfort.'
"What about you, Johan. How are you finding the squad so far?" Cain asked him, hoping to get to know him better."Everyone treating you well?"
"Kind of." Johan supplied, rubbing the back of his neck."Some of them don't really like a peasant like me being in their squad but I understand where they're coming from. But with Yuno in the squad, I don't feel like I'm alone in the sentiment. He, Klaus, Bell, and Mimosa are great. Cain is okay but I'm grateful he let me even have a shot at joining the squad."
"Little Cain recruited you, huh? That's new. He usually doesn't do anything the Vice-Captain doesn't tell him to do. And let me tell you, Langris is one strict person. Not to mention his self-centered attitude makes him look down on others."
"I find that to be a common trend honestly." Johan shrugged, absentmindedly."I don't let it get to me. Can't be letting every word get to you, otherwise, you'll lose sight of what's important. I tell that to my friend, Raiden, who joined the Black Bulls, that all the time."
"Sounds like you're both quite close with each other? Both the same age?"
"Not at all. I'm older by six years. We met back in our village and I guess we became as close as siblings, kind of. I never had any siblings growing up. Mom passed away years ago and my father never remarried so he was the closest thing to a brother I had. He's part of the reason why we were late for the exam."
"Oh? How come?"
"It's not my place to say but I will say he had to go check on someone important to him." Johan explained, making sure he didn't say much without Raiden's permission."Sorry. I would say more but he doesn't like when people meddle in his business."
"Sounds like he's very careful." Arthur commented."From my experience, when people don't want others to get involved with their affairs, it means that they don't want unnecessary attention. Often because they think showing any sort of emotion means weakness."
"Huh. That actually sounds kind of accurate." Johan whistled at how spot-on Arthur was."Had much experience with those kinds of people?"
"I like to study human psychology." Arthur half shrugged."I study it in my free time. Not much to do for me other than training or going on missions. Besides, it surprisingly helps me in my daily activities. Maybe I can show you what I mean in this mission."
"Looking forward to it." Johan followed Arthur down an alleyway and walked several meters into it. It was spacious but there was no one around. A perfect place for a crime, even during the day, Arthur had deduced. He spotted the sign hanging from a door, indicating they had arrived at their destination. Arthur gave Johan a quick nod before opening the door and allowing themselves in.
The bartender was in the middle of cleaning a cup and merely glanced up, giving the newcomers a firm nod. The place looked run down and was empty, with barely any light aside from a few candles. The tables were neatly lined up across each other in their respective tables, except for the one containing a man with his legs on the table, his face hidden by a hat.
Arthur signaled Johan to seat with the bartender while he went over to where the man was presumably dozing off.
"You sure you want to seat with me?" Came his muffled, rough voice. He was wearing a long-sleeved lavender shirt, brown pants, and a black vest, and brown boots. He had slick back hair but his facial features were hidden by his hat."Usually whoever does has to pay for a few rounds. I hope you don't mind paying, boy."
"Sure, I can do that." Arthur agreed, taking a seat in front of him."Boss! Give us a round of your best. Don't hold back!"
"You got it." The bartender pulled out a bottle from a cabinet and began to get to work."What about you?"
'Should I really drink on the job?' Johan pondered, glancing at Arthur who was conversing with the lonely man in the farthest table."Just water is fine."
"Nice play to hang around and relax, wouldn't you agree?" The man asked, chuckling."I come here almost every day and I barely get wasted. The atmosphere and how not many people come here is enough for me."
"Yeah, I can see your point." Arthur mused, admiring the small bar."A little shady, but I can see the appeal. Usually, taverns are filled with rowdy people so it's hard to find a place of comfort."
"Heh. You got that right. For a noble, you sure know your stuff, kid." Before Arthur could ask him how he knew about his status, the man rose a hand."I could feel your mana even before you opened that door. It's different from regular people. I take it you're a Magic Knight."
"Yes, sir. Just passing by." Arthur admitted, a smile gracing his features."After the whole attack on the Capital thing, we were tasked to increase our patrols and where we looked. I saw this bar by mere chance."
"I'd say you're doing a good job then." The man complimented him."Honestly, no offense to you, but most Magic Knights don't give a rat's ass about those who are below. The top squads are self-entitled and only bother to help rich kids among other fancy shit."
"What makes you say that, if I may know?" The ginger rose a brow, curious for his answer.
"Trust me. You'd be surprised by the amount of crime committed here in the Capital itself. The injustice. No one bothers checking outside of populated areas, so the ones in the dark have to survive on their own. The Capital may be known for the place where people prosper, but it had its dark sides as well. Of course, Magic Knights don't care to help unless they're helping someone important. Ever heard of the thief stealing from the rich recently? They made it a big deal because he's stealing from the pompous assholes they call nobles. I bet you if he stole from small villages and things like that, no one would even bat an eye."
"I'm not sure about that." Arthur was quick to say."It's true that certain squads, like the Golden Dawn, have different mission priorities, there are others squads fit to help the rest. Look at the Black Bulls, for example, they are considered the worst squad in the whole kingdom, but they are the ones who take care of missions in the less prosperous areas. But if they weren't around, small missions like that wouldn't even be considered."
The man removed his hat from his head but refused to move his head."Oh?"
"For instance, wild boars, small-time bandits, stuff like that. It might seem small, but they are a problem over time. If the Black Bulls weren't around, then the people suffering would never be attended in time. My point is that yes, squads like the Golden Dawn and Silver Eagles take on more "important" missions by their standards, but they trust squads like the Black Bulls to handle the lesser missions. It's a mutual trust that makes the protection of our kingdom possible."
"I see...Good answer." The man grinned, satisfied by what he heard."I guess there are good people in the Golden Dawn after all."
"Glad I could change your mind." Arthur gave him a toothy grin, closing his eyes."Now, if you don't mind, why don't you surrender?"
Johan nearly choked on his drink after hearing such a bold request, his gaze shifting over to the pair.
"I don't follow."
"You said something funny just now. You called the thief a "he". As if you already know what their gender is. While it could be just your interpretation, I also-"
A door being slammed silenced Arthur, surprising him. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed a man wearing a similar outfit to the man in front of him except it was all blue. He had short black hair and a long dressing hat and brown eyes."Hey, Luca, are we good to go? Can't wait to see what other riches we can steal to...day...Oh."
Arthur gave the man a pleasant smile, glad that the mystery just solved itself. Turning back to the man, he held out his hand."Guess that settles it. Now, why don't we-"
Suddenly, the man threw his body back, slamming the chair on the floor but kicking the table in Arthur's face in the process, knocking him down.
"Arthur!" Johan stood up, pulling his Grimoire from his satchel."What the hell?!"
"You and your damn mouth, Patrick!" Luca gritted his teeth, grabbing his hat and putting it back on."The kid was already on my case and you just had to confirm his theory!"
"Who cares?! Let's get out of here! There's a window upstairs where we can jump over to the other building and escape on the rooftops!"
"Like we'd let you!" Johan grabbed his shield and rushed to them."Obsidian Magic: Terra Barrier!"
A thin purple aura surrender Johan, but this did not intimidate Luca."Bring it on, knight boy! Lightning Magic: Desto Shock!" Placing his hand on the floor, the bandit released lightning that attacked from below and electrocuted Johan, knocking him on the floor.
"Shit...he just HAD to use lightning..." Johan grimaced, using a stool as support. Luca and Patrick were already running up the stairs with Arthur quick on their heels."Hey! Wait up!"
"They're right on our tails!" Patrick cried out to his comrade as they entered a room, locking the door behind them and moving a drawer in front of the door."Okay, we should be able to make this jump and grab onto the edge of the rooftop. There, we can move with more liberty."
Luca pushed Patrick out of the way and pried the window open, jumping outside, however, Johan had already tackled the door and busted through it." Shit! You guys just don't quit, do you?! Fire Creation Magic: Flaming Pyramid!". He moved his hands in front of him, forming a vaguely diamond-shaped "tunnel" with them by keeping the fingers on each hand together, overlapping the index finger on the one hand with the pinky of the other hand, and overlapping the thumbs and released a triangular-shaped fire attack.
"Gold Creation Magic: Man Behind the Door!"
A golden door appeared in front of Johan and Arthur, preventing the attack from reaching them. However, much to Arthur's dismay, the door was melting rapidly.
"What?! That shouldn't be possible!" Arthur cried out as Johan grabbed him by the back of his robe and pulled him out of the room before they were roasted alive.
"That was my strongest attack..." Patrick panted, exhausted by using a great amount of mana already."Just leave us alone!" With that, he jumped out of the window and grabbed Luca's hand to help him to the rooftop.
"We have to go after them!" Arthur commanded, earning a nod from Johan as they followed suit.
"Well, this is certainly not what I was expecting."
Cain had been ordered, much to his annoyance, by Luna, to look for an apartment located in the outskirts of the town. He didn't bring much money and what Luna gave him was barely enough to call it "fifty-fifty". Luckily, she did offer to take care of their food situation, which they would most definitely need.
Even though it barely seemed like a fair trade, Cain ended up keeping his part of the deal and found a rundown apartment complex. According to the tenant, business was slow so not a lot of people were renting them. He was glad that was the case, considering that they might have to fight their way out of the apartment, if not fight in the apartment, and didn't want to involve any bystanders.
Though the apartment was quite expensive, it came with its perks. For instance, it had a second floor and a window that had a view of the road outside, making it a good vantage point for Cain to use. It had a backdoor leading to a poor excuse for a yard leading to the forest. He noted that this could be a great escape route or possibly backfire on them. However, he trusted Luna to be sufficiently fast to clear a path. The only place he hadn't examined was the second floor, which was completely dark, possibly due to the door of the room upstairs being closed.
Cain spared a glance to a window, noticing it was pitch black already. Cursing under his breath, he made his way to a one-person couch and sat down, relaxing his body and enjoying the silence. Luckily for him, the lightning in the living room was decent enough due to the windows allowing the moonlight in, but he still lamented the fact he didn't prepare ahead and set up candles upstairs at least.
A soft knock came from the door, interrupting his train of thought."Hey, Cain! We're here!"
With a huff, Cain got up from the couch and headed for the door, opening it. He was expecting her to bring the person they were supposed to protect, but he wasn't expecting her to bring two more Magic Knights."Uh, what's this?"
"This is Ivan Richards, the person under our protection." She signaled to the small, bald man next to him. He was dressed in elegant and expensive clothes and had a pair of reading glasses adorning his face.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Richards." Cain gave a quick bow, receiving a curd nod from the man who seemed to be fidgeting in place."Everything okay?"
"As you could imagine, being hunted down by possible assassins is quite terrifying, young man." Ivan confessed, following Luna inside."I am under your care."
"And..." Luna rolled her eyes, looked over her shoulder."I met these two. Their names are Sekke and Toby, from the Green Mantis. They said they were assigned to lure in and fight the possible assassins while we take care of protection."
"Bah-ha! That's cold of you, Luna-chan!" Sekke made his way over to Luna, attempting to grab her hand to kiss it but Cain was quick to grab it, holding it in place as he eyed Sekke carefully."B-bah-ha?"
"I would appreciate it if you kept your hands off my partner. My name is Cain, by the way. Don't know if it's a pleasure to meet you."
"R-right..." Sekke sighed in relief once Cain let go of him.' He's certainly more intimidating than his brother.' He squirmed back to his squadmates."W-well, this over here is my junior, Tobias Salazar. I call him Toby as a nickname but he never really complained or accepted it. He's quiet as hell and has a mean glare but he's a good listener."
The young man in question was staring at the floor, his eyes half-lidded. He had silver, choppy undercut style hair and cross-shaped silver piercing on his right ear. Underneath his Green Mantis robe, he wore a dark-green v-neck shirt along with a high-collared black leather jacket over it. He also wore burgundy jeans black combat boots.
"Well, I guess that solves our lack of manpower." Cain scratched the back of his neck."Alright then...let's get set up so we can complete this mission swiftly."
"How died and made YOU leader?" Luna scowled, folding her arms under her chest.
"Don't start now, damn it." Cain facepalmed.
"Bah-ha!"
"..."
"I trust everyone here will keep me absolutely safe!"
Cain groaned, rubbing the edge of his nose. This was going to be a long night and he wasn't ready for it.
And with that, we finally take a look at how Johan is doing in his new squad. On the other hand, Cain is also going off on a mission with a new character and we'll see how well he does in a team.
How do you like Arthur and Luna so far? Yes, I decided to add a representation of King Arthur in my story but I'll explain more as the story goes on. Of course, let's not forget the inclusion of the Dark Lord Sekke in Cain's mission. How will he interact with them? Find out in the next chapter!
