"The results of your action are visible with your own two eyes. Are you satisfied, My King?"

There was nothing but hard cold determination in those eyes. For him, this sacrifice means nothing.

"Is that your answer, My King? To damn all of humanity to this hell... and for what? Just to end the life of the Accursed Queen? To end your own cycle? Or to perpetuate the suffering of mankind, just like The Gods who had condemned us thousands of years ago?"

"My friend, to seize the future, to build the future, to live the future, risks are inevitable. What I desire is the end result, to see this long decline of humanity to be no more, and for that, no cost is too great."

Johnathan stood alongside Ruby just outside The Index's headquarter. If he was to be honest, the events happening few minutes prior were still being processed by his brain, namely to verify if they were real or just a part of his wild imagination. His brain answered with a no while at the same time reminding his body that the bottle of wine clutched in his left hand was in fact physically present.

Just to be sure... The bottle was brought to his eye level and then he focused his aura to his eyes and glared at the bottle. He had a companion called Ren before, and he said focusing your aura on a part of your body could strengthen it and help repelled external debilitating effect, in this case illusion. Nope. The bottle was still there.

His enlistment into the Index was real. Should he be happy? Yes. However, the words of The Boss kept repeating in his ears. What did he mean by stepping into the wrong direction? Was the act of joining the Index itself wrong? Or had he made a mistake in his decision before even arriving in this city? Or should he follow The Boss' other words? 'Learn as you work for me.'

"Johnathan."

"Huh yeah?" The soft voice of Ruby jolted himself from his deep thought, and It also made him realized that Ruby already in midstep of walking away. Since Ruby was supposed to be his guide for the remaining of the day, he quickly followed her.

They walked in sync, with Johnathan not knowing their destination and Ruby keeping her eyes forward. He considered asking her their next stop, but he reconsidered the notion after seeing Ruby's face. There was nothing wrong with it, but despite the calmness that she portrayed, Johnathan could recognized the inner turmoil that she was going through. A mask of steel, yet the eyes laid bare her inner soul. Hell, he often saw that kind of face every time he looked at a mirror.

And so, he let Ruby sorted her thoughts in peace. As for him, he took in the sight of the city, now (mostly) without anything heavy on his mind. The first impression he got of the mainstreet was similar with a frontier town, with one major difference. Not everyone was carrying a weapon. Especially now that evening was creeping closer, everyone at the frontier would openly carry their weapon, mostly for safety reason. Here, everyone seemed to be walking or chatting casually. Office workers who were returning home from their day job or bright youngsters out for a walk. The people of the mainstreet looked bright, as for the Backstreet... well, let just say they were the same as the frontier without the Grimm.

While he was on the topic of people and weapon, he spotted some who carry their weapon openly like him. He had Crocea Mors strapped to his side with his left hand always staying on the pommel, except for now since that particular hand was holding a bottle. As for other people, many that did carry weapon put them on a visible part of their body and easy to grab. Some, he recognized, were hiding them under their clothes. Judging from their bearing and equipment, he was certain they were Fixer, Hunter, or people like him.

Done with the people, he now regarded the still thinking Ruby with interest. There was honestly nothing that should made her stood out unless you looked specifically, her silver eyes for example. Other than that, there was nothing much. Her height was a half head shorter than he was, her build could be considered lithe yet athletic, her age seemed to be on the early twenties, and should be an excellent warrior. Those were normal traits for women in the frontier as fighting for survival was common back there. Women of the frontier, half her age at that, could wield weapon with basic proficiency at the minimum.

Huh, it seemed the city and the frontier didn't really have that much of a difference after all, except for the advancement in technology and the relative peace of the mainstreet.

Then Ruby stopped, and so did he.

They were now in front of a restaurant. HamHam PangPang~ Vale Branch. It reminded him that he hadn't eaten again since breakfast, convenient he supposed.

Ruby entered and he follow suit. The first thing that greeted him besides the gorgeous interior made from maple wood was the stand next to the entrance displaying a "No Non-Human Allowed" sign. "The Crow did say about non-human discrimination here. Pretty stupid I'd say, but different place, different culture."

Following Ruby deeper into the restaurant, they soon found themselves on a four-man table at a corner with a "Reserved" sign on it. They both eagerly took a seat and Ruby jerked her thumb to a nearby waitress. She acknowledged it and then walked away, presumably to the kitchen.

Seeing all this, Johnathan had to ask, "You planning to eat with friends?"

She replied with a yes, "Yes, but they had emergency mission back in their section. It's just the both of us now."

That was very convenient actually. Just arrived today, gone straight to the Index without lunch, and now eating together with his soon to be partner without having to pay a single Lien.

Ruby soon returned to her own thoughts, definitely thinking about The Boss' words. Johnathan was about to leave her to think again, but this was a dinner and it was supposed to be enjoyed without heavy burden on the mind. He chose to take the initiative.

Right hand extended, he began, "Johnathan Amsel. Sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it."

That apparently elicited a reaction from her. She regarded him with a raised eyebrow before looking at his hand, and since he didn't lower it, she proceeded to shake it.

They fell into a silence afterward; Ruby still looked at him weird while he kept his smile plastered to his face. Then she chuckled, an actual chuckle, it was the most expressive she had been in the scant hours since their meeting.

"You say that to every woman you meet?"

He answered back, still with his smile, "You're the first actually. You see, I found this book, 'How to Pick Up Fair Maidens' and I am curious to test it."

She chuckled again. That was good, kept the conversation going, and made her forget her turmoil for as long as you could, preferably until the dinner was over.

"Yes, yes, and I am someone that strike your fancy?"

"Who can resist such beauty? Especially your eyes?"

"Why thank you."

Another silence fell upon them. This was different however; previously the silence felt awkward, now the silence was comforting. Ruby was smiling and seemed to have forgotten her burden and Johnathan was happy he could steered Ruby away from her thoughts.

The silence continued until their food arrived, a huge bowl of beef soup. Johnathan carefully kept his jaw from hanging open at the sight. The portion of the food was too much for both of them, but then he remembered she was meant to eat this with her friends, the huge portion made sense now that he thought about it.

Ruby eagerly helped herself with a smaller bowl, he followed suit. And when he was about to taste the enticing dish, Ruby spoke to him, "I suppose I should express my gratitude to you, Johnathan."

Pretended to be ignorant, "What for?"

Her smile was clearly visible now, "For brightening my mood. I don't think I could eat comfortably if I'm thinking about the ninth of May. At least with your words, I can think about it later. Now, let's enjoy this soup while it's still hot."

If he were to be honest, the ninth of May also peaked his curiosity, he knew not to ask though. So, he just let it slide for now.

Now, onto the food. With great eagerness, he picked a piece of beef with his spoon and brought it to his salivating mouth. He was not prepared for the taste. THIS. This was the most delicious piece of meat he ever eaten in his entire life. The tenderness of the meat, the juiciness of the meat, it was so perfect that he had finished his bowl without realizing it. More were poured again into his bowl and he continued wolfing down the marvelous dish.

Ruby's chuckle was the only thing that stopped him.

He coughed into his hand, such was an embarrassing display, and he showed it to a city dweller. He couldn't help it, the meat was so good, "Sorry, nothing in the frontier comes close to this."

At least Ruby was quite understanding, "I don't mind. In fact, it's refreshing to see someone openly enjoying themselves like this. If I spend another month without a proper meal, I may would have the same reaction as you."

Now that was an interesting statement, "Is your pay that bad?"

She grimaced, "No, the pay was good. I am just in a huge debt. So I am thankful that my friends are treating me food."

Alright, that was a topic he could follow, "What did you buy anyway?"

Without an ounce of hesitation, she answered, "A sword."

What? A sword? How much did it cost for a sword? He knew that a sword could be expensive, but surely you wouldn't spent all of your money on something simple like a sword. A sword is used to fight, to defend, to survive. As such, as long as you had something comfortable to use, then you're pretty much good to go. What was the purpose of buying a sword if it also drained your resources that kept you from starving anyway?

There were also many more things you could spent your money on. You could spent them on preserved foods for long travel or you could spent them on complementary gears that could helped you in various situations in the frontier. You could also save them, and now since he was officially a part of the city, he must save money to buy a scroll, and maybe some city exclusive gadgets.

Johnathan relayed his thought on the matter, "You spent all of your money just for a sword?"

Ruby's eyes became fierce. Oh, he knew that expression, he had seven sisters after all, "It is not just a sword, John. It is a sword that once belonged to The Crow, bought from The Boss when he showed me his collection. Made from pure stahmel, which is a steel imported from Atlas by the way, crafted with Mistralian traditional technique, and the best part, it is lined with old runes of Mistral."

She looked proud after saying that. Oh, he could understand what got her so excited, but still all of your money just for a sword that you probably wouldn't use. Then there was one part of her explanation that made his worry skyrocketed. Apparently, the sword in questioned was from The Boss' personal collection. The cost must be astronomical, and there was also the matter of The Boss giving up his collection so easily.

He of course asked her about that, and her answer surprised him even more, "Well... about that. For some reasons I don't even know, The Crow favors me. I guess that influence lots of The Boss decision regarding me. Like, other than willingly selling the sword, my house was given to me by him. I lucked out in some part of life I suppose, and I never met The Crow in person!"

Favored by The Crow, huh? He got here due to influence from The Crow, and apparently the same person favored Ruby. Was that a pattern he saw?

Well, he could ponder about that some other time. Right now, he should focus on finishing the food while chatting with Ruby to keep her mind wandering into dark territory. He could chat while gathering info about the city right? Huh, he should do that.

"There are something I'd like to know about the Hunters..."

"Hmm? Sure, ask away."

"What's the matter about them anyway? My understanding of them is rather incomplete with all the conflicting opinions of the many Hunters I've met in the frontier. Like, some of them promote Hunters' life while cursing about the regulations, some completely accept it happily, and then there was one who laughed at it and convinced me to join the Index. Then there's the Fixer, who I assumed was a subgroup of Hunters back then."

She chuckled again, "I suppose it does brew confusion among non-city dweller. Well, the short answer is like this. Hunters are the official armed combatants directly under the command of the Council. In layman's term, they are the army of each kingdom, and are primarily deployed for international problems or for something beyond the nearest region. Notable Grade 1 Hunters are given with 'Beast' for their title. As for the Fixers... they are, in essence, officially sanctioned sword for hire who primarily deals with problem within the city. If you reach Grade 2, you can apply for international problem. Notable Grade 1 are given 'Color' to differentiate them from the Hunters. That answers your question?"

"Yes... so that's what he meant by being the Council's attack dog..."

"Hmm? You said something?"

"Ah, no. Just thinking."

"Alright, anymore question?"

"Nah, not for now. We should focus more on the food, it's starting to get cold."

Fortunately, his choice of action was appreciated by Ruby and their dinner continued with a pleasant atmosphere constantly dancing around them. After another hour had passed, they miraculously finished the huge portion of beef soup. But wait, there was more. Ruby jerked her thumb again to nearby waitress, and soon enough four glasses of beer were delivered to their table.

"Uhh... Ruby, your stomach still has enough space?"

She responded by grabbing a glass and gesturing it to him.

He responded by grabbing the nearest glass and clinked it with hers.

It took them another thirty minutes to finish their drinks. With their stomach satisfied, they soon exited the restaurant and basked in the evening sky of the city.

In his opinion, it didn't have that much difference from the frontier, just like the day. Although, the street was emptier than he imagined. A curious glance to a nearby alleyway made him rethink his opinion, as it was clear that activity within the Backstreet seemed to increase at night.

"Say, Johnathan."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a place to stay for the night?"

That stropped him in his track, which was mirrored by Ruby. She did make a good point though, did he has a place to stay? The answer was a definite no. In hindsight, he should have find somewhere cheap earlier this day. He instead ignored all of that common sense and head straight towards the Index.

And of course, his silence was enough for Ruby to form her own conclusion, "You don't have one... do you."

He shook his head.

"Hah..." she gave a sigh, "Want to crash at my place?"

That wasn't a bad idea actually, "Alright, lead the way."

"I'll carry your wine then. You'll need both hands to fight, at it seems there's no space left in your bag, otherwise you would have put the wine there."

She was right about that, but Ruby didn't have place to fit this bottle either. But Ruby was the one with more experience about the city than him, so he decided to trust her judgment on this one. The wine went to her hand, and he watched it burst into black flame before disappearing. He just realized that she wore black gloves, huh, maybe that was another city equipment he needed to buy.

"Prepare to draw your blade; some people never get the warning," and with that she led him through an alleyway and towards the Backstreet. Unlike when he entered early this day, the Backstreet seemed to be more chaotic after the sun had set. There were more people, more drunkards, and more thugs who were looking for opportunity. He heard a scream somewhere but ultimately ignored it in favor of following Ruby.

"How long have you been living here?"

"Give or take five or six years. I used to live with Big Steel; he's an Index lieutenant, before The Boss gave me the spare house. First time living here, I acted just like you right now. Tense, weapons always at the ready, and always glances around for any possible attack. Live here for long enough and you'll find the constant disturbance to be not that bad. Not that I enjoy senseless torture but hearing the same scream and weapons clashing for pretty much everyday gets you accustomed with such things pretty fast."

Not that different with frontier's life then. You either became paranoid or dying in the hand of opportunistic raider... or you could die by letting your emotion ran wild courtesy of the Grimm. Suffice to say, Johnathan had enough experience in dealing with situations like this, it was the unfamiliar setting that flared his paranoid side.

Fortunately, most of them were not stupid enough to challenge the clearly experienced duo. The reason mostly laid with Ruby however, as the people recognized her and cleared the way for her. Since he stayed on her side, that made him equal to Ruby in their eyes, and they also steered away from him.

There were exceptions, however.

His instinct screamed that something was coming at them at a rapid pace. The threat was quickly identified when he snapped his head to the side—a grenade. Normally, his sword and shield would've been deployed right after that, but then something weird happened. His vision blurred with red, and he got to witness the grenade explosion ten meters away from their last position.

What? What just happened? His eyes roamed around cautiously, trying to find the cause of the anomaly that just stroked him. The only thing out of place was the petals of red roses scattered around them.

"Ready your weapon, Johnathan," Ruby instructed him.

No time for pondering, he guessed, and Crocea Mors was free from her sheath in no time.

Three men came rushing in from behind the residual smoke carrying different types of melee weapons. An axe, a sword, and a spear.

Johnathan charged ahead with Crocea Mors before a red blur of roses came sailing from behind him and straight into the spearman. The petals took form into Ruby before delivering a roundhouse kick that definitely snapped the spearman's head, effectively killing him and startling the other two combatants.

In their folly, they turned their back against Johnathan and focused their attention on Ruby. There was the opportunity that Johnathan took. Crocea Mors made a beautiful horizontal arc through the air and both of their heads were disconnected from their body.

All of that, from Ruby blurring forward until the death of the last two combatants, happened under four seconds.

Johnathan flicked the blood off Crocea Mors before sheathing her, "I guess something like this happened often to you."

Ruby readjusted her tie, "Not that often actually. In the past, almost everyday. Now, once a month. Good technique by the way."

"Thank you, humans also count as my target back then."

"Good then. Also fair warning, if this kind of thing happens on the Golden Street, do not kill no matter what. There is a specific law that forbade any form killing there. Anything is fair game aside from that street though."

"Golden Street?"

"Some specific parts of the mainstreet. There are signs that easily differentiate which is which, so I don't you could mistake one for the other."

That was weird, which was of course something he would asked.

"Well, The Council is pretty weird with their logic, but eh, you learn to live with it. Oh, this is my house."

There was almost no different from the other building, the same dull architecture he'd seen all day, except for the symbol of a red rose at the front door. The inside was livelier though, as there were comfy looking chairs and a red carpet in the front room. They passed a door separating the front and inner part of the house, and he could say that he was impressed. A living room conjoined with a kitchen and there was a door he assumed leading into a bathroom. At the very back, there was a stair leading up, probably the bedrooms.

Ruby put his wine on the nearby table and went for the fridge. She returned with cans of beer in tow.

"Ruby... we just had beers not even an hour ago," he replied exasperatedly.

"C'mon, I hardly get visitors you know, so let me be a good host and we can count this as celebration for you joining the Index."

Hmmmm... nothing could go wrong with this, right?

This chapter is rather slow I admit, but its main purpose is to give small insight on how Ruby and Jaune's mind works plus how the city and its armed forces operate. I think this chapter served that purpose.

On another topic, I might not be able to update the story after late May due to college entrance exam. So, sorry about that, and wish me luck guys.

P.S. Just beat Red Mist reception yesterday. Using Dong-Hwan on Yesod's floor with Remembrance and Lone Fixer really works wonder against her.