"You have a very interesting child, my king."
"And why do you say that, Faron..."
"Well, he came by the magic association today and took the otherworlder from my interrogation."
"Tavish, I thought Marlos was going to buy something for his mother."
The king eyed me from his throne, Faron was knelt on the ground and I was standing on the king's right side thinking of a way to answer him.
"He is. My king."
"Interrogation? Why was the otherworlder being interrogated?"
"There were several events that the otherworlder was suspected to be in connection to."
"Such as?" The king gestured with his hand for him to continue in annoyance.
"His most recent connection was that some maids saw two people headed towards the kitchens last night."
"Last night? The kitchens? Tell me more and don't skimp on the details, Faron."
"Yes. One maid said she saw a guard and an otherworlder walked down the eastern hallway that led to the the kitchens."
"What did the guard say? Didn't he do the security protocols?"
"The guard told me that he didn't detect anyone."
I could see the build up of emotions underneath the stoic expression, the king was showing. Now that I think about it, boss sure is an interesting person. That grub was amazing, he's a really talented cook... not as wonderful as my daughter's but whoever's gonna marry boss will be a lucky woman.
Would Valah be interested in meeting boss I wonder... he would be the perfect son in law. I just need to ask her to meet with him. If they could meet and eventually marry, man I could die happy, knowing that if I left this earth, she would have someone there by her side.
"What else has the otherworlder been suspected of?"
"The dungeon incident..."
"What incident?"
"The dungeons, my king. But this wasn't a suspicion, he was there."
"Tavish, you told me that nothing happened."
Oh no...
"Yes, nothing happened."
Faron stared at me when I answered the king.
"Don't lie to the king, Faron just said that there was indeed an incident at the dungeons, the same dungeon that my guards were task with."
"I..." I couldn't say anything. The king will convict anyone regardless if there was an excuse for it or not. If you fail a task he had set out then you're no longer a use for him.
"My king, if I may, ask for Sir O'Connor to help me with the investigation. We, the magic association will conduct this investigation thoroughly."
Tap, Tap, Tap
The king tapped his finger as he exhaled a breath of air before clicking his tongue.
"I expect you to fully cooperate with the magic association, Tavish. Help them with the investigation and bring me answers."
"Yes... my king."
I was robotic when I answered him. I couldn't show my emotions, Faron was watching me the whole time, I know he is even though he isn't even looking my way. The aura coming off of him sent shivers down my spine as my heartbeat pounded in my ears.
I haven't worked with the magic association before nor have I had much encounters with Faron outside the formal greetings and reports he gives to the king. He was mysterious in so many ways and I fear that I couldn't protect my boss from this man.
"Good. Faron, Tavish will help you tomorrow at noon. Gunther, come here."
I watched as Gunther walked towards the centre from his post on the far corner and knelt down beside Faron. Gunther and the rest of Baihu except for Lavira who has her own duties managing the Palace's Library, stationed themselves around the walls of the throne room.
We were the only trusted selected few that are kept around the king. We protect him twenty-four seven and also can act on his behalf if he ask us to do so.
"Gunther, you will be by my side at the Gala when Tavish helps Faron with his investigation."
"Yes, my king."
"Good. That's enough for today. I want to rest before supper. You may leave Faron."
"I'll give you a report by the end of the week. Til then, rest well my king."
As if my eyes were deceiving me, Faron's image wavered and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared.
"See you tomorrow at noon, Tavish. Don't worry about coming to us. I will come to pick you up." His haunting voice echoed in my head.
The king got up from his throne and we escorted him back to his bed chamber.
Gunther and I watched the king as he laid in bed and softly sang a song, I've heard many times over the years but never knew what the the song was about since it was in another language.
Both of us guarded the inside of the bed chamber whilst the rest of Baihu guarded the outside.
Gunther and I are the only ones who has seen the king sing and cry as he morns the death of his wife. Nothing has ever leaked out of this chamber and no others has seen this side of the king except for us, not even his son. He also had never even once visited the queen's grave since her death.
Once the king lulled himself to sleep, Gunther glanced my way. We used the communication magic, boss had given to us to chat. It was amazing as we could talk to each other even though the others were elsewhere.
"What are you going to do boss? We can't let him find out about big boss."
"I don't know yet... but hopefully I will think of something by the end of today."
"Boss, be careful of that guy, he seemed very sharp."
"Ha! But I'm sharper, you should know that Gunther."
"I'm not talking about your skills as a swordsman... I just have a gut feeling that he could read our minds... it's as if he had looked at you long enough, he could very well soon find out all your secrets."
"Tavish, you should heed my brother's words and be cautious around Faron. I may not have seen Faron before but I hear many things over the years about him."
It still felt jarring to hear Lavira's voice. I am well acquainted with her as she is Gunther's sister and the head librarian of the palace's library but to associate her with us, still felt strange.
It's nice to have someone as knowledgeable like her in our team.
"Such as?"
"Well, some say he might be a ghost..."
"Ghost?"
"Not many have seen him, the vast majority have only heard of him. He appears and disappears like a ghost and if you feel a shiver all of a sudden, it means he either close to you or you're marked as his target."
"Target?"
"I'm not too sure on that one. The magic association had always been mysterious and there's not much they let out of their work and what they actually do. I don't even have records about them in the library and we have everyone's information within this palace's walls. I even have menus the king wanted archived for future reference. There's like hundreds of them but we do not even have a single mention about the magic association even though they've been around for a very long time."
Wait... doesn't that mean I'm his target? or... was the feeling I've felt back at the throne room, simply him being there? Looking back, it certainly felt like he was looking at me... I just hope it was nothing but my gut being over sensitive.
"Hey guys." Boss's voice snapped me out of my thought.
"Big Boss!" Gunther shouted in my head.
"Big Boss," the rest of Baihu said in unison.
"Boss, I think we have a little problem..." I said meekly.
"What kind of problem?"
"Faron."
I knew once I said his name, boss would know what I'm talking about.
"I see... you guys are guarding the king's chamber right now?"
"Yes, he's currently asleep right now."
"Good. That'll give us time."
"Time?" Asked Gunther.
"I want to try something, could you guys lean against the walls? And Lavira, are you currently sitting down right now?"
"Not at the moment, I'm currently restocking the selves."
"Find a chair to sit on because I don't really know how this is going to work..."
I leaned against the wall as he instructed and waited. Gunther leaned on the opposite side and crossed his arms.
Boss said he wanted to do something and now I'm very curious as to what that thing was.
We waited for a bit before I heard his voice mumbled something. I didn't catch the first part of what he said but the second part I heard loud and clear, 'connect to everyone.'
It felt like an instant but in a blink of an eye, the king's bedroom changed. I was leaning against a pristine white wall, I looked around and saw that I was in some sort of throne room or meeting room.
Gunther and the other members of Baihu were standing next to me, all marvelled at the grandeur of this room.
[Welcome to the hall of Roha Cha]
Suddenly words popped in front of me and I am utterly confused at what's happening right now.
Not long after the words disappeared was when even more words popped up.
[Baihu]
Level: 1
Members: 7/10
[Boss] Tavish Lvl 54
Gunther Lvl 38
Harlo Lvl 35
Jemina Lvl 33
Bron Lvl 30
Jask Lvl 28
Lavira Lvl 18
I read the names and instantly realised this was a list of members in our little group. I was even more surprised at the levels displayed next to our names. The discrepancy between mine and Gunther's was big, sixteen levels big.
I was wrapping my head around all of this when a door opened on the opposite side of us. We watched as someone we knew all too well, walked right in.
It was Little prince and his guards. I walked over to the little prince and his guards with my group and we greeted each other before boss invited us to sit down around a very large table.
Once we were all seated, boss glanced around before he addressed us.
"So what do you think?" Boss asked with a smile.
"This is an amazing place," little prince commented as he looked around from his seat.
"What is this place?" I half asked and half wondered in my own thoughts.
"Come out guys," Boss said which snapped me out of my thoughts.
Not long after he said those words, shadowy silhouettes appear out of nowhere.
"Tavish, Marlos. I would like you to meet Gambert, General of the Shadow Legion and leader of my third company."
I watched as the shadowy silhouette turned into a shadowy figure. The shadowy figure looked around the room before settling his gaze on us and smiled.
Wait... why does he look familiar? As if I've met him before...