☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️
After the incident with Li Wei in the middle of the streets where Xing Liyun ended up assassinating him in broad daylight with the assistance of the smoke bomb he carried on him, he and Ying along with their new companion, the purple fox, returned back to the inn.
Entering their rented room, Xing Liyun and Ying both saw the passed out boys gone from the floor. Instead, they were all standing in a single straight line across the wall of the room, their faces forward and their backs to the wall. They looked stern and solemn as if judgement day was upon them.
Frankly, their faces and actions at the moment made Ying want to laugh, while Xing Liyun only raised an eyebrow with an unmoved face at their strange and incomprehensible act. Well, not that incomprehensible.
Stepping into the room, Xing Liyun went to sit down on his claimed bed then he looked at the four teens with their backs to the wall.
Xing Liyun had an idea of what he wanted from them when he first took them in with him instead of just leaving them there on the floor of the alleyway, passed out.
He wanted them to support him, and he wanted people he could trust that won't betray him in his hour of need.
That's why he's determined to train them. Train them to be strong and faithful to him. Rascals like them were the best to be trained, especially at such a young age. They had potential and when successfully tamed, they would not betray him.
Besides the training on the agenda, he needs to register with the Mercenary Guild. He needs to earn money so that he won't have to rely on Ying to pay for his expenses and the four teens' in the future. He can't continue to sponge off of Ying's money when he had an able body to work to earn his bread. He was thick-faced but not shameless.
Making up his mind and finalizing his plan for the time being, Xing Liyun informed the five people of his plan.
Right after he finished talking, at this moment.
Bam!
The door to the room suddenly slammed open without warning, startling the residents inside. Xing Liyun's eyes turned cold at the sudden interruption and arrival of an uninvited guest.
All the heads turned to see the intruder.
Panting and heaving heavily was the inn owner of the inn Xing Liyun and Ying were currently staying at. He had ran hurriedly all the way here from the town's drinking bar once he heard about the unpleasant and worrying rumor circulating all over the town.
He had rushed straight back to his inn without taking a break when he heard from his friends rumors they had heard from their friends and acquaintances---those that were at the scene---about an Erebus being in town and killing a student of the most prestigious mana academy.
At first he was still in the mood to laugh and joke with them about the unexpected appearance of the Erebus, but when he caught how the rumors were describing what that Erebus looked like, he paled. He had all of a sudden recalled that recently he had seen a guest matching that exact description in the inn he owned. His eyes widened as realization struck him.
In haste, he quickly and frantically bid farewell to his friends and exited the bar, leaving his friends dumbfounded at his abrupt leave and speculating what was wrong with their buddy.
On the way to his inn, the inn owner was constantly cursing and swearing at his luck to actually be housing an Erebus.
'Blue and white long hair! Two different colored eyes! Cold and expressionless face! A young man about 17 years old!! No doubt I've seen this youth somewhere inside my inn before!' The inn owner thought to himself in anger and disdain, his heart was pained at the thought that he was actually harboring one of 'them' without knowing.
By the time the inn owner was in the known, the rumors of an Erebus appearing had already spread from one corner of the town to the other. No one did not know of it. It became the talk of the town before the day was even over. The combat power of the word-of-mouth in this large town was truly something to behold.
When he finally arrived at his predetermined destination, without giving the innkeeper who was approaching to greet him even a glance he hurried up the staircase leading to the upper floor.
While rushing up, his mind was full of many thoughts and mixed emotions, but most of all, he was sickened and annoyed that he was so to an Erebus. He must kick him out!
With that determination and idea in his head, he rudely and impolitely kicked open the door leading to the Erebus's room.
The inn owner, along with many others on this continent, despise Erebus and their very existence. It didn't matter whether or not an Erebus had ever done them or their families and friends any harm, it was an unreasonable hatred on their part without rhyme or reason.
To them, those Erebus, those 'people of the shadows,' were dangerous yet cowardly. They kill their targets from within the darkness of the shadows and do not confront them head on---to others, this was a cowardly act. And the fact that they are hired to kill people and are good at it, as if the Grim Reaper has come to reap their lives and they have no choice but to give their life up, makes people afraid and when people are afraid, they tend to convert their hatred and fear into bitter resentment.
The door that was slammed open smashed harshly onto the wall, the people inside whipped their heads in his direction to see who was the sudden uninvited visitor who had mannerlessly disturbed them.
Before any one of them could understand what was happening, the inn owner gnashed his teeth violently and said in a seemingly calm manner contrary to his behavior just seconds earlier, "Get. Out." Turning his downward face up, his angry expression was a grave contrast to his calm and cold voice. He repeated, "Get out! Get out of my inn this instant!" This time he exploded. His tone of voice was no longer calm or low, instead, it was now explosive like TNT buried under ground that has finally erupted.
He flung his right arm out aggressively to the side with only the pointer-finger on his right hand erected.
Xing Liyun wrinkled his eyebrows in silence, he didn't understand what was going on here or who this middle-aged man who suddenly appeared was.
At least not until the innkeeper appeared next to the man and anxiously called out, "Owner! What are you doing?!" You're disturbing the guests! Barging into a customer's room will leave a bad and disadvantageous impression on their guests! This will give us a bad reputation!! Inn owner!!!
Although the rest of the innkeeper's words were not said out loud, it could be seen in his face that he was worried and anxious at what bout of craziness had taken over his boss.
However, the inn owner paid no heed to his employee's advice, on the contrary, he completely ignored him. Immersed in his own thoughts and feelings, the inn owner's mind was almost isolated from his surroundings, unable to hear the voices of others. His emotional state agitated.
He shouted, "You Erebus, leave right now before I throw you out!!"
The innkeeper next to him was shell-shocked, stunned speechless. He hadn't heard of the rumors yet or about the incident that happened in the middle of the streets, he was too busy with work, so when he finally found out about the fact that an Erebus was staying here at their inn from his employer's mouth at such short notice, he was struck dumb.
'Erebus? Another word I don't know. This world is so different from my previous world.' Is what Xing Liyun was thinking to himself at this moment in time.
He hadn't the slightest clue what an Erebus was, nor did he know why he, or maybe one of them, was being accused of being one. Nor why being one is causing them to be thrown out of an inn by its own owner.
"An Erebus!?!" Suddenly there was an exclamation from the four teens.
But apparently the kids knew.
However, instead of the usual disdain and disgust that would often appear on most people's faces at the mere mention of Erebus, the four teens had their eyes filled with awe and admiration like they had just been informed of the news that their greatest idol was in town. Particularly Robby who's eyes were shining brilliantly.
These kids were different from normal people, after all, they had no parents or guardians to guide them and teach them such stuff when growing up, so typical feelings like contempt, disgust, and hate toward to a particular subject was never engraved in them. They have been living the hard life from the moment they were born, thus they look up to those stronger than themselves the most.
That's why they don't have any prejudice or preconceived notions against the people of the shadows. Rather, they admire them who are so strong and cool. Feared by all---of course, this is true when ignoring the part where everyone is also disdainful of them.
They can kill people without being seen, they move like phantoms and reap lives like the Grim Reaper, and are mysterious. This enigma and allure arouse their curiosity and eventually that curiosity turned to admiration and reverence after hearing from time to time stories and gossips about their amazing feats---which common people deemed horrible and terrifying.
So when they heard about there being an Erebus in town, in the same room they are in as well, more than surprised, they were exhilarated!
But then came doubts.
Where is the Erebus? There was only them, their tormentor/person-who-gave-them-a-roof-over-their-heads-for-one-night, and that said person's friend(?) here. Unless, could it be.....?
Their eyes all widened.
Unaware of the thoughts running through the minds of the four immature teens, the inn owner unrelentingly continued to curse and shout abuse, all aimed toward the 17 year old 'Erebus,' Xing Liyun. If it were not for the fear hidden deep in his subconscious of all Erebus, and the news he had just heard of the incident on the streets of the one before him killing a student of the most prestigious mana academy, making him halt, he would've already rushed at Xing Liyun to hit him.
He spat out at Xing Liyun, this time pointing his pointer-finger at Xing Liyun's face impolitely, "Instantly...Get out of here this instant or else I will throw you and your group of filthy rogues out by force mercilessly!" He seems to have lost it.