"These are the maps, Toshirou-nii."
On the desk in his room, two maps lay. One contained information, diagrams and illustrations of the entire village that was Min-ji, and the other displayed landmarks outside of Min-ji, alongside geographical areas, topography and features. All were done in crucial and precise detailing.
"As expected of a map. Whoever did this must have been a very brilliant person." Toshirou said, admiring the contents of the map laid before him. "The detailing and analysis are all exceptionally done."
"That is to be expected, the man who drew the map of Min-ji also drew one of my villages as well," Raynell spoke. A sense of familiarity washed over her as she stared at the scroll laid out on the desk.
She was seated in a chair by the left side of the desk while Toshirou and Joel were on their feet.
"You say that, but I don't see how anyone can understand this at all. All I see are a bunch of circles and lines" Joel said, feeling very confused at what he was seeing.
"It's too complex for a kid to understand, plus, this isn't your ordinary map. This is a geographical map. It doesn't just tell about the location of places, it gives insight into the atmospheric conditions around the area, longitude and latitude and their place on the equator." Toshirou replied.
"I... I don't understand." Joel hung his head sadly.
"There's nothing to be sad about. I would be surprised if you 'did' understand. This is not just a map that can be learnt by sight. It has to be taught."
"Did someone teach you then, Toshirou-san?" Raynell asked in curiosity.
'How would I put this...' He used a finger to scratch his chin. "We call it map reading. Where I come from, we have people who teach us these things. It's part of our education system."
"Really? That's amazing!" Joel's eyes shone with fascination.
'Can't believe someone's this excited about school.'
"Even though I said that it doesn't mean everyone is good in it. I especially hate map reading because as you noticed, it involves a lot of circles and lines which make it complex. But make no mistake, it doesn't mean I'm not good at it."
"Being good at something you hate, is that possible?" Raynell asked. The prospect seemed unusual to her.
"It is. There are some things we have to do very well to survive, even if we hate doing them." Joel replied. A forlorn expression cast itself over his face.
Noticing the look of sadness on his face, Toshirou patted his head and continued with his observations.
"So there you have it, Raynell, it is possible."
"I see." She replied thoughtfully.
Still looking over the map, Toshirou used a feather with ink at the tip to mark four places on the map of the Min-ji village.
It's more of a kingdom city than a village. It's especially wide and vast with a lot of lands. It also has territories and smaller towns within it.
The places he marked, were gates. He recalled the gatekeeper, Kim, making an announcement on them coming through the East gate.
'If my assumptions are correct, that means we came into the village through here.'
He marked the picture of the gate located at the spot recorded as 'East' on the map. With his left hand, he held down the scroll and traced a line from the gate to the centre, where the palace was situated.
He took a look at all the gates; the East, West, North and South. Four gates lead in and out of the village. If Min-ae were to attack, he would have to either lure them to the middle or use the topography of the areas surrounding the gates to his advantage. But before that, there was something of utmost importance that needed to be done.
"Joel, I have an assignment for you."
"Oh, what can I do?" Joel replied in expectance.
"I need you to find me the exact location of the Thessalonica."
Silence brought itself into their midst.
"Okay. I should go now?"
Raynell was surprised at how quickly Joel accented to the command.
"Toshirou-san?"
"Do you have a problem with that?" He asked her.
"U-um, no. I'm sorry, I just became worried for no reason."
"It's understandable if you are. The artefact belongs to your people, so it'll only be natural if you were worried about it. Especially if it falls into the hands of someone like me."
Raynell stared at her palm on her lap, her mind conflicted about what to do. Breathing out, she said, "I trust you, Toshirou-san."
<'Especially if it falls into the hands of someone like me?'>
Joel didn't know why but he had a very bad feeling about that statement, plus the tense used in it.
"Thank you, Raynell. Joel, I need you to go right now. Take the watch on the stool beside our bed to time yourself. I've explained to you how to use it, so let it guide you in being quick."
"Hai!" He walked over to the stool and picked the watch as Toshirou had told him to. Wearing it on his right wrist, he walked to the door and opened it.
"Kid, if you encounter any danger, call my name in your head. If worst comes to worst, do not hesitate to shout out my name. You hear?"
Joel nodded in the affirmative and shut the door behind him.
"Will he really be okay, Toshirou-san? I doubt the Thessalonica would be kept in such an easy to find a place with no guards protecting it. Would Joel-kun be okay?" Raynell asked with much concern.
"Heh," Toshirou chuckled. "Did you really think I would hand over a job to someone I know is incompetent? That kid was a street rat. He is well adept in the ways of theft, deceit and trickery. Finding out the location of the Thessalonica is merely but a child's play."
"I understand... You have a lot of faith in Joel-kun, don't you, Toshirou-san?"
"Is it faith really? You only have faith in things that are impossible or that are out of the ordinary. If the situation was impossible for him, I would have faith that he would be able to pull it off but the situation is not impossible. Do you get where I am going with this?"
"In other words, you don't just believe but you also know for a fact, that he can do it." She said, fully understanding the basis of his confidence in Joel.
"Yes. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen. I read that somewhere in a book and I firmly believe it. That is what I think faith is."
His words came across as truth to her.
"But make no mistake, there is much more reward in believing the unknown which is clothed in the face of doubt, than believing in the known which is already fixed. It proves loyalty, steadfastness, and absolute trust."
"I understand." Raynell nodded her head in affirmation.
Going back to the original business at hand, he took another look at the maps. The gates, all had the same construct and design, the only difference was their location.
'If I do this, and this,' He drew some lines across the paper, 'then I should be able to get more factions like this. The only problem is that I don't recognize this landmark in the middle. I entered through the front gate of the palace multiple times but I don't recognize this landmark. There's no way I could have missed it. Except...'
"Raynell, is there anything like the miracle of illusions, or illusion miracle?"
"Yes. I believe there is something like that. I remember my mother talking about it and how it could only be used by wielders of divine weapons or
'I've heard that term before. It's the same as people who can use divine energy. Takezawa-sensei told me of people like these. They are Ethereals, the class of divine energy users who are able to control nonphysical concepts. But why would a village like Min-ji have such an ability?'
"Unless..."
He suddenly stretched out his arm. Widening his palm in the air, a blue circle with markings on it appeared. He put his hand inside, much to Raynell's astonishment, and pulled out a black katana from it.
"Toshirou-san?"
"Be quiet." He said, taking a hold of the hilt of the sword.
"No, it's not that. I-I can feel breathing on my neck."
"Damn!" He quickly swung the sword at her and pulled her to him at the same time. The next succession of events went by in a flash. There was a loud yelp, quite unmanly, and the body of a human began to be visible in the empty space.
'There you are!'
Toshirou pushed Raynell further away from him, took a firm hold of the broadsword and swung it at the appearing form, this time, with the intent to kill.
The form moved swiftly to the right. Toshirou left it no space to run or hide. He quickly followed it, drew the sword by his side and slashed it at what he considered the neck of the figure. He felt the sword make an impact, albeit lightly, but that was enough for him. With inhuman speed, he grabbed the neck of the form and pushed it on its back onto the wooden floor.
"P-please, s-stop!" The form managed to breathe out as Toshirou choked it. Gradually, it became even more visible, revealing the figure of a young girl with brown hair and bright hazel eyes. Her eyes were almost white and her face was turning red as the strength Toshirou used to strangle her sapped her life away.
"Toshirou-san!!"
Hearing Raynell's scream brought him back to his senses. He calmed, and released his hold on the girl but still did not let her go and knelt on top of her. He pointed his sword - a black Japanese katana - at her and gazed right into her eyes.
"Are you the one who has been messing with my vision?" Toshirou asked her coldly.
The girl regained her consciousness back but did so while coughing heavily as she tried to regain her breathe.
"Are you the one, who has been messing with my vision?" Toshirou asked again.
"Ye-Yes." She replied.
"You used an illusion miracle to tamper with my sight. The landmark at the Eastern Gate, the slight distortions of space in the palace, me waking up in Raynell's bed, that was all your doing, wasn't it? There's no way in hell I would mistake a girl's bed for mine. It's not just possible."
'Did she really!' Raynell was really uncomfortable about the current situation. Someone had been watching them, surveying them, keeping tabs on their every move and action. Since when did they start? And how long have they been monitoring them? If they were indeed watching them, then that means...
She gasped in sudden realization.
"Toshirou-san! Joel-kun is in danger!!"
Toshirou's eyes darkened. He stood up, still holding the girl by the neck and walked to the middle of the room, dragging her along with him. The blue circle with markings and symbols that appeared earlier, reappeared again in the air. Holding the girl by the neck, Toshirou put her head inside the circle till only her nape down to her body was visible.
"Raynell Huijin, I've asked you before and I'll ask you again, do you really think that I would hand over a job to someone I know is incompetent?"
He waited for her to respond with an answer.
"N-No, No you wouldn't." She replied.
"Thank you for your answer. That is the difference between me and those rotten elders."
He brought his attention to the girl sent to maim his party.
"Next time, tell those geezers to send someone competent. But oh well, you know what happens when I shut this portal, you'll be beheaded with your head in another dimension. It's a shame cause you have so much more to live for, but your loyalty didn't lie with your lord."
He shut the portal and she let out a deafening scream.
"I'm sorry!! Please!! I don't want to die!!! Please spare me!!!"
He stopped midway, just as the edges of the portal made light contact with the nape of her neck.
The tension in the room suddenly dissipated. Raynell fell on her knees in an act of relief. She was glad, glad that Toshirou did not end the life of the young girl.
He pulled the girl out of the portal and it closed up, vanishing into space. Despite her being spared, the shock of being near death paralyzed her. Her whole body trembled in disbelief, her eyes were wide open in scarred shock and fear as she stared into space. Was this who the elders told her to monitor? Was it this brute of a man that the elders commissioned her to? She knew it was wrong to go along with their wiles, to harken to their instructions, and even though the Feudal lord had been good to her family, she went against him and betrayed him by attacking the helper of her village, allowing herself to be used by the useless old men who call themselves elders. This man was right, she deserved to die for not being faithful to her Feudal lord.
Squatting in front of her with his katana between his legs, he said to her. "Do you know what just happened?"
Still in shock, she did not reply.
"You're indebted to me, and I assure you, I'll use you till I no longer need you. If you're going to be used, then at least be used in the right way. Those eyes of yours are too pure to be manipulated by those bastards."
He straightened his palm and hit her on the pulse point of her neck, efficiently knocking her out. He picked her up in his arms and set her down on his bed.
"Toshirou-san?"
"What is it?"
She hesitated before replying. "Is she going to be okay?"
"... Yes, she will. Do you realize what this means, Raynell?"
She looked at him with a questioning gaze.
"It means that we do not have much time on our hands. If this girl was sent to kill us, then there are many others with similar goals. We are not safe here."
She was perplexed. What he said was true.
"I have my plans already. All we need now is the location of the Thessalonica and I'll move."
There was no response from her, neither her body nor her mouth moved. Her eyes were fixed to the ground.
"Are you scared?" Toshirou asked her.
"Hm? Huh?" She snapped out of her trance.
"I asked you if you're scared, Raynell."
"Oh... um, s-should I be honest, Toshirou-san?"
He nodded as a 'yes'
"I... am scared."
As I thought, Toshirou sighed, 'I shouldn't have gone so far, at least not in front of her.'
"Not of what happened just now. I'm frightened, because your life could be in danger. I don't want you to die, Toshirou-san."
'Even in this situation, where anyone else would have been scared, she remains concerned about me. She really is just like Chiyo.'
He pat her head and flashed her a small smile. "I'm not going to die and you certainly won't too. I made you a promise, I will not falter. Have a little faith in me, okay?"
Her eyes widened hearing the word 'faith' from Toshirou's mouth.
<'You only have faith in things that are impossible or that are out of the ordinary.
'But make no mistake, there is much more reward in believing the unknown which is clothed in the face of doubt, than believing in the known which is already fixed. It proves loyalty, steadfastness, and absolute trust'>
"Okay, I'll have faith in you, Toshirou-san." She said with a large smile.
"Alright then. When Joel returns, we'll make our move." Toshirou replied with a little grin.