Author's Note: Whoa! Who would have known that Mister Glaive was actually the Champion of Space?! We're starting with his point of view again.
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- 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES EARLIER -
With just a few steps, I have arrived at the place where Alyssia has disappeared. I need to investigate this place as it might hold some clues for where the thieves are hiding. Or, maybe, they should be called kidnappers now.
"Look, it is the Champion!"
"Oh my god! He really is visiting this place!"
This is a normal part of my life as a Champion. Though I like the fact that there are people who admire me, I wouldn't want anyone to be involved as it could get dangerous. There might even be a person from the kidnapping group who is still here to scout this area out.
"Yes, hello. Sorry, but right now, I am doing something important. Can you please make everyone else here leave?"
"Yes sir!"
"Thank you very much."
I told one of the knights to evacuate the area. After only a few minutes, I watched as the everyone disappeared from the area. Alright, no more distractions. Let's start now. I then started checking the area for an entire hour.
I walk around the entire area and check every nook and cranny in this place. It looks like these people are used to taking people as they haven't left any clues around. But, since there were no news of any important person being missing, they were probably only targeting the commoners.
Only now have they took someone of a rank higher than commoner. They must have had people who were very powerful but were fast enough that they were able to take out the guards fast and kidnap Alyssia without anyone noticing anything wrong. But, since this is a busy place, they must have cornered them in an alleyway.
I then check every alley near this place. Right when I thought there was no other clue, I found something in the last one. It is a puddle of water. Leading away from it are footprints that seem to stop before there were none left.
This puddle of water could have been left by a citizen but, almost no one goes through these parts as there are no important places you could get through using this way. Plus, judging by the fact that they disappear, it is probably an ability like teleportation or something similar.
A regular person would have no reason to stop walking and teleport unless they are tired. However, if they are tired, they would have teleported to start with. Also, water would have frozen already if these were left a long time ago. That means, someone was walking through here just an hour earlier. The same time I told everyone to leave.
At this temperature, an hour earlier, this would have been snow or ice. It is Ruina but, the busy streets and nearby places, including this alley, has a heating artifact that warms the air. But, the warming isn't high enough to melt this amount of snow into water. The culprit must have heated up the prints he left to leave no evidence. I guess he was startled by my arrival and was only able to turn it into water.
If he had snow on his shoes, he must have only recently came from the mountain. Alright, time for a trip to the mountain. I take one step and I arrive at the mountain. Now, I just need to check anyplace that looks suspicious.
- RETURN TO THE PRESENT -
I was able to find the place where the kidnappers were staying. I naturally killed all of the ones that stood in my way. I asked one of them where they took the person they kidnapped. His reaction told me that they had kidnapped other people aside from Alyssia.
After checking the entire labyrinth, I found a door that had bars on it. This must be where the people are being locked up.
"Looks like I found you, Alyssia."
Hmm?
What is that?
*Growl*
A monster? It seems to be a fire-based one as well. Why would there be a monster that is both reptilian and fire-based on this mountain. Plus, even though it looks to only be a baby, it is intimidating me. Did the thieves bring it here or did it just wander in? Well, it is a monster so, I will have to kill it here before it attacks.
"Don't attack him!"
"Huh!?"
I stop my sword. Was that a child's voice? And it is coming from behind the locked door.
"What do you mean? There is a monster right here."
"That monster is... he is mine."
What? The child owns the monster. Does he have an ability that allows him to control them? Or, does he somehow know the ways of a beast-tamer? Either way, I will trust him on this as the monster still hasn't attacked me or done anything aside from growling at me.
"Fine, I won't do anything."
"Thank you. By the way, can you break me out of here?"
"Sure."
That was my first meeting with the prodigy known as Alexander.
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(Alex, my man)
I don't know who this man is but, I think he is here to rescue us. I mean, he took out one of the thieves and even walked to the place where I am in. But, there is no way we could have gotten help so fast so, does this mean that he has come to rescue the other person in this room?
Also, it was a good thing he actually believed me when I said that Calido was mine. He might not have been able to defeat Calido head-on but, this is insurance.
"Alright, I am coming in."
I felt the man take another step and I felt his presence in this chamber. So, he should have an ability that allows him to teleport with only one step, right?
"Why didn't you break down the door?"
"It is made of wood from a boulder tree. They are renowned for having incredibly tough bark to make sure that no desperate being tries to drink it's delicious sap. It would have taken me some time to break it so, I just went in as it is much easier."
Boulder tree?
It's that hard?
Oh well. I am saved so, I might as well celebrate a bit. Also, I can help him find the other guards with my tendrils.
"Alyssia! Are you alright!"
Alyssia?
That must be the other person. So, the other person was a girl, huh. Is he a friend or something?
"I-I am alright. Don't shout, Glaive."
"Your hair and eyes... they're white. So, the thieves even took your disguise rings. Even your horns-"
Suddenly, a deathly silence overtook the chamber. Huh? Did the woman call the man Glaive? I feel like I heard that name before. But, the most important thing here is the way the man described her. I remember something that Cyrus said to me before about a demon. "They say that it's hair was a color just like the moon with matching eyes."
The man even said that she has horns before becoming silent. Does that mean that she is the rumored demon? No way...
"Kid, did you hear me just now?"
"What are you talking about? Did you say something?"
I need to talk normally because I feel an angry tone mixed in that voice.
"Did you see her!?"
"Huh?! No, I can't! I am blind you know! Look at my eyes!"
I can't believe that I am so happy to be blind right now. But, I can't let go of what he said and his reaction to my potential eavesdropping.
"You are huh. Alright, Alyssia, I'll carry you. Kid, hold my other hand."
"Okay."
I never knew that the rumored demon was actually in the same cell as me. I am not discriminating but, this might be bad if anyone else sees her aside from the man who the woman called Glaive. Cyrus told me that some people don't like the demons because of what they did so, I am worried about the woman.
Little did Alex know that he would meet both Glaive and Alyssia some time in the future, and this time, as people who would be very involved in his life.