Author's Note: Hello, welcome back to the series, my faithful readers. This will be the very first chapter for today and another one will be coming out later today. This chapter will be detailing the experiences of another character that we may or may not have met yet after the time skip. This chapter will be from 500 - 1000 words long. Enjoy!
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(This is the point of view of some *mysterious* character, ooh)
"Hey, have you heard? It seems we are getting someone new joining us."
I heard the very quiet whisper of a man near me. He knows that talking too much is bad for him but, in the end, he is still a person who likes gossiping. I wipe some sweat off of my forehead as I quietly listen to the other people reply.
"You know, we shouldn't even be talking right now. We are supposed to be waiting for the Captain to come and tell us the results. Otherwise, we won't even meet her."
They don't know.
They don't know that the one who will be joining them is right here. However, it is either they have not yet registered my presence among them, OR if they really have no idea I am already here in their midst.
"Shhh! Be quiet! I can hear the footsteps of the Captain outside!"
I hear the hurried whispers of one of the few women here and everyone stops talking instantly. The Captain is someone who takes things very seriously and I don't blame him. This city is the most important in the entire Kingdom. Knights who are dispatched regularly and are known by the public won't cut it.
Thanks to the little information I got from one of my friends, I learned some new... interesting things. We have since grew up from that incident but, I can tell that she is still not the same. I know she isn't and I need to be there so that nothing bad happens to her. That is the whole reason why I am here in the first place.
While thinking that, the door is opened. Everyone else in the room puts their hands on their chests on bow. Naturally, I do the exact same thing. This 'Captain' will be my superior if I pass. I need to be able to show respect. I can't act friendly to people who are higher up than me. Sometimes, I have to fall in line, if I'm going with my friend.
"All right. All of you you should be quite happy over the fact that you're getting a new member. Her code name is Artemis. She might be younger than all of you but, she went through the same training as you and might be on the same level or higher. As for information, the only ones you'll need is the fact that, although she's not that good at manipulating her Mana, she more than makes up for it with physical attacks that incorporate both Flame and Earth attributes. That is all. Go say hello, you lot."
I step out of the shadows of the room and bow towards the others. They don't seem all that surprised, meaning that they all knew I was here. Well, it's not like me, a newbie, will be able to deceive the senses of the people here. Such a brief introduction as well. This group limits information of yourself to even your comrades as this is a job that requires absolute secrecy. Of course, my dear friend doesn't know that I do this. Not even my mother.
But, this is the only way. Both of the reasons I have are purely selfish. The first is that I promised my friend I will go with her. The second is that two other people who I know had jobs as protectors of the Kingdom. One is gone, and I don't know where the other is. However, I must at least keep their dreams alive.
I won't be thanked like a knight like them. I can't ever be a knight. So, I might as well take the job that is just as good, excluding the exposure. In fact, having no exposure at all is even better as no one can ever worry about my choices. My life can be used in whatever way I want it to and, this is what I chose.
That is because, right now, I am someone else. I am a member of the Axanon 'Unknowable Shadows' Unit. I am Artemis, the new recruit who displays excellent prowess despite being nothing more than a child compared to these veterans who have done everything in the dark, without recognition. Well, technically speaking, it was sort of an accident I was able to get this good.
Back when everything was fine, my friend will tell me to do stuff to distract other people. And, because of that, I've been able to learn how to make sure that she doesn't get discovered by the people she's hiding from by becoming the bait. The bait who is, coincidentally, very good at close combat, even without weapons.
"Nice to meet you, Artemis."
"Yeah, a pleasure to work with you... um..."
"Oh, my code name is Surtr."
"Then, you must be the second-in-command, I presume?"
"Yes, I am."
The more important-sounding the code name is, the higher up they are in importance when they join. They also correspond to what their role is. I am the hunter with the unerring bow and a spear that slices through evil. This all stemmed from my desire to help those near me. I won't be abandoned because people are worried for my safety. Instead, I will protect them.
So that no more people will disappear like my brother, and so that no one will try to take that burden onto only their own shoulders, like my best friend.