Knock!
Knock! Knock!
The relentless knocking echoed through the room, jolting Marcellus from his slumber.
He peered out of the aperture to see the first glimmer of dawn. In a daze, he flipped over and sat up.
"Who is it?"
Look at the time now! Why didn't I wake up?
"It's me. Edwin," a man with a deep voice outside the door replied.
Edwin? What could he want at this hour? Marcellus got off his bed and shook his head as he walked towards the door.
He swung it open to reveal his blue-eyed boss, whom he had seen just the day before.
Alarmed, Marcellus asked, "Is there something wrong?"
Edwin's expression remained stern as he spoke, "We've identified individuals we suspect to be criminals, causing various disturbances. They might be rogue slavers."
Marcellus was startled. He did not feel a tinge of fear or guilt that one would expect from the prospect of slavers they were common stories he had heard from his mother.
It was because he was terrified of slavers but because. He was surprised that Edwin was assigning this to him... Surely there were more capable individuals for such a mission.
Marcellus gave a forced smile and said, "The evidence seems scarce if you are here, and to be honest, I have little curiosity about this matter. You might find it hard to believe, but I'd prefer not to get involved in Mythralis."
"You sure have great mental fortitude to joke about this," Edwin said while nodding. He showed not a trace of anger; nor was he smiling.
Edwin did not give an immediate response.
He swept his glance across the room before saying slowly, "This is a matter that requires my attention, and I need backup. surely you can be my support, right 'Sir' Marcellus?"
Indeed is he intent to show me something… Marcellus finally understood where the deception had been placed. A thought flashed in his mind and he came to the final verdict in an instant.
He raised his hands halfway and retreated, leaving a path open. Then, he picked up his weapon and said "Let's get it over with".
Marcellous suddenly realized Edwin's intentions. A thought flashed through his mind, and he reached a swift decision. He raised his hand halfway, stepping back to clear a path, and then retrieved his weapon. "Let's not waste any time," he said.
As Marcellus joined Edwin's cohort, he recognized familiar faces—the tall woman who had aided Captain Crowe before, the portly man he had once failed to defeat, and a bald woman. They were all clad in various forms of armour, except for Marcellus.
Edwin, the only armoured, led the way.
The group descended from the governor's house and entered the bustling civilian area of Mythralis. The morning sun cast long shadows, and the streets were abuzz with people going about their daily routines. It was hard to believe that just moments ago, Marcellus had been roused from his sleep.
Edwin took charge, "Listen up, everyone. My sources indicate that the suspected criminals are holed up in a nearby abandoned repository. we will need to approach cautiously and assess the situation before taking any action."
The tall woman, who had an air of quiet confidence about her, nodded in agreement. "Edwin's right. We should avoid unnecessary confrontations until we're sure."
Marcellus observed the fat man, whose eyes darted nervously from person to person.
He remembered their past encounter, and it seemed the man had not forgotten it either. The bald woman remained stoic, her demeanour remained unreadable.
As they approached the warehouse, Edwin gestured for everyone to halt. He carefully inspected the surroundings, looking for any signs of activity or danger. The air was tense with anticipation.
Edwin motioned for them to follow as he moved closer to the entrance of the warehouse. The massive wooden doors creaked open, revealing a dimly lit interior. The musty scent of old wood and dust filled the air.
Inside, they found a group of individuals huddled together, their faces filled with fear and uncertainty. Some of them appeared wounded, while others seemed to be mere 'bystanders'.
Edwin took a step forward and spoke in a firm yet compassionate tone, "We're here to investigate reports of criminal activity. Please remain calm and cooperate. If you have any information or can provide assistance, it would be greatly appreciated."
Marcellus watched as the people's expressions shifted from fear to relief. It was evident that not everyone here was a criminal, and the situation was more complex than they had initially thought.
The tall woman, who had been keeping a watchful eye on the group, approached Edwin and whispered, "I don't see any signs of rogue slavers here. did they leave?."
Edwin nodded, acknowledging her assessment. "Let's gather information from these people and determine the true nature of this situation. Blackeye, keep an eye on the entrance in case anyone tries to flee."
...
As Marcellus stood guard outside the warehouse, he remained vigilant, scanning the area for any signs of suspicious activity.
Marcellus heard the sound of running footsteps and raised his head.
He listened intently, his brows furrowing. The footsteps were coming from the back of the building, where the prisoners were being held.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. It was a figure, moving quickly in the shadows. Marcellus's heart pounded in his chest. Was it one of the suspects?
It didn't take long for his keen eyesight to kick in. He spotted two individuals attempting to slip away unnoticed, their faces betraying guilt.
Without hesitation, he sprang into action. He drew his sword and ran towards the figure, closing the gap between them in a matter of seconds.
The figures turned to face him, and Marcellus saw that it was indeed a shady-looking person, Mr Shady held a dagger in his hand, and his eyes were wide with fear.
"Don't move!" Marcellus ordered.
Mr Shady hesitated, but then he lunged at Marcellus with the dagger. Marcellus sidestepped the attack and countered with a swift blow of his own. Mr Shady cried out in pain as the sword slashed across his arm.
Marcellus pressed, driving Mr Shady back with a flurry of attacks.
Finally, Marcellus disarmed Mr shady and knocked him to the ground. He pinned Marcus down with his knee and pressed the sword to his throat.
It takes longer to restrain a man than to kill him.
He restrained them and went to Edwin and the others to finish their investigations inside.
Inside the warehouse, Edwin and his team were interrogating the huddled group of people.
"What happened?" Edwin asked.
"Two tried to escape," Marcellus replied. "But I stopped them."
Edwin nodded approvingly. "Good work," he said.
It soon became apparent that among the seemingly innocent bystanders, some were indeed the perpetrators they had been seeking. Edwin's shrewd questioning and the keen observations of his team led to the identification and capture of those involved in criminal activities.
However, one of the captured criminals displayed an unexpected power. Before anyone could react, a surge of energy emanated from him, and he let out an eerie war cry.
Marcellus felt slightly intimidated by the display of supernatural ability. Is that an ability to intimidate people?
In a matter of moments, Edwin acted swiftly, stabbing the man before he could finish whatever preparations he was making.
Edwin stabbed him before he could finish his preparations.
Edwin approached Marcellus, a mixture of concern and curiosity in his eyes. "You are actually not surprised by the course of events?"
"I've met people who wouldn't believe in the power of the Aspirant, and they would rather believe that they haven't really woken up from a dream or tried to rationalize it."
Marcellos nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he said, "I have always been praying, hoping that there was such power to help me."