The murmur of the room reached the two uninvited guests through a slightly ajar part of the door. Four distinct voices could be discerned. Among them, Leon recognized only the one who spoke the most—their branch leader.
Their primary objective, especially Triss's, was to wait outside, overhearing the conversation, and seizing an opportunity to enter.
Perhaps it was the thrill of doing something she shouldn't, or maybe the dream of going on a mission for the first time, but a wide smile adorned Triss's face. Well, that could only be said for her, as Leon remained grumpy about his entire existence.
No matter how silently they moved, there was always someone who could hear them. In fact, some people didn't need to hear a sound to feel that someone was peeping at them.
And their leader happened to be one of those, as they were well aware.
The sound of chatter abruptly vanished. It resembled the typical awkward moment in a place where everyone is speaking loudly and all of a sudden, they stop, taking in the embarrassing words that were spoken aloud.
"Come in," the leader's voice beckoned to the two.
Busted. Yet, it seemed like this didn't affect Triss in the slightest. Leon shot her a gaze that clearly blamed her for what was about to come. In response, Triss just continued smiling and casually walked into the room.
A man and a woman stood in front of the leader, while another woman stood next to him. Except for the latter, everyone else was sitting.
"So, how can I help you?" Not only his voice but even his face bore no emotion, resembling an emotionless mask in Leon's eyes.
Triss first looked at Leon for a second, to which he responded with a nod.
Letting out a short cough, she continued, "I've heard that Laima and Belenus were about to go on a mission," gazed at the two individuals in front of her, "So, I wanted to ask if we can stick to—"
"No," came the voice, not of their leader, but of the woman standing next to him.
It wasn't the first time Leon had seen her. He had already encountered her more than once before but never bothered to ask who she was.
It wasn't as if he had learned the code of illegal organizations from movies, where 'never ask' is an iron rule; he simply didn't care and was preoccupied with getting stronger.
She had the face of someone who could easily be beautiful if she were to do something about her disheveled hair.
As though the years had turned her into a mad scientist, she sported round glasses and messy, long brown hair that seemed to have forgotten the existence of a comb. The green-eyed woman immediately rejected the proposal before it could even proceed further.
"May I ask why, Rosannah?" She tried to be kind, but Triss's eyes were telling a completely different story.
"Sigh..." Rosannah's eyes, empty and devoid of color, served as the envoys of her answers.
"It's an important mission, and we shouldn't risk it more than necessary. I think that's what she meant," the leader kindly interpreted her words, earning a nod of confirmation from Rosannah.
"We would never get in their way! I swear!"
"Triss, I understand your eagerness to go on a mission, but it's still too early for you."
"But I'm a Level 2!"
"And what can a Level 2 do in this world?"
One question was enough to silence Triss and darken her expression. After all, everyone knew that being a Level 2 held little significance.
Leon simply shook his head and began to leave the room slowly.
"Hold on a second," opened her mouth, the woman sitting in front of the leader, "We can take care of them," assured so, the ocean blue-haired woman.
Her long, ocean-blue hair seemed to flow like waves straight from the depths of the sea. Its curls resembled the gentle tides, evoking the warm memories of a beloved summer vacation.
Her pupils, untouched by the sun's radiance, resembled her irises, and shadows played along the edges of the room. Instead of giving her a devilish appearance, these pitch-black eyes of the abyss only heightened her beauty.
"Laima, this mission is quite important."
"I know, but we can do it," pointed at the sturdy tower of a man with her hand, "Right, Belenus?"
The short ocean-blue hair mirrored Laima's, but his eyes were a complete contrast to Laima's. If one set of eyes resembled the night, the other reflected pure light.
Though they resembled the eyes of a blind person, only whiter than theirs. As white as the eyes of snow, they were similar to a Yuorian's but the same size as a human's.
Strong and deep was his voice, "It's an easy matter," he answered with a kind smile, not expected from that tough face.
"I know I can trust you guys," then looked between Triss and Leon, "But what if something out of the ordinary happens?"
"Don't worry, leader. We will bring those metals to your shoes," his appearance radiated confidence into the hearts of allies.
"Exactly. And, you'd also agree that the sooner they get out there and experience the world, the faster they can improve."
Laima's right-on-mark words put a smile of hope on Triss's face.
Moments elapsed in absolute silence. Right on the brink of the leader's impending speech, a peculiar aroma permeated the room. The scent wafted beneath the trailing cloud, dissipating as swiftly as it materialized.
Appeared a short, gray man. Flipped his flat cap while puffing a cigarette.
"Markus, stop wasting the lives of the young," muttered.
His gray countenance bore no semblance of emotion, nothing but an overwhelming sense of gloom.
"How may I help you, Porna?"
"Old man Porna!" Triss exclaimed, a wide smile lighting up her face as she lunged forward for a warm embrace.
"How do you do, Triss?"
"Great!"
"Excellent," he remarked, turning his head toward the leader after a gentle pat on the head. "It's still too early for them to embark on a mission."
"Old man, do you doubt us?" Laima inquired, her smile undiminished, a clear indication that his words didn't perturb her in the slightest.
"I don't."
"Then, why?"
"They are not fast enough to run if push comes to shove."
"They won't even need to do that."
"No one can be sure," exhaling another puff of smoke, his gaze briefly dropping for a moment.
His final statement silenced Laima and everyone else, save for...
"We are strong, old man! We can do it!"
"Prove it."
"Leon," he pointed directly at the person in question, "He has already killed a guard."
Laima and Belenus's eyes widened for a moment, while Porna's remained devoid of emotion.
"And?"
Laima, "So, you were the cause of all that ruckus, huh?" Smiled greatly.
"Nice job, kid," Belenus, shot a thumbs up.
Repeated, "And?"
"Come on, old man! Just let us go!"
"Why do you want to leave?"
"We want to do something for Rebellious."
"You can do it in the future."
He held his ground with unwavering determination, presenting Triss with undeniable facts that shook her. Nevertheless, she found support in the room and turned her puppy eyes toward him.
Leon had reservations about embarking on a mission, a sentiment he harbored not only during their journey but also amid their quarrel. The internal debate of whether to go or abstain, weighing the pros and cons for his own well-being, dominated his thoughts.
On one hand, he could potentially earn more trust within the Rebellious, perhaps even having his name resonate throughout the organization. On the other, the flip side loomed grimly—a risk of losing his life in the blink of an eye.
One thought led to another, and his eyes lit up as he recalled something else. In truth, this particular idea had always lingered in the background, but he had consistently brushed it aside, assuming that he wouldn't find the chance to put it into action.
Perhaps others wouldn't be inclined to grant him that favor. Worse still, there was the risk that they might perceive him as a psychopath.
The path before him, whether thorny or adorned with flowers, hinged entirely on the unfolding of events.
"We won't interfere with their work; we'll just sit back and watch. We're just gonna be an audience, nothing more."
"Do you mean it?"
"I do."
Porna cast a deep, prolonged gaze at Leon.
He sighed before speaking, "Be careful, both of you," he pointed at Leon, "Watch over Triss, understood?"
"Sure. I will do that."
With that, he departed the room without uttering another word.
"It appears you've reached a decision amongst yourselves," remarked Markus, the leader.
"Hehehe, seems like so."
"Welcome to the team, kids," Laima.
"We will take care of you," Belenus.
"Thanks!"
Leon nodded, amidst sighs from Markus and Rosannah.
"Then, let's delve into the details of the mission," he announced, prompting the two youngsters to snap to full attention.
"Your mission is stealing Black Metal."
Four eyes widened to their maximum extent.
"Black Metal!?"
'Now, things have turned out to be bigger than I thought.'
"Just 3 kilogram," Laima.
"Yes, that's why it's possible to complete this mission," Markus kept on, "We need Black Metal to make weapons to go toe-to-toe with the guards' weapons."
"God Metal is the best after all!"
"Yes, and we need that. The more we have, the better it is."
Black metal, or God metal, served as the core material for numerous high-tech devices, and every law-abiding citizen possessed some of it. This is why Leon opted to inquire:
"Can't you extract it from watches?"
"We can, but the effort wouldn't be worthwhile. Those are mixed with other materials, much like the ones used in hologram televisions."
Lastly added, "Some people craft swords by blending them with different materials. However, both watches and televisions use alloys, not the pure Black Metal found in weapons. So, they're not suitable for use as weapons."
"I see," nodded.
"Then I'll get to the details."