**********************************************
Qumor, Outskirt of Qumor Dynasty, Time: 5:00 PM
**********************************************
Living in Qumor, a wooden house perched upon the cliff with a breathtaking view of the sea.
The spiky blue-haired man leaned against the wall of his home, anticipating something. After completing his work, he changed into a simple white shirt with sleeves neatly tucked up.
Sugar appeared to be watching the time while awaiting the return of two allies from their missions.
"Should've known that sending both of them to capture Nick was a bad idea," Sugar sighed, contemplating the not-so-great synergy between November and Rosco.
'God, I swear if they are fighting over this...,' Sugar's thought abruptly halted as a pebble flew toward his head, bouncing off and leaving him annoyed as he looked for the culprit.
To his surprise, it was his employee, Dy'va, throwing pebbles at him out of sheer boredom.
"Dy'va, stop that," Sugar pleaded, not in the mood for his worker's antics.
"Ah, come on. Lighten up a bit, boss. I'm also bored to the damn abyss," Dy'va retorted, throwing another pebble at Sugar with the same result. "Also, dipping that they fail."
"Why can't you behave just like the other three?" Sugar muttered quietly as he lit a tobacco cigarette with his golden lighter, contemplating the lack of popularity of these "cigarettes," despite potential health problems in the future.
'I need to get a vacation and a lap nap,' Sugar thought to himself, wishing for a break from his boss's duties.
"I heard that!" Dy'va yelled as two pebbles hit Sugar. This time, when Sugar looked at Dy'va, the latter had summoned a skeleton to do the same thing, throwing pebbles at the boss.
The skeleton laughed manically in Spanish as Sugar, annoyed, decided to disappear for a bit before Dy'va could react, and his bony friend's head was punched clean off.
Dy'va gasped as his newly created friend met a quick demise right before his eyes. Seething with anger, he started throwing a fit, "Why did you do that, boss?! He was my only friend!" Dy'va angrily yelled, unable to let this matter go.
"Because you annoyed me with a bunch of pebbles, so as a punishment, I decided to erase your friend's existence and make you the one to cook dinner today," Sugar calmly stated, not allowing Dy'va to escape without consequences.
Dy'va gasped again, unable to believe what he was hearing. Not only did his boss kill his friend, but now he wanted him to cook for everyone again?! "WHY ME AGAIN?! CAN'T YOU PICK SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT, YOU GODDAMN WANKER!!!" Dy'va yelled, refusing to accept this.
"You better be cooking those pots, Dy'va."
As the two continued arguing, a blue portal suddenly appeared out of thin air, causing them both to stop and stare at it.
Sugar prepared himself for his speech, clearing his throat as he began, "FOOL, IMBECILE, NINCO- oh." Before Sugar could unleash every single insult he had in store for his three allies, November and Rosco, with Toodies perched on his shoulder, emerged from the portal, dragging a tied-up Nick along with a rope.
"Well, you might think we would've failed, professors, but we've managed to capture your target this time," November proudly stated, as she removed her crimson hair ornaments, letting her long black hair flow freely.
"Sorry if we took too long, sir," Rosco said, fixing his hair that was covered in desert dust from chasing Nick around.
"My deepest apologies for not helping these two idiots work together," Toodies nodded cutely, indicating his apology.
"Well, I never imagined you two could capture him. Excellent work, you two," Sugar praised, congratulating both of them for their outstanding efforts.
"The bath is ready for you, November. Go relax, and make sure to prepare the bath for Rosco too," Sugar rubbed the back of his neck, acknowledging their success.
"Thank you, professors."
"My deep gratitude, sir," Both said as they entered the house to unwind after a hard day's work.
Sugar leaned down to Nick, who was still tied up and sleeping. Annoyed at Nick sleeping, Sugar decided to slap him to wake him up.
"Wah! Huh? Oh." Nick woke up suddenly, startled by Sugar's cold slap, and looked around his surroundings.
"Oh, hey! Brother-in-law!" Nick remarked, letting out a little giggle upon seeing Sugar again.
"Alright, cut the bullcrap this time, Nick. Where did you hide it?" Sugar demanded, fixing his gaze on Nick.
"Well, make a wild guess!" Nick said, exuding absolute pride and confidence, even closing his eyes to emphasize his point.
Sugar made his guesses as he punched Nick right in the stomach, causing Nick to vomit out a circular black object with a thundercloud emblem in front of it. Nick coughed a little as he said, "Good one..." because he didn't quite predict that Sugar would do that.
"Gross. Is this how you treasure your sister's most beloved possession?" Sugar picked up the object and wiped it clean from Nick's dirty saliva with his handkerchief.
"I wanted to surprise you this time, but I should've known you better." Nick regretted as he clenched his stomach from the impact that Sugar had made on him.
"Why did you even steal her runes in the first place? You know damn well I'm protective of them the most," Sugar scolded as he grabbed the collar of Nick's shirt and looked him in the eyes.
"Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to meet up with you after all. It's been several weeks," Nick stated, trying to calm Sugar down before he decided to stab his guts open.
"You're such a bad brother figure, I wish Julia could see how you're treating me right now." Sugar threatened with a smirk on his face.
Nick started to shake his head in fear. "No! Don't tell my little sister! I don't want her to know that I have been a thorn in your side!" Nick begged, on one very dramatic knee.
"Alright, fine. You're forgiven just this once," Sugar said as he looked at the black runes in his hands. "Are you staying for dinner tonight or not?" Sugar asked, waiting for his response.
"Nah, I have my own back home. It's been fun, Sugar!" Nick said happily that Sugar calmed down, and he gets to live for another day.
"I need to go now. Yelsod said 'Hi,' by the way," Nick said as he got ready to leave. "Well, see ya around, Nick. Damn bastard," Sugar said, lowering his voice at the last word.
"See ya around, brother-in-law!" Nick laughed lightly as a clock symbol appeared behind him, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
**********************************************
Qumor, Outskirt of Qumor Dynasty: Sugar's Household, Time: 6:00 PM
**********************************************
Everyone seemed to be doing their thing after they finished the long day, A gentle breeze swept through the air, creating the perfect ambiance for a perfect evening.
Amidst this pleasant weather, the soft snipping sound of gardening echoed from the backyard, it was Rosco, diligently tending to the tomato plants.
With each precise snip, he harvested a cluster of ripe tomatoes, carefully placing them in baskets. Engaged in this task, he relished the tranquility it provided, offering him respite from his typically intense combat-oriented lifestyle, "This should be enough for Dy'va meal."
"Heyyy, Rosco," a voice called out, interrupting Rosco's meditative thoughts. He let out a sigh of resignation, reluctantly withdrawing from his serene state, "I've got a question for you if you don't mind answering."
The voice belonged to November, his greatest rival. She strolled into the garden with a self-satisfied expression, entering without a care in the world.
"If this question turns out to be another one of your ridiculous jokes, I won't hesitate to toss you off that cliff," Rosco retorted, his threat carrying a weight of seriousness. He held no qualms about the idea of dispatching his colleague over the cliff's edge if necessary.
"Well, it's been nagging at me lately, so I thought I'd make you my first victim," November remarked, unfazed by Rosco's threat. The annoyance she provoked was enough to make Rosco contemplate committing violence.
"I've been wondering, who do you think the Professor's favorite is?" she inquired, causing Rosco to pause momentarily in his tomato-cutting endeavor. It was a valid question—whose favor did the Professor truly hold? Instinctively, Rosco believed it had to be him. After all, he had stood by the Professor's side since their initial encounter.
"If anyone should have the insight to answer that, it's probably you, the sharpest mind among us," Rosco replied, his voice infused with a touch of playfulness.
As he finished placing a basket brimming with freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, he turned his attention back to November, ready to continue their lighthearted banter.
"Oh, is that so?" November retorted, her words laced with a taunting edge. "I highly doubt that our professors would hold any affection for pupils who amount to nothing more than petty criminals." Her insult was a direct jab at Rosco's pride, and she was well aware he would attempt to assert his position as Sugar's favorite associate.
Rosco's gaze sharpened into a deathly stare, his patience waning rapidly. He set down the basket he had been holding with unexpected gentleness, his actions belying the boiling anger beneath the surface.
While he generally maintained composure, he was unwilling to tolerate insults of this nature from November.
His silence spoke volumes, his eyes drilling into her with a mixture of indignation and warning.
The atmosphere around them grew palpably tense—a silent standoff conveying the gravity of their unspoken exchange.
The rivalry between them was undeniable, yet there existed a deep-rooted understanding of each other's boundaries.
"AND WHAT ABOUT YOU, HUH? You're nothing but a masochist, a mad scientist freak who's always cooped up in the basement!" Rosco yelled at her, to which November just looked at him with a smug expression.
"Awww, Did I hurt your little feelings? Well, I'm sorry," November said with sarcasm, ensuring Rosco knew she considered herself the superior pupil.
"Why you little sh-" Rosco began, but before he could make a move towards November, Toodies stepped in, attempting to defuse the situation.
"STOP!!!"
he exclaimed, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and exasperation. "You know, I am hungry. But you guys fighting over something would make my stomach even larger!" Toodies interjected with an air of diplomacy, managing to bring a temporary pause to the conflict. Both November and Rosco seemed to calm down slightly.
"I mean, what are you guys even fighting about anyway?" Toodies inquired, his curiosity evident as he tried to make sense of the dispute.
"Well, Toodies, we're arguing about who our beloved professor's favorite is," November explained, her gaze still fixed on Rosco, who continued to hold his intense stare.
Toodies blinked in surprise before letting out a dismissive scoff. "You guys are both wrong. I am his favorite," Toodies proclaimed with a note of pride, earning irritated glances from both November and Rosco.
"What?! You can't just steal all the credit for yourself. He shouldn't be biased towards you!" Rosco retorted, his frustration apparent as he protested Toodies' claim.
"Toodies, dear, I think it's time to put an end to your childish antics," November chided, her patience wearing thin as she responded to Toodies' tone.
"Oh, shut it! You wrinkle wench!" Toodies insulted, his comment triggering a visible vein to pop on November's forehead, a sign of her increasing annoyance, This led to a heated argument between the three of them in the garden.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Sugar was occupied with fixing Dy'va's pocket watches, which he had been wearing incorrectly. "See, you have to wear it like this," Sugar instructed, attaching it to a buttonhole on Dy'va's vest and carefully tucking it into a pocket.
Dy'va observed the correct placement for a moment before his face lit up with delight. "Haha! Thanks a lot, boss," Dy'va exclaimed, his smile radiating gratitude as he prepared to attend to his chores.
"Make sure you pay attention to the details," Sugar reminded Dy'va, emphasizing the importance of not making mistakes when completing his tasks.
As Dy'va nodded in understanding and left to fulfill his responsibilities, Sugar continued his work, making sure the pocket watches were in proper working order, "And remember, be careful when making purchases," Sugar advised, offering a word of caution to Dy'va about the potential pitfalls of acquiring the wrong items.
**********************************************