...
Water dropped from the roof and hit the road, a sound of water drop echoing in the silence of a dark alley.
A man was standing in the dark staring at a lifeless body. His smile went bigger before he took something from his pocket and walked away.
...
Fort is already awake; he is in the kitchen warming the bread he bought yesterday while eating the bread. He also had been translating the old book he had found.
19 Okt
Pioneers were completely brutal; even though they were an empire force, not many people knew they existed.
He said that. The informant
20 Okt
There is something wrong with the Aerial Family. They never show up to any of the gatherings the emperor makes.
22 Okt
I can't describe yesterday; many things happened, and much knowledge I obtained; for instance, the informant told me that one person from one of 4 Families has one or two Celestial creations.
For a note: according to this informant, Celestial creations were objects that had mystical powers; usually, they were pendants, but there's no exception for their shape.
The Pioneers also have many of Celestial Creation.
Celestial creation? Was this emblem included? Mystical powers, I get it; this emblem has the power to chain something. Is it power come from gods?
25 Okt
No..!
It's not only power that those Celestial creations possess. It is also some kind of spirit; not a few users of Celestial creation end up getting into an asylum. Also not a few shot himself.
Its effect on hallucinations was incredibly strong.
[Fort Translation Ended here]
Fort was flabbergasted, knowing that when he used this emblem, he could have gone mad. Fortunately, this emblem doesn't give him much of a side effect.
What happened to him in the last 3 days? He gained so much information. Fort found it strange.
"Whatever happened, the owner of this book must be someone inside the empire."
Fort then looks at the clock he bought and realizes it is already late; he quickly dresses up and leaves through the front door.
...
Inside of Cathedral
Fort quickly got inside, after closing the door of the cathedral he was greeted by Mr Alaric "Good morning Mr Fortis"
"Morning Mr Alaric" Fort greeted back
After the two of them greeted each other, Mr Alaric told Fort that he was going to be his teacher for a month.
He's my teacher?
Mr. Alaric then Told Fort that their Practice would not be anywhere near Cathedral; it was out in the South gate.
Misthaven has 4 gates, one in every direction; the east gate is guarded by a bunch of low-ranke.d pioneers; that's the main gate we came through the other day.
While the south and West gate were guarded by mid-ranked pioneers. But in the North, there were only 3 guards. It was not only the high-ranked Pioneers. But also some of the guards sent by the emperors, not many has come in or out from North Gate.
This day, Fort and Alaric were going to South Gate; while on the way there, Fort asked Alaric about spirituality.
Alaric responded with, "You'll know in your practice," And a smirk on his face.
...
A few minutes later, they arrived at the South gate, arriving at Fort, and Mr Alaric went out from the carriage.
After placing his robe, Mr Alaric asked Fort, "You have a gun, didn't you? "
Fort was confused; how did he even know it? I hid it under my clothes. "That's right," Fort answers; Mr. Alaric then opens his arms and says, "Shoot me."
Hearing Mr. Alaric's Request Fort was concerned about what he gonna do.
While being a bit scared Fort pulled his Revolver and pointed it to Mr Alaric's.
Before he pulled the triggers, Fort asked Mr. Alaric once again, " Are you sure, Mr? " Fort shouted.
Mr Alaric then shouted back "Are you not believing in me! ".
Erasing his thoughts Fort then pulled the triggers.
Bang! Launching the bullet straight into Mr Alaric',s Chest.
After impact, Mr Alaric was still standing before showing his chest without any injuries; Alaric then pulled out a card; the card was made of prism, and there was a bullet Mark on it.
"Wow, are you a magician?? " Fthe ort amazed by Alaric.
"Haha hope so.. but this isn't as simple as magic"
"This was Act Card, this is used by using spirituality to connect your physical body with this card so the attack your body received was transferred to this card"
"It was limited to our self or the body that is transferring the spirituality into this card"
"even though it is very helpful in combat, it is rarely used in real right cause of how risk this card is"
"It was only used in specific conditions" Mr Alaric explained.
" your first lesson was you need to be able to use your spirituality into your weapon" Alaric ordered
"How is that be done? " Fort asked
"Well, for instance, you can imagine touching the air" Alaric raised his hand to the air
"Closed your eyes and feel the air; just imagine the air was your spirituality. Try to lead it with your mind, don't bend it.
"If you force it to work as you wish, it just will disappear; instead, just try to lead the spirituality into your weapon." Alaric takes Fort Revolver and aims it at the shooting targets.
He then closed his eyes, breathing and pulled the triggers.
Looking at the target it was completely Oblirated. Seeing the power of his Revolver suddenly increases, Fort shocked.
Howw?? One bullet was able to do that much damage? It was the same as snipers in modern era's!
his eyes wide open. Until Alaric spoke, "That is called Enhancement. Spirituality ultimately increases the damage that was done by that weapon; it also worked with swords or any other weapon." He gave Fort his Revolver back.
Fort then thought for a few minutes before asking questions "Is it can be used on cannons? "
Alaric then shook his head, followed by him speaking, "No.. It's not possible. Any human has spirituality enough for one weapon used but a cannon needs more spirituality than another weapon"
After explaining to Fort, Alaric looked at the clock not far from where they standing. 11:50.
He then tells Fort to join his senior, Ignis.
"You can go to Ignis now," Alaric said
"Meet here again tomorrow at 09:30 and don't be late"
After telling Fort that, Alaric walks away.
Confused by the Alaric Act, Fort shook his head before coming to stop a carriage to get into the Cathedral.
...
In front of the Cathedral Ignis was standing in the side walk, he was talking someone.
Fort then paying the carriage before get off from the Carriage, greetings Ignis " Fortis! how is the training going "
"Not too bad " While answering to Ignis, he observed the person Ignis talked to.
A second after they start the conversation that person state that he need to go
" I should go..." he then walk away
" What is this about? " Fort asked
"Well did you know about The fall of Azzel? "
Ignis asked
Of course Fort didn't know about what Ignis mean. "No"
"Azzel was the name of Royal prince before his fall 10 years ago"
" He fall in love with a ordinary people"
"He got banished to the north of misthaven, they live in a old mansion" Ignis explained
"What happened with them? " Fort said
" Azzel killed himself "
"... " Fort lowered his head before look up again
"He was found in his office, burned alive"
"He maybe burn himself but there is no sign of anything that can set fire in his office, beside that not only him who was burned"
"Someone in alley close to South gate was killed, and burned nearly cannot be identified"
"We didn't know if this case have a connection but the only similarities was they burned to death"...
Ignis and Fort silent for a few seconds thinking about the answer. Before Fort speak again Ignis invite Him to his investigation.
they got into a carriage that going to the north side of misthaven.
...
Carriage running between house, while Ignis And Fort inside have a discussion about this case "is Azzel Office burned? " Fort asked
"No.. Not only it not burn, but the floor where his body founded there's no sign of burned,Also not only him who was burned, his painting in the office was also burned"
Painting?
"What painting is that? " Fort asked
"We don't know the details, when we asked the families they said that they never see any painting in his office" Ignis explained
Fort held his head in confusion, "did any of the painting survived? ", Ignis silent for a minute before answering, " There's one painting survived, that painting still in Azzel office" Both of them seemed confused about how this assassination happened, the old man get burned and the other body in South gate also burned, but there's no connection between two people. "One was banished Royal Family, and the other was ordinary person".
While they think about connection between this two case. The carriage was already stopped in front of the North Gate.
Ignis and fort walking to the guard of The gate. In the guard post sitting a human figure, but when They get close the figure was a doll. The doll was female figure wearing a white dress.
Confused by the fact that a Doll was guarding North Gate ,Fort held his head.
Ignis the walk up to the doll and tell the doll his business.
"... "
The doll was quiet but the Gate was opened.
"... " Fort shocked with what he see his mouth were opened, steel gate was moving without touched by anything..
How powerful high ranked Pioneers?? This gate should at least 5 tons!
Ignis and Fort walked inside slowly, crow sound was heard...
Crow? When was the last time?
After fully entering the Gate, Fort heard a whisper in his ears " Aware " ,He quickly turned his gaze to his surroundings, looking at his right and left there is no one standing close to him. Turning around, he noticed the Gate was closing.
Before fully closed Fort see the doll moved her hand waving to him.
After seeing that Fort quickly runs to catching up with Ignis which already far from him.
...
Walking between ruined house and post, Fort and Ignis finally got into Azzel House.
They knocked on the doors, but no one answering.. Looked at the windows Fort realized that there is shadow moving inside.
Ignis And Fort looked at each other before trying to get inside with force. Before Fort could break in to Azzel House Ignis try to open the door.
Krak! The door was unlocked.
Fort and Ignis looked at the surrounding inside the Mansion, all silent.
No human was seen in old Mansion where it supposed to be housing for a family was odd.
Ignis and Fort held their head in confusion again! The entire Mansion was empty, no human seen. Even that place look like it not used in decades.
"What happened? " Fort asked to Ignis
Ignis shook his head with disbelief in his face, "how is this happened they were here this morning" Ignis held his head.
Fortis looked at the inside, there's no sign of moving out, every furniture still in place.
Looking at the second floor Fort noticed one door was opened. He quickly mention it to Ignis. "Ignis is that His office? ".
Heard Fort say that Ignis quickly turned his eye to second floor, one of the room was unlocked. " You're right, " They began to started walking up the stairs to the second floor.
Opening the Unlocked door, they see a office with burned Painting in right and left, lowered his weapon, Fort Began to observing the office.
While Ignis reading the paperwork lying on Azzel office table, Fort was looking at the burned painting The painting was burned badly, but the weird part was the frame of the painting was not touched by flame at all.
Fort then look at the second painting which is the same as the first, it burn badly but when he looked at the third painting Fort suprised.
The painting was not touched by flame at all, the painting was a landscape of a cliff beside the sea, and in the sea there was a Stone gate that have a humanoid figures inside, unfortunately there is no way Fort can know who's that, because of how tiny it was.
After Observing the painting and reading paper, Ignis and Fort shared their discovery...
.. Knowing they still doesn't have clue about the killers, Ignis said he will try to get "Help" From the Cathedral.
Walking out from the Azzel Mansion Fort looked at the surrounding before walk away from the Mansion with Ignis.
...
Inside second floor "did they found something? " Eerie voice said
A humanoid figures standing behind him while shook his head.
"Good"
...
Outside The North Gate
Fort and Ignis walking out from the North gate.
Fort looked at the guard post just to realize that the doll was not there. Fort then grabbed Ignis' shoulder to warn him.
" Mrs High-ranked was gone"..
Ignis then looked at the post before answering to Fort "she not dissapear.. She just doesn't visible to your eyes. " After answering Fort, he and fort walked into the carriage stop while waiting they still discussing the Azzel matter.
Until two carriage show up.
(Very coincidental)
Fort then looked at the clock in the streets 16:40, knowing it already late Fort quickly get inside the carriage.
Fort and Ignis take their carriage and go to their own destination. Ignis going to back to the cathedral while Fort was going to his house...