As Daniel entered, everybody naturally turned their eyes to him, both solo and group climbers and one of such was the group that had interrupted his conversation with his newest acquaintance, Rykar.
They remained in a corner, observing the new entrant into the hall as he looked around, trying to figure out his next move.
"Well, it seems like a new puppy has come into the fold," a member of the group commented as they all silently watched Daniel standing where he was.
"Shut up, Joren," another reprimanded his teammate who had been talking too much.
"What do you mean by I should shut up, Vaan!" Joren barked back at Vaan. He pointed to his chest and continued blaring, "I'm the second-in-command of this group, mind you! You don't get to talk to me like that."
Vaan snorted and crossed his big arms over his burly chest as he stared down their self-proclaimed second-in-command. "Pfft! Is that so?"
Joren was about to say another word when someone else interrupted him, shutting him up that instant.
A blond-haired man with admirable blue eyes, who was seated in the midst of the three guys. He sat quietly, his eyes fixed on Daniel all the while as he monitored the newcomer's movements.
'He's different… just like me,' the blond-haired man thought, his body pressing forward with low clanking sounds of his armour plates sounding around him.
"What is he doing with my puppy?" the blond-haired climber asked, not turning to any of his companions in particular as his eyes were still looking at Daniel, who was now engaged in a conversation with Rykar.
Joren turned to look at the two of them ahead and jolted back. "That jerk! I recruited that dog specially for Lord Kastro… wha-what does he think he's doing?" Joren lamented, immediately falling on his knees before the man in knightly armour and lowering his head.
"Forgive me, Lord Kastro. Don't not be offended. I'm going to fix this right away" Joren declared. "For the glory of the Crimson Cross Order!"
Kastro merely turned his eyes to Joren as he yapped endlessly and said nothing. If anything, Joren's next set of actions would produce the result for what he had in mind.
Kastro planned on testing the newcomer a bit and Joren was just the right candidate.
Joren stood and appropriately adjusted his attire before turning around to march over to where Daniel and Rykar were talking.
Joren's veins were prominent and his nerves twitching as he noticed the two males shaking hands. 'He even dares to soil my puppy!'
"Vaan! Anat! Come with me!"
Following behind Joren, Vaan and Anat, the other members of the small group went ahead to address their issues with Daniel.
'Show me what you can do, my new puppy,' Kastro thought to himself as a smirk appeared on his face.
His lackeys were going to go after the new puppy like mindless dogs without him having to do anything and just like he had done with a few of the people inside the hall since he entered first, he might just succeed in making the newcomer submit under him.
…Or suffer!
*********
As Daniel was talking to Rykar, he had already noticed two guys approaching him and another from behind, already close.
As soon as he felt the heavy hands of Vaan close and almost resting on his shoulder, in a quick movement, Daniel tossed the big man over his head causing him to land with his back on the ground.
The swiftness with which Daniel took down the biggest member of their little group, made Rykar jump back and out of the way to avoid getting squashed by Vaan's heavy body. In his run backwards, Rykar ran into Joren and Anat whose jaws had reached the floor after seeing how easily Vaan was defeated.
Joren gulped and his legs started to shake terribly as he lost all the grit he had summoned before coming close to Daniel.
Meanwhile, Kastro's eyes grew extra wide as he saw Vaan's body hanging in the air before getting slammed on the hard floor of the hall, almost knocking the big guy out cold.
Kastro stood on his feet immediately, realising that with Vaan's instant defeat, both Anat and Joren would be swatted around like mosquitoes if he didn't intervene. Moreover, Kastro wanted to test his skills against this new guy.
'What an interesting puppy.'
As Joren still jittered and stammered commands out of his mouth, Daniel merely spared him a stare that sent shivers down his spine as he drew back, trying to hide himself behind Anat, who was trying to do the same.
Before Daniel could stand, however, he noticed a piece of sharp steel next to the side of his neck and halted his rise.
"...Then I will make you let go," Kastro declared, pressing his blade closing as Daniel glanced at the weapon before turning his head to look at the swordsman who snuck up on him from behind.
Daniel for a quick assessment of the blond-haired guy who had his sword pointed to his neck.
'A knight's armour and a steel blade,' he thought. 'But be rich or something, or have some sponsor since he is still a first floor climber like myself.'
As his eyes glossed over Kastro's outlook, Daniel's eyes were almost forced into widening but the masked man held back his surprise, his death god mask helping him with that rather perfectly.
At that moment, he recalled a piece of information which his brother had given him through the recording.
'A pattern of two swords overlapping each other in a cross shape.'
Daniel recalled this description in the same manner as he knew his name and if these guys were the real deal and not posers, or even somehow linked to them… he had to keep them alive and close.
'The Crimson Cross Order…'
"What do you think you are doing playing with my puppies?" Kastro asked, his eyes narrowed with a shine of rage.
"Lord Kastro!" Joren cried from behind Anat, his hand gesturing a prayer sign as he let out crocodile tears. "You are here to save us! You are the best."
Daniel smiled underneath his mask and raised his arms, mimicking a surrender.
"These guys are yours?"
"And what is the problem with that?" Kastro fired back.
Daniel stayed silent while rolling his fist slowly. "Nothing. It's just that…"