"....." Khaos just stared dumbly at the guard; "Who?"
Zara's shocked expression turned into one of annoyance as she heard Khaos' question. "The Mayor's son", she said through gritted teeth.
"Oh right". Khaos snapped his fingers. "Wait, he came back?"
The guard nodded, "Yes, he appeared at city hall with his mother about an hour ago".
"Any reports of the other Cultivators returning?" Zara asked.
"I am not sure, as soon as the mayor's son returned i was sent to find you", the guard replied.
"Thank you ". Khaos said and turned to Zara; "Let's go". Zara nodded and the duo exited the store before flying in the direction of city hall.
"I wish i could also fly", the guard sighed. "At this rate i will even forget how to do it".
"Hey, since you are here, wanna buy a ring?" The shopkeeper stood there with a huge smile on his face and a red ring between his index finger and thumb.
While the guard was being swindled out of the few gold he had, Khaos and Zara were halfway to city hall.
"This is too strange". Khaos said.
"Very, even more if he is the only one who returned". Zara replied.
"Maybe the enemy found out that he is the Mayor's son". Zara added.
"Exactly what i was thinking", Khaos said as a particular face flashed through his mind.
Soon enough, they arrived at city hall, and this time, the guards at the door did not block their way.
"Go tell the Mayor we are waiting for him". Zara told the first maid she saw, who immediately ran up the stairs while, the duo went to sit at the table of the meeting room.
About a minute later, the doors opened and Morn walked in with Milly, followed by a young man with short black hair and blue eyes. His facial features had a striking resemblance to Milly even though his skin was a shade darker.
Mayor Morn sat on his chair while the two sibling sat on the side, directly opposite Zara and Khaos.
"Khaos, Zara, allow me to introduce my son, Mider". Morn said. "Mider, these are the two Academics i hired to look for you and the other missing cultivators".
"It's a pleasure to meet cultivators of the Black Academy". Surprisingly, Mider stood up and went around the table to shake Khaos' hand before kissing the back of Zara's hand.
"Are all Academics like you or are you a special case?" Mider asked with a smile, slightly stroking Zara's hand with his thumb.
"I am special," Zara said, "Most of them are like the one beside me".
"Then i am a lucky man to meet the only angel from the Black Academy". Mider smirked.
Zara chuckled; "Now that you mention it...."
"AHEM!" Khaos cleared his throat so loudly that the guards outside the door of the mansion were startled. "We are on a quest remember?" he said to Zara. She was still half-blushing at Mider, who had kissed her hand for the tenth time by then.
"Right". Zara nodded resolutely, taking her hand away from Mider's grasp. "We need to ask you some questions".
Mider smiled as he stood up and walked back to his seat. "What do you need to know Zara?" he said.
"First of all". Khaos interjected, "Can you both please excuse us?" He said to the Mayor and his daughter.
"Why?" Milly asked with furrowed brows.
"Because we want to question Mider in private", Khaos answered.
"But.."
"You heard him Milly, let Khaos and Zara do their jobs, there are still other missing cultivators remember". Morn interjected. Milly took a glance at Khaos and Zara before standing up to leave with her father, she did not hide her annoyance though.
"Mider", Khaos said as soon as the door closed behind Milly; "First of all, how are you?".
"I am fine, in fact i feel great". Mider replied.
"Tell us everything that happened to you". Khaos said.
"Today was actually the strangest day of my life. One moment i was walking home complaining about how small the bakers make their bread these days, then the next moment, i was on the ground, and the worst part is that my bread was gone!".
"I never imagined that there were starving, thieving cultivators in Galor. I mean why would someone steal bread?". Mider shook his head.
"I then went back to the shopkeeper, and told him that someone knocked me out and stole my bread. That was when he told me that he last saw me 6 days ago. Of course i did not believe him, so i just told him to go get laid so as to clear his mind".
"I also borrowed some bread and promised to pay later...oh right i still have yet to pay him. Anyway, i then walked home, but this time i was more cautious, i clutched my bread closely and made sure to cover all my blind spots."
"I would be dammed if someone managed to steal my bread a second time!" Mider shouted as he slammed his fist on the table, sparks of lightning appearing on his hand. Khaos was rubbing his temples in stress while Zara was clearly enjoying the mostly useless story.
"Thank the gods my bread and i managed to get home safely. However i never imagined that my own mother would attack me!. As soon as she saw me, she jumped at me with a hug so tight that my bread got crushed to crumbs!. It seemed that i really was not destined to eat bread anytime soon". He sighed dejectedly.
"I mean even father's whole mansion does not have even a single loaf of..."
Khaos cleared his throat.
"Then mother told me everything that happened, and seeing her face i had no choice but to believe her. She then did the usual worried mother routine as i told her everything i'm telling you now. After that she brought me here were i met my..", he then looked around suspiciously.
"My sister", he whispered; "..that girl creeps me out. There is just something off with her".
Then Mider returned to his normal voice; "...my lovely sister. She and i talked for some time and eventually i met the most beautiful girl on Zylon", he winked at Zara. "And here we are".
He finally concluded the story.