Abel tried to rest and ease his condition during his time on the train, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched, almost as if someone were following him. The moment he got off the train, without much thought, he ran like a wild cat straight to his home and proceeded to lock every part of the door. However, growing suspicious of his surroundings, he decided to place pencil shavings in the door joints as a makeshift alarm.
Abel stripped down to his underwear and went straight to sleep. Although his wounds were mostly healed, some scratches were still visible on his body, and he occasionally still felt pain from them.
"It hurts…," Abel whispered in his sleep as the effects of the painkillers wore off.
That night, he dreamed of the same angel hugging him. The angel also shed some tears and warmly touched the areas where his wounds lay. "It hurts," Abel mumbled in his dream. "It will be alright, dear," the angel reassured him as she gently kissed his forehead. "Don't cry; I will be here," said the angel.
Abel woke up feeling better overall; it seemed a good rest had restored his strength a bit, and he no longer felt anxious. He went straight to the kitchen and opened the fridge, surprised to find a bunch of vegetables and meats. "Strange… did I go shopping before I took that mission?" Abel mumbled to himself but tried not to think too much about it. He checked the pencil shavings he had placed in the door joints. "None were broken, so I guess no one broke in," he concluded.
Despite his body still aching, he decided to return to the Investigator Guild.
The moment he arrived, Huskar jumped up and asked about his condition. "Where the hell have you been? Some paladins were sent to look for you," said Huskar. "Uh, about that, Mr., sir, can we talk in private?" Abel replied. Huskar noticed the trouble in Abel's eyes. They then went to Huskar's office where Abel discussed the clients that were after him, but to protect Aina's party, Abel decided to hide the information about her.
"I see there could have been a mole or some spy stalking you. Regardless, Abel, I know this is selfish and you still need some money, but I highly recommend you take a break for some time," said Huskar. Abel realized his body was still weak and that he would be an easy target. He nodded to Huskar's advice, then went to a nearby cafe and ordered some coffee.
As time passed, he was approached by a familiar figure. It was Betham. "Abel," Betham called out as he approached. "Investigator Betham!" Abel stood and greeted his senior. "Sit down, Abel, and didn't I tell you just to call me Betham?" Betham said as he joined Abel at the same table. "I heard some rumors, Abel," Betham said. "Rumors?" Abel looked confused.
However, not long after, a bunch of knights approached them. "Ah damn... I thought I was quick enough to find you. Be careful, here they come," said Betham, noticing a group of knights slowly walking towards them. Abel shifted his gaze, realizing the knights were approaching them. He prepared his sword but didn't draw it yet, while Betham's mace could also be seen. "You! You are Investigator Abel?!" one of the knights demanded. Abel paused for a moment, traumatic memories flashing through his mind, but he held his emotions, trying not to show any weakness. "Yes, it's me," said Abel. "I need you to come with us!" the knight ordered. "Well now, hold on, Mr. Knight, who are you, and state your business," said Betham. "It's none of your business!" the knight retorted.
Abel stood up, showing no signs of resistance. "First of all, gentlemen, I need to know who you all are. I notice your armor's crest is neither Fonta Aria, Whiteford, nor Paladin," Abel stated.
The knights paused for a moment. "We are Oculi Regis, personal soldiers of King Barnabas White, the rightful King of Whiteford. You, Investigator Abel, have been accused of conspiring against King Barnabas," declared the knights' leader.
"You've got to be kidding me? You're saying a junior investigator with not even a year's experience is conspiring against Whiteford?" Betham interjected incredulously.
"That will be decided by the High Judge of Whiteford, not us nor you," retorted one of the knights.
"Wait a minute, first of all, respectfully sir, this is Fonta Aria. You can't just force someone from another country," Abel argued.
"And I agree with young Abel," said Razeluxe, appearing suddenly between the knights and Abel.
"You!! The fourth Division Vice Captain of Fonta Aria Knights! Razeluxe!!" the leader of the Oculi Regis exclaimed.
"Here's the thing, Mr. Knight... if you have any problem with a citizen of Fonta Aria, please contact our Internal Security and Law Enforcement Division. Otherwise, I don't think you are allowed to make a citizen's arrest, let alone force a citizen of Fonta Aria," Razeluxe clarified.
The Oculi Regis knights clenched their fists but couldn't afford to start a fight, as it would damage their reputation. Without another word, the knights eventually left, but their leader looked back at Abel and the others. "This won't be the last," the captain warned.
The knights finally left, and Razeluxe, Abel, and Betham watched them until they could no longer be seen.
"There they go," said Betham.
"Well… I doubt it will be the last time we see them," Razeluxe commented.
"Yeah, I mean, they pretty much said that, right?" Abel added.
Razeluxe shifted his gaze to Abel. "Okay… now, mind explaining what the hell happened?" he asked.
"Well… this is going to be one hell of an explanation," said Abel.
Again, Abel explained his experience, still omitting details about Aina and her faction. Razeluxe didn't seem bothered by this, but Betham appeared somewhat worried.
Razeluxe and Betham advised Abel to be more careful and try to find a community or guild with strong political standing, as those knights would likely come back with a warrant.
As the sun began to set, Abel walked back to his house. On his way home, he noticed the main street was cleared, and soon a massive envoy of soldiers could be seen on the street. It was huge and spectacular. Ryan Aurelius, the 4th Division Captain and Chief of Fonta Aria Military Defense, could be seen in the middle. A young man with brown hair, probably just 26-27 years old and barely old enough to be a politician, yet his strength and exploits were renowned across the continent. Some even said he was among the four champions of Fonta Aria, rivaling the four champions of Whiteford.
People were cheering for him, and at the end of the road, the Arch Cardinal and the head of the Church of Harmony, Seamus Eleison, were waiting and ready to congratulate the Captain for his successful military campaign in Karvishyal.
Abel watched from afar. "What a spectacular show," he remarked.
"Yup, Ryan seems to handle the crowd well," said Razeluxe, suddenly appearing behind him.
"Wah!! Vice Captain!! Please stop appearing out of nowhere," Abel exclaimed, startled.
"Hahaha, for someone with good instincts, you're easily startled, aren't you?" teased Razeluxe.
"Yeah, I guess," Abel admitted.
"Anyway, I didn't have time to ask this back then, considering the crowd and all. While I know Betham is good, the guy is not the best place to keep a secret," Razeluxe confided.
"Investigator Betham? What's wrong?" Abel looked confused.
Razeluxe leaned on the fence. "Yeah, he's not the best guy for secrets. Either way, there's something I want to ask you, Abel," Razeluxe said, introducing a tense and serious note into the conversation.
"What is it, Vice Captain?" Abel felt the seriousness suddenly in the air.
"Well, I was wondering how Lady Aina is doing? It's been a while since I last saw her," Razeluxe inquired.
Abel was shocked. How did Razeluxe know Aina and his allies? "She's fine, I guess," Abel tried to hide his unease.
"Of course, she is a princess, after all. Those beauty treatments, and others," Razeluxe joked.
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, she is alright," Abel clarified.
"Ah, I see. It's great anyway, considering Barnabas's men have been targeting you and probably your relatives and acquaintances. I highly recommend you look out for them," Razeluxe advised.
"Will this ever end? Or am I going to live in fear forever?" Abel asked.
"Nah, just wait until Aina and her men are out of Katya Ports. Their focus will be shifted to Prince Zack or Princess Maryam," Razeluxe explained.
"So, I'm going to be alright?" Abel hoped.
"I can't be sure. Those men are fanatics, and while you are protected by the laws and knights of Fonta Aria, if in court they manage to provide enough evidence about your involvement," Razeluxe paused momentarily, considering his words.
"But I don't recall having that kind of involvement with them," Abel responded, confused.
Razeluxe sighed deeply, seeming surprised. "Oh my, you truly are an innocent child. Now I will feel terrible if I can't protect you," he said.
"What do you mean? You're scaring me, Vice Captain," Abel said, a hint of fear in his voice.
"Okay, let's start from the beginning. You received a strange substance from File, didn't you?" Razeluxe asked.
Abel realized what he was referring to and nodded.
"These substances were used to hide a massive amount of soldiers from radar so they could safely cross the border," Razeluxe explained. He then continued, "Secondly, you also helped File and others remove a secret magic pylon which, while broken, was pointed out that you didn't report to Whiteford authority."
"What!!?" Abel was shocked.
"Yeah, knowing Whiteford, they will use everything against you, and use it to target Aina as well, including you," Razeluxe said gravely.
"Wow... I'm screwed, aren't I?" Abel sighed.
"Kind of. I wish I could say no, but I'm not Royko; I rarely sugarcoat things," Razeluxe admitted.
"Royko?" Abel looked confused.
"That guy," Razeluxe said, nodding towards Captain Ryan Aurelius.
"Captain Ryan?" Abel asked.
"Yup, I usually call him Royko or Retardius Maximus," Razeluxe chuckled.
"Uh... isn't that a bit disrespectful?" Abel questioned.
"Relax... He's too thick-skinned to understand it," Razeluxe joked.
"Yeah, good thing we're sworn siblings," said Ryan, who suddenly appeared behind Abel, startling him.
"Wah!" Abel jumped, shocked by Ryan's sudden appearance.
"Please don't sneak up on me!" Abel exclaimed, clutching his chest from the shock.
It was clear that both Razeluxe and Ryan had a habit of surprising people by appearing suddenly out of thin air.
"So, Raze, who's this kid?" Ryan asked.
"An investigator, for now," Razeluxe replied.
"Uh... I'm Guide Investigator Abel, sir," Abel corrected.
"I see... You guys seem troubled," Ryan observed.
"Yup, Prince Barnabas's men have been... targeting him recently," Razeluxe disclosed.
"What!!" Ryan was surprised.
"Yeah, it's kind of a long story," Abel admitted.
"Don't worry, you don't have to explain it all over again, Abel. I'll tell him later. Anyway, it's not surprising considering they've been targeting everyone," said Razeluxe.
"What a headache," Ryan sighed, leaning on the fence next to Razeluxe.
"You sure we just don't...?" Razeluxe began.
"What, invade Whiteford?" Ryan looked skeptically at Razeluxe.
"Yeah... I mean," Razeluxe looked nervous.
"Dude... grow up, it's been 8 years," Ryan chided.
"Uh, what?" Abel interjected, confused by the whole conversation as he didn't understand what they meant.
"Abel, between you and me, I think you should lay low for a while, and I mean it. I highly recommend you return to your village until everything eases," Razeluxe advised.
"Yeah, I guess I will, sir," Abel agreed.
They then parted ways, and Abel, now in a bad mood, entered his home. "I guess life goes on then," Abel mumbled to himself as he proceeded to take a bath and have dinner. Abel usually had his own way of dealing with a bad mood, but this time it was different. Fearing the sensation of near death due to his recent experience, for once, Abel was truly afraid of what was to come, but now the young teenager had no one to comfort him.
"Maybe I should just go home..." Abel said as his spirit began to crack. He went to sleep overwhelmed by a sensation of dread and fear.
Meanwhile, Razeluxe and Ryan were at a restaurant having dinner together. "So, is Anastasya alright with you eating out?" Razeluxe asked.
"Relax, I eat dinner here, and then I eat dinner again at home," Ryan chuckled.
"That always reminds me of our adventure days, when guarding our food stocks was always up to me," Razeluxe reminisced, and the two burst into laughter.
But suddenly, Ryan's face became serious. "So anyway, brother, that kid Abel. What's your deal with him?" he asked.
"Well... I'm pretty sure you already guessed what it is," Razeluxe replied as he ate his steak.
"Then what's stopping you? If you think that kid has what it takes?" Ryan probed.
The two took a sip of their drinks from their glasses.
"Having what it takes is one thing, being able to do what it takes is another," Razeluxe remarked.
"So, what's your plan?" Ryan asked.
"Let him be for now. I'll take care of any problems should they arise. Besides, File asked us, didn't he?" Razeluxe explained.
Ryan nodded, and the two then separated after finishing their dinner.
"See you later, brother," Ryan said as they parted ways.
As the two parted ways, Razeluxe passed through a dark alley where the bodies of ten Oculi Regis knights lay.
"Well... sorry, but you have been causing too much trouble," Razeluxe murmured as he gazed at the lifeless bodies. He snapped his fingers three times. From the shadows, a group of assassins emerged.
"Spec ops, clear this," Razeluxe commanded.
The trained assassins moved efficiently, coordinating among themselves to quickly and discreetly handle the situation. They began the clean-up, ensuring that no traces of the conflict remained, a grim but necessary action to maintain secrecy and order.
Razeluxe watched for a moment, ensuring everything was proceeding as expected, before continuing on his way, disappearing back into the cityscape to deal with the next issue that awaited his attention