Chapter 15

From afar, a bitter person was seen cursing with just his expression alone.

'What's with them suddenly acting like some kind of father and son?'

Even if he wanted to, the air around the two made it impossible. Having no other choice, he waited for them to finish with a seemingly disgusted face attached onto his face.

The baron's face straightened all of a sudden. Noticing this, Jaycee instantly felt the sudden change in the mood surrounding them.

Without thinking much, Jaycee politely said, "How can we help you sir?"

Rael turned around without uttering a word. As he was taking a seat, he indifferently said, "Sit down. This may take long."

The two obediently sat down opposite to him. A maid served them tea, however; it was left untouched even after the warm tea gone cold as time passed by. The baron told them a story and the two were all ears on him. The story finished for quite some time and never did they realize that time passed by in a blink of an eye. The time in the game prolonged so as in the real world. They grinded some EXP before they logged off and retreated to sleep as the night grew deeper. It was already three in the morning yet Jaycee was still awake. The whole time, he was just staring at the dark ceiling with an aloof expression on his face.

"He's not a bad person than I initially thought," he mumbled.

Fragments of their conversation replayed in his mind.

Rael was sitting opposing to them. He looked bulky and tough but his worries and concern were barely visible on his face.

"Please, save my friend."

[ Updating the quest 'Baron Rael's Personal Request (C)' ]

[ Update Successful! ]

[ The quest 'Baron Rael's Personal Request (C)' was changed to 'The Missing Guild Master (?)' ]

[ The Missing Guild Master (?) ]

Difficulty: Unknown

Baron Rael Graciano was once a high-ranked hunter before he became part of the Afruvite nobility. In fact, Baron Rael and the Silestal Guild Master was both member of a legendary party and were closed to each other more than just members in a same group. They were in touched with each other even after their party disbanded. However, for whatever reason, the guild master disappeared and was out of contact.

Quest Clear Condition: Find the missing guild master and inform the baron the state of the guild master, dead or alive.

Quest Clear Reward: Unknown

Quest Failure Penalty: None

Denver might have spared a glance on the sudden pop up quest but not Jaycee. Although he realized it in an instant, still he didn't spare a glance on it. His eyes were totally focused on Rael, analyzing and observing each and every movements and nerve reflexes of the baron.

"Is the guild master perhaps the friend you are talking about?" Jayce bravely asked.

Rael softly nodded and replied, "Yes you are right. Felix and I came from the same party before we parted ways and did our own thing. Even after that, as we approximately lived close to each other, we sometimes catch up with anything we can possible share with and was at least staying in touch from time to time. However …"

"However?"

Rael heavily breathed before he continued and said, "However, one day, he just disappeared without a trace. He just left a note stating that he's going on a field research about the ancient glyphs he found somewhere inside the Mystic Forest."

The flashback was ended by Jaycee's heavy sigh. He began closing his eyes and started to wander in the vast darkness. Rael's worried, anxious, nervous expressions were still vivid in his mind.

"That's not a face of a bad person …" He mumbled and dozed off.

***

That same night, inside the Phantasy Realm world, within the peaceful town of Timberside that rested beside the Sea of Emergence located in the farthern west, an old man covered in dark robe, was oddly heading towards a creepy narrow alleyway. The alley was dark and cramped however what even made it more frightening was the fact that, that alley was also known as the dwelling of immense hostility and malice. An alley where criminals indicted with inhumane and heavy charges lives. That old man bravely headed inside like a kid on a stroll in an amusement park. He kept on moving without any awareness of such dangers to come. Despite the faint silhouette of human shadows slowly creeping in around him, he was totally unfazed about it and just kept on moving.

"Ah, this is getting annoying …," that old man whispered.

He momentarily stopped and just stood still in the middle of that alley. What made him stop was a dozen of mens equipped with heavy scars standing and blocking the way in front of him.

A muscular man in mohawk who appeared to be their leader stepped forward and smirked as he said, "Looks like someone was planning to end their life. I applaud you for such bravery."

The leader clapped his hands and the lackeys behind him giggled in a very unpleasant way. They shouldered their weapons and slowly moved forward. Despite their disgusting behaviors towards him, despite being surrounded, the old man remained calm and collected. Hidden behind his dark robe was faint odd smirk.

Along with their heinous smirks and grins, they proceeded in a seemingly steady yet rowdy pace. The noises of their heavy footsteps grew louder. After a while, when the moon shone its brightest, the faces of these criminals emerged in the lights. Seeing the criminals' faces, the old man's smirk disappeared in an instant.

"So it's like this …"

The criminals' eyes were glimmering in bloody red. They might appear sane but in fact, they weren't. The old man recognized this in an instant.

Whoosh!

Without any forewarning, as the sound of the wind was heard in brief second, all of the criminals in front of him had their heads cut off in a blink of an eye. It was a blood bath. Blood spurted out of their necks and it looked like it was raining. The flocks from behind enraged and rushed towards him. With their swords help up high, they shouted a battlecry as they raged forward. However,

"Aigokeros …"

A certain something came out of the old man's shadow like a passing wind. That certain something was reflected under the brightest of the moon. It was a type of bird. It was large and mightly and every flap of its wings sent a chill down to their spines.

Gwiyakk!

Along with that bird's intimidating cry, a stinging passing breeze passed by the crowd of criminals. Half of them passed out in a blink of an eye while the rest remained their footing though their confidence wasn't that great as before. Some of them tried to escape but ended up being killed by that old man's bird. That bird glided glamorously as if it was dancing in the air. Its wings sharply severed the escaping criminals into half with no one to be spared. In the end, only one random guy remained standing among the enormous number of corpses. He was shivering in fear, traumatized and was unable to speak a gasp.

"Ohho?"

That old man approached that remaining guy and stared at him with a smirk on his face.

"It seems like this guy finally regained his sanity back."

That old man grasped that man's head with brute force out of the blue.

With a scowl, he said, "Sleep for now."

That man flopped onto the floor with his eyes all white. The old man dusted his hands and the eagle slowly descended from the sky. As it descended from the sky, it began to transform from foot to head. His heels landed first onto the ground and the tail of his black swallow-tail coat waved in a majestic form. A handsome lad with a face of those normal highschoolers was the human form of that old man's eagle named 'Aigokeros'. Glossy dark hair similar to his black feathers in his true form, narrowed apathetic eyes as keen as a terrifying predator and a well-mannered looking guy with an average body type dressed in a butler suit. Despite his apathetic looking face, an opportunist character dwells within him.

Aigokeros unsympathetically glanced at the headless corpses behind the old man and indifferently said, "Master, should I summon the rest of the celestial servants?"

"Do not disturb them and let them wander. They are not like you. Nevertheless, we can't summon the rest of them even if we wanted to. If we don't want the attention of that traitor, it's best to proceed with our plans discreetly as possible."

They resumed their way soon after as if nothing happened. Minutes of walking and they reached a dead end. However, no one but only them knew what secret that dead end has. Standing in front of the tall wall, a door gradually appeared in plain sight. It was veiled with a high class magic wherein only some potential mages can break through that seal. The old man didn't enter for quite a while even after opening the door with his own hand. He was just standing still in front of the opened door without uttering a single sigh.

"Aigokeros …"

Aigokeros was behind the old man's back. Without any hints of happening, Aigokeros replied, "Is there anything wrong, master?"

That old man turned his head around and slowly unveiled his dark robe. The image of the old man's face slowly faded into dust and the appearance of a young lady with bright crimson red hair and bloody red pair of sharp eyes faced the oblivious Aigokeros. It turned out that the old man was only a disguise to camouflage the young lady's true appearance.

That young lady lightly smiled and asked, "Who am I again?"

Aigokeros replied indifferently, "You are my master, the God of Magic, Albus herself."

"And who are you?"

"I am the Capricorn, Aigokeros, number two in rank among the twelve Celestial Servants who pledged his eternal loyalty towards you, my master."

That young lady, who appeared to be the God of Magic, Albus, looked at Aigokeros with a heavily serious expression, "Right, I am your master and you are my servant."

"…"

Albus turned her head in front and said, "Aigokeros the Capricorn, one of my twelve Celestial Servants, you have already proven your worth and unyielding loyalty by serving me, staying by my side even after I commanded you twelve to escape from that traitors betrayal that led to the destruction of the Divinity Realm."

Aigokeros felt the heaviness of his master's words. It was the first time he wavered from her master's words after a very long time.

"Master … are you perh-," he was cut off.

"Aigokeros, from now on, I transfer the ownership of all of my possessions to my only successor. Protect him at all cost."

Aigokeros might not see her master's expression, but Albus was expressing extreme furiosity as it was clearly seen from her face.

With anger in her voice, she said, "Athea, that traitor, I'll fucking kill her this time."