Chapter 6

"So city lord, I mean guild master is sending the Cardinals to help?" Silver asked.

"Yes, one main cardinal and two sub-cardinal hunters have been sent to Zeniel to help. You two will be the one to help Demiga."

"In this way, we won't loose our hunters," Taeyang said.

"If the situation get too out of hand, we can escape, normal hunters can't," Silver said.

"That's the guild master's plan," Gwen confirmed their thoughts.

"It's annoying that we can not refuse to help," Taeyang sighed.

"Part of the reason our city is independent is because of the support we got from them. With our strength alone, Ephit wouldn't have allowed it," Silver said. Ruo Xi felt out of place listening to them. However, she couldn't find a reason to excuse herself and watched them quietly as Silver asked. "When do we set out?"

"Guild master said tomorrow. He wants Taeyang to rest, after all he went on a mission immediately e got back from one," Gwen replied.

"I wish I could rest for two days."

"I have to go now, see you sirs later," Gwen smiled and turned to leave. Right now the tavern was nearly empty. Only they and a few sleeping were remaining.

"Alright, later," Silver said.

"Bye." Taeyang watched Gwen leave and yawned. "I need to get some sleep."

"Will you go to your place or use the room here?"

"Hmm, my place. I need to go somewhere first."

"Alright."

"Here you go," Taeyang tossed Ruo Xi the bag he had collected from Gwen.

"What's this for?" Ruo Xi quickly asked after she caught it.

"That's your payment," Silver replied as Taeyang got up.

"What? This is a lot!" Ruo Xi shook the bag gently. The sound of metals clanging was loud for her to hear. "I didn't do anything, I can't accept this. You…"

"I assure you, you did plenty," Silver cuts in. "Perhaps she should be the one serving you from now on?" He turns to Taeyang while asking.

Ruo Xi felt a chill run down her spine and then up her spine. Numerous gazes filled fell on her the moment Silver said that. Each of them had something similar, they were all death glare.

Silver placed his hand on her shoulder and immediately the death glares she felt disappearing. "Stop being jealous of the newbie, you all had a chance. It's her luck that she's able to help him."

She could hear murmurings but couldn't make out what was being said. The words were entering her ears and she couldn't comprehend.

"Yeah, whatever, in that case Taeyang while don't you hire her as a maid?"

"Huh?" Taeyang tilts his head. "There's no need for that. They don't mean what they said."

"You know my workers better than I do?"

"Well, no but they don't think they will do something like that, right?" Taeyang turns to the bartenders and waiters who went about their business. "You guys won't, right?"

None of them replied him and Taeyang broke into cold sweat. "Seriously, you guys would?"

"You don't know them. Ruo Xi take the day off, starting tomorrow you are working for him," Silver said.

Ruo Xi who was still wondering what the waiters had said, was taken aback. "Sorry?"

"Take the day off today. I'm sure what you earned today is worth way more that your salary."

"No, I will be working for…"

"For him. If you like your life you wouldn't reject it. They wouldn't dare harm anything that belong to him," Silver sighed. "I'm stronger than this bastard, yet they fear him more than me."

Taeyang smiled wryly at Silver's words. He wanted to say something but someone burst into the tavern. Causing the heavy doors to swing open as if it was paper.

"The guild master is summoning all available cardinals immediately to the southern gate!"

The perpetrator, a young man yelled with heaving chest. It seemed he had ran over here as fast as he could.

"What's the status?" Silver asked.

"Imperial soldiers, about twenty of them."

"Let's go Taeyang."

Taeyang nods but turns to Ruo Xi. "She works for me now." He didn't wait for a reply, he and Silver shot out of the tavern. Silver had grabbed the young man, so he wasn't sent flying.

The duo ran side by side as fast as they could. In no time they arrived at the southern gate. They stopped after going through the gate.

They met four people out. A man with an average build stood before the others. He turned to look at the duo that just arrived, however his facial features was distorted. It was like a veil covered his face and prevented others from seeing it.

"Guild master," the duo greeted.

He nods at them without saying a word before turning back. The three behind were a man, a woman and someone whose gender couldn't be determine. Like Taeyang the man had white hair. He wore a tiger mask over his face, a loose orange shirt and black pants and hand two swords hung on his back.

The lady to his right had a black colored hair that was tied to a bun. She too had a mask on her face. It was plain white and matched her white dress. She yawned while staring at the people on horses approaching.

The person to the man's left was fully coated in a black hood and had a wolf's mask on their face. Not a single feature or body part could be seen. The person graciously hovered above the ground.

Taeyang looked at those incoming and sighed. There was a time these soldiers revered, however, that time had long gone. "Where's vice guild master?"

"He is on a mission."

With a melodic voice the plain mask woman replied. "West is also on a mission. He went alongside Nw and Sw."

"Thanks East, it's good to see you again," Taeyang said. "South, you are wasting mana." He said to the individual in a wolf's mask.

"I don't think that concerns you, S-e," the man in a tiger mask said.

"North, we may or may not have to fight with those twenty individuals running over and we aren't complete. I think it concerns me if one of us is wasting mana."

"Why are you bothered by the little things? The man used to float is negligible," North retorted.

"In both a prolonged fight and one against many enemies, every ounce of mana matters. We both know this will be both."

The guide master placed his hands behind his back. At his action, everyone straightened up. "I plan involving the hunters if we end up fighting with them. What are your thoughts?" he asked.

"Many will die, but no objection," North said.

"No objection," South said an stopped floating.

"No objection," East replied.

"No objection," Silver voiced.

"Calling the hunters out will let them know we aren't complete. No objections though," Taeyang said.

The guild master nods and opens his mouth. "Visitors, please do not continue further for both our safety."

At his words the ground shook violently. A two feet wall rose up some distance before the horse riders and they came to stop.

The wall returned to the ground and the guild master asked. "To what do we owe this blue moon's visit?" His eyes that were fixed on the riders did not waver for a second.

The twenty riders looked at them with a nonchalant expression on their faces. They were all dressed (I'll come back here). Each emitted an aura that brought fear to the hearts of men. These were the imperial soldiers, the strongest soldiers of the Ephit kingdom.

Taeyang and East yawned, North tilted his head and South started floating again. Silver exhaled and watched the guild master.

"I am Galot Galton, I have come to inform you and the hunters to prepare yourself. The beast men of Noddoz have began stirring trouble at the boarders, there may be a war soon," the man in the lead said. He had an orange colored spiky hair that made him look crude.

"The war of the Ephit kingdom does not concern my city," the guild master replied.

"It does. As much as your city is an independent one, it is still an unofficial city of Ephit. Besides, do you think the beast men will care about that? Only human kingdoms will acknowledge that."

The guild master nodded. "I'll ready my hunters, however, we would only act as support for the war."

"I'll relay your message to the sword saint."

"I am sure that alone is not the reason for twenty of you here."

"On the orders of the sword saint himself, we are here to search your city for an executive of the dark moon, who escaped…"

"And what if I refuse to let you in." The guild master raised his brows.

"It is an order from the sword saint, you may not know, the current king have stepped down and the royal selection is about to begin. As of now, the sword saint is in charge of the imperial soldiers, meaning his words…"

"Is an imperial order," the guild master interrupts with a sigh.

"You and I know the meaning of that."

"You will fulfill that order even if it cost you all your lives." The guild master sighs. "Do you have a way to trace the person you seek?"

"Three of my men can by sensing their mana."

"I'll gather my citizens to the city square. You and those three will go in, the rest will remain on the city walls. Until you confirm they are the one you seek, you are not allowed to lay a finger on any of my citizens."

"Understood."

"East summon everyone, Northeast help her out."

"Yea sir!" East and Silver replied. Bright light appeared around as she urged her mana while he ran into the city.

"I'll go help too," Taeyang said.

The guild master looked at him for a smile before nodding. Taeyang shot into the city at a terrifying speed. And while Silver rushed from street to street shouting, Taeyang rushed to the tavern.

"Where is Ruo Xi?" he asked as soon as he entered the tavern.