Chapter 27 : Helping Others

Due to the fact that much of the information had already been disclosed, the meeting only lasted 30 minutes. Aaron was unsure of his exact task and was tempted to leave, but he stayed in the room.

However, Rodney walked over to him and made small talk.

Aaron thought Rodney was a respectable leader for the association despite the fact that he seemed severe and was challenging to get along with. Rodney advised Aaron not to overthink the impending endeavor and to rely on his own skills during their brief discussion about it. Rodney gave one last reminder before they parted ways.

"I understand that you are new to this, but I truly hope you can support others with their tasks. Remember, you can always trust me. I have previously worked with Garry, and I will do my utmost to protect your secrets," he assured Aaron.

As everyone began to exit the room, Aaron noticed Natalia walking away without informing him, prompting him to hasten after her. To his surprise, he found Natalia engaged in a heated argument with another individual.

Curiosity piqued, Aaron positioned himself behind them to eavesdrop on their conversation. The man turned out to be Keith Blake, a member of the Special Forces dispatched by the royal army to assist Natalia and himself.

"If only the association knew how to carry out their responsibilities properly, the safety of the Capital wouldn't be compromised! What's the point of having you guys here if you can't even handle such a simple task? He should have been escorted by more people!" Keith exclaimed, his tone laced with plain yet condescending remarks.

Natalia, not one to back down, retorted sarcastically.

"You know nothing about us. While you luxuriously basked within the Capital, discussing how we should do our job properly, we were out there tirelessly protecting the country. So spare us your lectures on incompetence."

Aaron, unfazed by their argument, decided to intervene and bring some calm to the situation.

"Excuse me, but could you please let me know where we are heading?" he calmly asked, attempting to redirect their attention.

"You, newbie. Just shut up! Don't interrupt us," Keith and Natalia retorted simultaneously.

Remaining composed, Aaron chose to disregard their squabbling and focused on his phone instead. He played around with it, intentionally ignoring their childish behavior. He also felt a tinge of sympathy for the driver, who, like him, found himself caught up in their tumultuous exchange.

After half an hour of driving, the vehicle came to a halt outside a massive building resembling a warehouse. It gave off an eerie vibe, reminiscent of bankrupt or illicit courier companies.

Upon reviewing the surveillance footage, the association discovered numerous unregistered and tinted transport vehicles entering and remaining at the location. None of them displayed license plates, and they appeared unrelated to the company registered for the warehouse.

"Alright, listen up. We're going to raid this place to gather clues about them. I will take the lead and swiftly handle the situation. You two can stay back and use this opportunity to learn a thing or two from us 'professionals,'" Keith condescendingly ordered Natalia and Aaron.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO ORDER ME AROUND, YOU ROYAL LAP DOG? I'M GOING IN TOO SO THAT YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING!" Natalia angrily retorted, her temper flaring.

Aaron, however, remained calm and aloof, as he had little investment in their dispute. He also observed that Keith possessed a rare-grade artifact, the Sword of Light.

[Sword Of Light (Rare) - A limited and lower edition of the original Sword of Light. Enhances the user's swordsmanship and physical prowess. Crafted from metal blessed by the God of Light, the sword itself is incredibly sharp and sturdy. It has the ability to emit light and create protective barriers. Bonded to Keith Blake]

A few minutes passed, and they made the decision to enter the warehouse together to investigate. Meanwhile, the driver remained hidden inside the vehicle, discreetly observing their surroundings. Aaron accepted the task of keeping an eye on the area while they went inside.

As they approached the entrance of the warehouse, Aaron and the driver watched them proceed cautiously. Aaron was about to immerse himself in his phone when the silent driver from the Royal Army spoke to him unexpectedly.

"I've heard about your role in protecting Princess Clarissa. Thank you for your service," the driver said with gratitude.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing much. I'm just doing my job," Aaron replied modestly.

Their conversation continued, and Aaron learned that Ricky Levett, the driver, was also new to the Royal Army. He had previously served the country before settling down in the Capital after getting married. Ricky introduced himself further.

"I'm Ricky Levett. Nice to meet you. I must say, it's refreshing to see a 5-star mercenary as humble and composed as yourself," Ricky remarked.

"Hello, Ricky. You can call me Aaron or Steven, as per the association's name. It's a pleasure to work with you," Aaron responded, extending his hand for a handshake.

They continued their conversation for a while until suddenly, the walkie-talkie inside the vehicle started making urgent noises.

"Emergency! This is a trap. Requesting backup!" It was Keith's voice, sounding distressed. Shortly after, Natalia's voice came through the walkie-talkie, also requesting help.

Ricky immediately responded by contacting the association and the Royal Army, alerting them to the situation. He relayed the distress calls he had heard.

"Ricky, I'm going inside. Take care of yourself. If you notice any suspicious or threatening movements, just run," Aaron calmly instructed before stepping out of the vehicle.

Aaron immediately activated his magical tracking watch to locate Natalia, as it was his assigned task to protect her during the mission. Sensing her presence, he wasted no time and rushed towards her. Instead of using the main entrance, he opted for a quicker route, making his way to the back side of the building.

With a mighty swing of his hammer, he shattered the wall, revealing a room filled with individuals dressed in attire resembling the Diabolic Dominion he had encountered before. Some of them were lying on the ground, defeated.

Relieved to see Natalia still standing, although visibly injured and pale, Aaron's attention was drawn to the floating bloody daggers within the room. It seemed that she had encountered difficulties dealing with them.

"I suppose she had trouble handling those daggers," Aaron pondered, assessing the situation.

However, his observation was cut short when one of the assailants shouted.

"WHO THE F*CK ARE YOU!?? GET HIM NOW!!"

Around ten daggers quickly moved towards Aaron's location as he entered through the broken wall. Without hesitation, Aaron rushed towards them, wielding his hammer and smashing the daggers into pieces.

Each dagger shattered and disappeared after being destroyed, leaving Aaron to swiftly avoid the pursuing attackers. His main focus was to eliminate as many daggers as possible to create an opportunity for Natalia to escape.

"STOP HIM! Don't let him destroy our daggers!"

Suddenly, some of the remaining daggers retracted back to their owners. The assailants were astounded by Aaron's ability to neutralize their artifacts.

"We need to retreat and seek assistance from the emissary!" shouted the same person who had given orders earlier.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Aaron swiftly incapacitated numerous attackers, rendering them unconscious and sprawled on the floor. Over twenty individuals from the opposing side were now subdued.

Natalia watched the entire scene unfold with a mix of shock and awe, slowly realizing that Aaron was now approaching her.

"I am fine... Thank you. How did you do that?" Natalia asked, her voice filled with curiosity as she wrapped herself with bandages to tend to her wounds.

"Well, I thought Brian already mentioned me, right? It's fine. I will handle them. You should leave and take care of yourself first. I need to locate Keith as soon as possible," Aaron replied softly, his concern evident in his voice. He then used his watch to identify Keith's location.

To his relief, Keith wasn't far away. However, the needle on his watch moved in an unusual manner, indicating the presence of underground tunnels. Aaron realized that the enemy had been hiding their numbers underground, explaining why they couldn't see them openly.

"No wonder we couldn't spot their numbers.," Aaron thought as he entered one of the underground tunnels.

On his way to Keith's location, Aaron swiftly incapacitated every enemy he encountered, thankful that he faced no significant resistance thus far. After several minutes of running, he came to a halt when he spotted Keith enveloped in a collapsing barrier of light.

To his surprise, the emissary he had previously captured was standing before him, accompanied by three others.

Using his enhanced perception, Aaron could discern countless invisible red threads with his left eye, indicating the intricate control wielded by the emissary.

"Yo we meet again! How are you doing eh?" said Aaron calmly toward them.