Conspiracy

Ultimately, Garett avoided the topic. If he were to explain how he was able to beat four armed men and even survived a shot from a revolver, he was sure to be put into scrutiny! Even if he didn't do anything wrong, just the existence of his powers was already enough to be suspected as a spy!

"It's good that I'm the one investigating myself, this way, I'll be able to avoid the investigation, and find a way to keep myself off the hook." He finally had arrived home, the tension that was pressing on his shoulders diminishing greatly.

Entering his apartment, just as Garett was about to stumble on the couch for a well-deserved rest, he immediately felt something amiss. Taking a cursory glance throughout the room, he immediately discovered where this sensation steemed from.

Someone had ransacked his house! Although he did make an enemy of those drunk thugs, it wasn't to this point! And he even doubted they were capable enough to discover where he lived.

Maybe the executors are still investigating me? No, Father Charles said I'm under the jurisdiction of the hunters, and they have no reason to investigate me... Garett tried to remain calm, his thoughts racing all over the place.

He was very worried that this could be related to the days he couldn't remember. Unsure of what happened during those days, he could only speculate, and everything should be related to the underground ruins and the old book hidden under Professor's Mirth's house!

"What should I do? Maybe look for the church's protection?"

Wait! Is it possible that they're still here!?... As the sudden possibility crossed his thoughts, he felt chills crawling up his back; his nerves taut with apprehension.

His body froze, he couldn't decide if he should advance or retreat; every cell in his body screamed in contradiction. Those people could be watching his every movement now!

Sweat started to coat his skin as he reached his hands to his pocket; starting to materialize a knife, he readied his body to action.

I should retreat. Alice should still be at the inn, so I can reach her in five minutes if I run... Garett inwardly convinced himself, and he suddenly controlled the materialized knife to fly and pierce the corridor's window!

He took advantage of the noise; His every step measured as he instinctively threw his body backward, and ran to the open streets!

The noise should've alarmed the neighbors, that should buy me time... He put the hastily formed plan into motion. He clearly heard the sound of rapid footsteps while his body shot backward, his assumptions proving true!

Assuming that the ransacker would first inspect the broken window, he made use of a blind spot and ran towards the back alley. Every step of his measured, controlling the weight of his sore body to minimize the noise he emitted.

If this guy is related to Professor Mirth, he could very well be a Marked, and a ritual bestowed one at that! I can't afford the risk of taking him in alone, who knows what kind of weird power he could have... Garett felt tired. In a few short days, his life turned upside down! A little over a week ago, he was a common scholar recently admitted at the College of Irmwrynn, and now... now he was a Marked currently running for his dear life!

"The college! Are they involved in this?" Garett felt a conspiracy brewing.

The college was the only neutral institution in the kingdom, not answering to neither the churches nor to the royals. How could an organization like this remain afloat while keeping its influence in a world of Marked? It surely had its own means of asserting power!

Professor Mirth Lumens was a renowned Doctor and philanthropist, his core allegiance being to the College of Irmwrynn! He might have kept some secrets to the organization, and the book should be the one of, if not the most important one!

Therefore, Garett believed to be embroiled in a situation where he was used as a pawn! Everything, starting with the day he was accepted at the institution, was somehow connected to the scholars. The only thing was that they hadn't foreseen the Starfire! With it destroying the Professor's house and making it possible to enter the underground ruins, he had been the one to profit from their plot!

It sounds a lot like infighting, was there a conflict between factions? Wait! The Executors and Father Charles should already be aware of the scholar's intentions, and they just chose not to tell me... Piece by piece, the puzzle was being completed in Garett's mind, even if it left more questions than answers.

"I'm being used as bait!" A sudden realization dawned on him, and indignance started to take root inside his heart.

Everything pointed to the churches using him to catch the scholars; this way, they could gain leverage on the neutral organization and tip the scales of power!

Nonetheless, he still ran towards Alice. If even a few alcoholics could attack him and the hunters weren't sure of what really transpired, he might have been wrong on his assumption of being used as bait.

Or maybe I'm right, just that the one monitoring me is Alice, and she is too occupied with drinking... Garett inwardly lampooned, feeling that it was a highly likely development.

After a few minutes of constant running, his already sore body was at its limit. Fortunately, he had finally arrived at the pub Alice liked to frequent, the shouts of drunk people and merry laugher a great contrast with Garett's mood.

He didn't even need to enter the building, as he could already see Alice occupying an outside table. Accompanying her were a few other customers, he could vaguely remember them from the day before.

"A-Alice..." He panted, his mouth barely enunciating the words as he felt his dry lips cracking. Only now did he realize how exhausted he was.

"Garett! Have you reconsidered about joining me today? Big sister will take good care of you! Come her-" She stopped, having started to drink just a few minutes ago, she was still very sober.

She quickly noticed Garett's pale expression and frail looks. He looked a thousand times worse than when he left the training grounds! It was very unlikely that he came here just because he reconsidered her offer.

"What happened?" Her voice instantly turned serious as every hint of intoxication left her body.

...

After reuniting with Alice, Garett felt that he could finally relax. Even if he questioned the hunter's true motives, he still believed none of them would harm him for now!

Alice is a very carefree person as well, and I doubt she is involved in this whole mess. At most, she should've been asked to monitor me... Garett assumed, his guard dropping while the feelings of tiredness flooded his being.

He told her of everything that transpired in his house, and subtly told her some of his minor conjectures about the assailant's origins.

"That's what happened... then I threw a small rock at the opposite window and used the opportunity to come here. I don't know if the ransacker followed me or not, but I ascertained his presence," Garett finished as he drew the last gulp on a glass of water. He made sure of not drinking any alcohol, as it could affect his chances of survival if something happened that night.

"I'm glad you are okay, Garett." She looked him in the eyes, her face portraying a bit of guilt as she searched for words to respond, but that tiny change hadn't gone unnoticed by Garett.

So you were really the one that should've been monitoring me! I guess that's for the best... He concluded, Alice was a better choice than any of the other hunters. If one of the others was responsible for monitoring him, it was very likely that some of his secrets would have already been discovered.

"The protocol says we should follow up on the assailant immediately, but I can see you're in no condition to do that. And I really doubt he'd still be around, as he should have left by now." She muttered while hitting the table with her fingers, the sound almost inaudible amidst the shouts from those drinking in the establishment. "I can't leave you alone as well, as that would expose you to whoever is responsible again. So I suggest you sleep here at the inn today."

"O-Okay..." Garett didn't even have the strength to bother with the cost, his eyes almost closing as he replied limply.

"You don't need to worry, as I'll personally lead an investigation on whoever intruded your home." She spoke while punching the table in a strange enthusiasm; evidently, she was feeling guilty about the things that happened to him under her watch.

I don't think it'll be as simple as that, I've already explained to you what I think about the situation... Garett thought with little strength to argue, he doubted the church's interest in solving the situation.

He estimated that the church would prefer to have him continue as bait than to expend the manpower to solve the situation, and he was just a normal recruit in their eyes after all.

This also meant that, as long as he continued to endure, he would still be monitored day and night by the church. And this time, they would not let Alice continue to indulge herself with drinking while on duty, so they would probably send someone more rigorous.

I'll have to think of a way to end this situation quickly; otherwise, things can get troublesome... He could barely reason anymore, as he felt his eyelids getting heavy as if someone had dropped a cart of sand on it.

"I-I'm sorry Alice, but I really need to sleep... These last few days were... Troubling, to say the least." He bid a simple farewell as he limped his way through to the innkeeper and requested a room.

The rooms were not very clean, and he found them to be expensive for ten cruises a night, which was almost a week of income to an ordinary salaryman! Luckily for him, the costs would be paid by the hunters' team, and he could save on his expending.

"I don't know if I will be able to sleep well here..." The bed wasn't comfortable, and his mind was still alert, as he thought about the possibility of being tracked to this inn and attacked even with Alice outside.

"She was feeling very guilty, so I doubt she'll continue drinking tonight. I don't know when I'll be able to enjoy the protection of such a powerful bodyguard again, so maybe I should just calm down." At that moment, the room's door started to open, and Garretts nerves instantly tightened.

His nerves only relaxed after seeing that it was Alice entering the room before dropping on a chair to the side.

"Don't bother with me. The rooms are too expensive, and it will be discounted from my payment... And I'll need to protect you during the night anyway, so I thought of sleeping on the room's carpet." She spoked while not feeling bashful at all, as if it was the only proper alternative.

Garett's lips twitched, that one was destined to be a difficult night...