The Crown

Ender was in the cafe in the town square, watching the two-story guild building between a blacksmith and a merchant. His hands and face were covered with tattoos, his blonde hair was too short for anyone to catch in a fight. There was a cup of coffee on the table.

''Have you dyed your hair?'' another man asked, entering the cafe's garden and sitting at his table before any greetings.

''Long story,'' Ender said, ''I want you to find out where the teleporter on the minus second floor of this building is used to go. Not the one for inanimate beings, but the other.'' Steam was coming out of his mouth as he talked. The weather was too cold to stay in the garden, but Ender wanted to watch those who entered and exited the guild.

The other man raised his eyebrows, ''Is there such a thing in this town?'' His skin was a sickly pale from not being under the sunlight. He wore a dark green coat for protection from the cold, and his hair was black in contrast to his skin.

He took a bottle of liquid silver from his backpack and poured it on the table. The liquid silver took a circular shape and a screen similar to the system window appeared on the silver mirror. ''You are right. There are indeed teleport devices,'' He said.

''Of course, I'm right Codey. Have you ever seen me wrong?'' Ender said without taking his eyes off the guild's entrance.

Codey shrugged his shoulders, ''If you say so. You're the boss. I can find the other side of the teleporter but it will take a while. Can't we just go inside?''

Ender took a sip of his coffee, ''No. I want to see those who enter and leave the guild.''

Codey shivered with a cold blow, ''What good will this be while there is a teleporter inside?'' He said.

''I'm trying to find if anyone goes in but doesn't come out, or goes out even though I don't saw them going in,'' Ender sighed in boredom noticing that his coffee was cooled.

Codey looked at the people going in and out of the guild, ''You can't keep everybody in memory.''

Ender didn't bother himself with answering. He didn't need to convince anyone about what he could and couldn't do. Sometimes letting people look down on you was one of the best camouflages. While leaving some of his consciousness to watch the guild's entrance, he thought of his comrades.

Codey, their cracker and coder, was good at what he did. 'He followed my orders without difficulty until now and was raised by those who raised me. Unless someone else persuades him, I don't think he will stand against me,' Ender thought. 'The other three that really worries me.'

''Any progress on why the human kingdom plans to wage war on ice demons?'' Ender said.

Codey spoke with shaking cold, ''Not certain, but I think they found something. Some kind of treasure, in the forest. Humans discovered the treasure first, but the demons somehow managed to capture it.''

Ender nodded, he also agreed with that idea. Humans and ice demons had been fighting in the region for years, but never before had the kingdom led an action of this magnitude. ''I'm going to tell you something that I guess others didn't know about. I want it to be between us for a while, okay?''

Codey stopped to watching the silver mirror and looked at Ender, ''Sure. What's it?''

Ender sighed, of course, he couldn't have asked him to swear on his life, but for some reason, Ender couldn't trust Codey's words that come out easily. ''Ice demons are collaborating with the winter fairies. The spy was a female fairy mage, and there is one more.''

Codey frowned, ''I prevented the demonic creatures from creating the spying quest, the information given to us said so. They can't blame us, can they?''

''Don't worry. It will benefit us if they cause trouble first,'' Ender said.

''What do you intend to do?'' Codey asked in an even more nervous voice. Ender realized that the reason why he could not trust the man was his cowardice, which would be interpreted by some as cautious.

''I don't intend to do anything but execute orders,'' Ender said. He left Codey alone to do his job and focused on the guild. He saw a woman in fox fur coming out, He had seen the woman as she entering, but didn't saw her face.

Ender couldn't prevent his eyebrows from rising in surprise while looking at the woman's familiar face. She had drawn eyeliner over her deep brown eyes, but she had no make-up to prevent her from being recognized. She was smoking a kind of tobacco that looked handmade.

Ender activated one of his numerous vision abilities to see the invisible. He could now see the runes on her boots and fur, but couldn't find anything that could be used for attacking or blocking. ''Recklessness,'' He murmured as he enjoyed one of the benefits of his sight, see through the clothes. ''I've always admired fit women.''

''What?'' Codey said.

''Nothing,'' Ender stand up to chase after the woman before she disappeared from his sight. ''Let me know what you discovered later. I got an urgent job,'' He said and left the cafe.

It was clear from Codey's facial expression that he wasn't happy with the situation, but he was smart enough not to object. Ender pulled a scarf from his bended space hole and wrapped it around his neck, covering his mouth and nose so as not to inhale the smoke Sora left behind.

He followed Sora, watching her every move and facial expression carefully. She did not hesitate to turn around the corners, she seemed to be walking on a path she knew very well and used frequently. 'It's only been a few days since the wanted poster was posted, but it looks like she has been around here longer,' He muttered.

Her facial expression was changing as if she was discussing an important topic. 'Is she talking to someone?' Ender activated his skill that allowed him to sense the telepathy used around him and a device to see the communications that those around him had proved over the system, which he asked Codey to make for him. He found nothing.

Ender noticed more threatening glances and unpleasant smells as he moved forward after Sora. ''Where are you going Kleo?'' He murmured. Finally, she walked into a hostel run by prostitutes. ''...really?'' Ender entered the hostel a few seconds after her.

He followed Sora without a sound, as she climbed the stairs. He watched her as she unlocked one of the doors and stepped in without checking her back and inside before entering the room. 'She would have been more careful if she knew about the award,' Ender thought.

The door was opening inwards, Ender waited until Sora was completely inside and started closing the door. Before the door closed completely and Sora was still in front of the door, he kicked the door into the room. Guessing that the sound he heard was Sora falling to the ground, he entered.

***

''Just lavender and a few useful herbs, I won't waste the queen bee antennas until meet a dangerous situation,'' I said to the fox before I entered the hostel room.

''So what are these herbs for?'' I heard the fox asked but before I can answer, my world turned upside down. I felt a blow in my back and a second later I was falling to the ground, reflexively trying to use my hands to reduce the damage of the fall.

My efforts were useless and the world went black for a second when I hit my head on the cold ground. I felt a weight on my back, someone grabbed my hands and locked me between him and the ground in a painful angle. ''It's no use for you to scream,'' I heard a male voice.

Screaming? Who would come to my aid, Adele? I gritted my teeth, ''Who are you?''

''Take a guess.'' It was clear from his voice that the man was grinning. Trying to recall the voice's owner, I turned my face to see him better. He bent my arms more painfully, not allowing my movement.

''I don't know,'' I said.

''You're breaking my heart,'' he said in a sad voice in an artificial manner. ''I'll let you go if you promise to behave and not scream.''

''I promise,'' I said.

''Too bad I don't believe you,'' He said grinning. ''It takes longer to giving honest promises.'' The weight on my back had increased and I groaned involuntarily. ''Convince me and I will set you free.''

''I'll be a good girl, please let me go,'' I said hoping this was what he wanted.

''Good girl,'' he laughed and I felt the weight on my back is gone. As soon as I stand up, as the door was closed by the man, I took a few steps to the only other exit of the room, the window, and turned to the man.

I felt my heart sank. The friendly grinning face covered with tattoos and icy cold eyes were no stranger to me. I had done business with him before, I witnessed him go after his target to Hell and come back. My only hope was that he didn't accept a quest to hunt me down.

Keeping his grin on his face and keeping his eyes on my eyes, he bowed, making it clear that he was making fun. ''Greetings to the princess of the Coral Islands, the lady of the noble house, Kleo-''

''Don't,'' I said. I was heard of strong sorcerers who would find names spoken out loud.

Ender didn't insist, he ran his eyes on me. ''You look different.'' He examined my look as if trying to understand what was different. He tilted his head like a cat, ''What happened to your soul?''

I gulped, ''I lost it.''

He giggled like a little girl, ''Don't worry, it had happened to me once too.''

Under his gaze, I felt like a little bug a boy caught to tear his wings off. There wasn't as much pressure as Lilith's portrait, but it made me feel like a prey, not a predator. I hated this feeling.

''What are you doing here?'' I asked.

''Someone has put in a million diamond reward to bring you back alive,'' Ender said. I looked at the window stealthily, how bad would I hurt if I jumped from the third floor? He said alive, so he couldn't use all his strength on me, right?

''But I'm in this town for another mission,'' he said. I sighed in relief, I was aware he was playing with me. He was scrutinizing my face to see how I reacted to what he said. Knowing that, I took a breath to calm myself.

''I'm here to slaughter the source of information leaked to demons,'' Ender said.

I tried hard not to run towards the window. If he was aware of everything, such a game wouldn't be necessary. As long as my facial expression did not betray me I was safe.

''I think the spy has made it a habit to use potions that are produced in a certain guild, and are very popular among soldiers,'' Ender said.

''I can help you,'' I said. ''If you help me with something.''

He raised an eyebrow, ''Go on.''

''You know how those tattoos are done, right?''

''I know,'' His facial expression has not changed at all, ''But I can't do mine to anyone else. It's forbidden.''

''I don't want the same as yours,'' I said. ''I have a seal that helps the wearer in a way when applied to a piece of jewelry. I want you to turn it into a tattoo.''

''Easy. But how will I know if you can help me?'' Ender said. He changed his posture slightly, he wasn't in an aggressive pose. I guess he was trying to comfort me. It didn't work.

I thought in silence for a while. What good would hiding information about them do? ''I know two fairies who enter and exit the human town pretending to be adventurers. One is a female mage, the other is a male.''

''What else?''

I grinned, seeing that he was interested. ''The first tattoo,'' I said. It would have been much more convenient to wear the seal on my skin than a ring someone would have removed with force.

He nodded, ''Show me the seal.'' I visualized my system window for him to see, and showed the disposable seal. It was shaped like a crown.