Friend

The sun had started to dip to the edge of the west, painting the skies in beautiful red and orange shades. Emery stood in front of the massive gates leading to the Quintin Family Estate and peered inside from in-between the gaps.

He saw that a crowd had gathered, each carrying torches, while shouting in contempt. It appeared they did not come as guests.

Emery decided to use his [Hide in Shadows] spell and walked closer. He took each step carefully, ensuring the grass did not seem disturbed as he walked.

Luna Quintin, the beautiful woman with curly blonde hair, stood in front of the enraged crowd. Next to her, Kastan stood still, his stance vigilant and his face devoid of expression.

As usual, each word from the woman dripped charm and charisma. She commanded attention with her every gesture.

Beyond that superficial charm, however, Emery could see she had somehow fallen into a predicament.

"We are the Quintins and our oath will never allow us to break our word. I assure you, all losses you have suffered will be paid in full. As stated by the contract, you will have your money returned by the end of this week."

Some of the crowd walked leisurely out of the estate, each grinning with satisfaction. Others stayed still in need of assurance.

Luna did not seem to be dejected or angry, she merely attended and listened to the crowd's plight. With time, the crowd fully dispersed, each accepting Luna's words.

After the crowd was finally gone, Emery emerged from the darkness concealing his form.

The sudden appearance of someone at night made the guards stand ready, their hands holding the handle of the swords nested in their scabbards. Kastan narrowed his eyes and prepared to strike.

Emery walked closer, allowing his face to be illuminated under the light of the torches.

"Master Merlin, it's you." Kastan greeted.

Hearing Merlin's name, Luna smiled in excitement, approached him with joyful steps and said.

"Merlin, finally you have returned."

"Hi, Luna. It's nice to see you again, too." Emery replied.

"Come… Come inside, Master Merlin. Let us have dinner together."

Luna escorted Emery to the luxurious dining room with the long table and ordered one of her servants to fetch some food for them. They returned with trays of meat and vegetables, each with their own divine aroma blending together.

Even though they had interacted a few times, the way Luna treated him still felt unusual.

They sat across each other and Emery diffused the silence by asking.

"How is your father, Luna? Is he getting better?"

"Yes, he is, Merlin. Thank you for asking. He returned back to health thanks to your help. We will always be indebted to you." Luna said solemnly.

In response, Emery gave her a slight frown.

"Luna, Not everything has to be considered a debt… I thought we were friends already."

"Ah, right…" Luna looked away from him. "I am sorry, Merlin… Yes, you are right, we are friends, but…" Luna looked back at him and gave him a wide, teasing smile. "As a friend, it seems I know nothing about you, Merlin. You really are an enigma."

Emery calmly replied, "Well… What do you want to know?". Emery took a bite of roasted meat and bit a little piece.

Hearing Emery's response, Luna got excited.

"Ok… From the way you carry yourself and your actions. I know you must be a noble, or at least related to one. However, no matter how many times I checked your name, there is no noble with the name 'Merlin' in the Lioness Kingdom."

Emery took another bite of his food and said. "Maybe I am a noble from another kingdom… Have you considered that?"

"Really?" Luna stared at him in curiosity. "Are you…?"

Emery stared at her for a moment and shook his head. "No. I am a Lioness citizen indeed."

Emery seemed less worried about showing his identity than before… he had no idea why, but since his return to Earth, he felt more confident than before.

Perhaps, seeing things like battles between powerful magus, a dragon half-blood fighter and a battlestar-class ship being blown to pieces made him less afraid of the current world he's facing now.

But he still wasn't ready to reveal everything about himself to the woman in front of him. The woman he considered as a 'friend'.

"That's it? No explanation?… Merlin, are you trying to be mysterious?"

Emery only gave a toothy grin as his answer and continued eating.

"Hahaha, I can understand. Then, I won't pry again" Luna smiled.

"Thank you, Luna." Emery replied and returned the smile.

Luna called for a servant to pour some wine in her glass, stared at the sloshing purple liquid for a bit and took a sip before asking.

"So, Merlin… What brings you here? Let me guess... Does this have anything to do with the death of Sir Bagdemagus?"

Hearing her word, Emery placed his cutlery on the table and replied.

"Yes, in fact, it is. Please, tell me what you know about it." Emery said.

"The rumor spread was that the knight Anvil was killed by the remnants of the Crimson Fang marauders, but from my sources, I knew the old knight was killed by what appeared to be a wild animal. However, what was strange was the lack of investigation being carried afterward. The death of such an important figure quieted down in just a few weeks, with no visible effort being made in the investigation… Isn't it strange?"

Emery agreed, it was strange. Sir Keane had escaped, the people behind the old knight would also have known Emery's involvement with his death… The more he thought about it, the more he believed they already knew about him, so there was neither need for investigation nor the need to make big news out of it. The people responsible must be planning something for him

"So, does anyone know who killed him? Any suspects?" Emery asked.

Luna shook her head. "No, the investigation was closed already and the official sources say his death was caused by a wild animal, but…" Luna grinned again. "Though I have no proof, I personally think…. it was you Merlin… you were the one who killed him, didn't you, Merlin?"

Emery returned the grin with a mischievous smile on his own.

"What if I say I did?"