Ch. 53 'The Bait'

"Alright. Back to our mission. Let's go get ready." Kazuto spoke to lighten up the mood, "Niken, don't worry about it. What matters is you are not alone. You still have your brother, right?"

Niken smiled sweetly at him. She realized Kazuto tried to brighten her.

Ah, Kazuto is really kind-hearted. Why did people prejudice about him? Niken couldn't help but wonder.

"So, Shin Ha. You will bind our target with your water-chains. Good luck."

Shin Ha just nodded his head. "Then who will be the bait? Surely there must be something that catches our target's attention, right?"

"Then let me do it," Niken blurted eagerly while Kazuto did not like the idea. "I can't help you with my strength, so I think I can help you as bait."

"I won't allow it," Kazuto said firmly and did not want to be denied. "I'll be the bait."

Shin Ha coughed at the last sentence of his best friend. Kazuto can't possibly be a bait. As soon as the lion noticed Kazuto's presence, the lion would run away, avoiding Kazuto instead of chasing him.

Did his friend become idiot instantly? How could he forget his background? He is from wolf clan for god's sake!

Shin Ha patted Kazuto's shoulder lightly. "You know very well that you can't be the bait."

"Why?" Karyn asked curiously.

"He's from the wolf clan. Even before the lion glanced at him, it would run away for sure once it felt his wolf energy."

Plus, Kazuto was the Knight of the Beast. All the beasts in the world will bow down to the black knight.

"That's why I'm the most suitable ..."

"No. I will never let you do it." Cut Kazuto. "We should postpone it. Shin Ha, find the fifth member to be a bait."

"Hah?"

"Hah?"

Both Karyn and Shin Ha were very confused upon hearing the remark. On the contrary, Niken sighed disappointingly.

She wondered why Kazuto insisted not allowing her to be bait?

Of course, it was because Kazuto did not want to let Niken be in any dangerous situation. If only Niken knew the real reason, she would be the happiest girl in the world instead of full of disappointment and confusion.

In the end, Kazuto's group only hunted a few rabbits without hurting them. They caged the rabbits to show them to the mentor that day.

After that, they let go the rabbits ran along freely.

"Finally, it's over." Karyn rejoiced in relief. "I want to go home to take a shower and go to sleep."

"So true." Shin Ha said in agreement. "But before we go home, how about we eat together to celebrate?"

Shin Ha said it purposely as he knew Kazuto still wanted to stay with his inamorata for a while longer.

Karyn felt Niken held her hand with puppy eyes. She knew the instant. Niken wanted to join them.

Ah, but she felt so tired. She wanted to go home; she felt itchy and sticky. She really wanted to soak in hot water.

But she didn't want to see Niken sad either. She didn't know why, but she felt this urge wishing to protect the girl's smile. She wanted to give her support and comfort.

"Alright. Let's go then."

Niken squeaked happily and whispered a 'thanks' to her making Karyn smiled in contentment.

Then the four of them entered a restaurant and sat by the window. They chatted happily with each other.

"Did you know?"

Kazuto's ears caught a conversation from one of the visitors there.

"There were two bodies of women found on the roadside this morning."

"I have heard. They were sisters from an unknown background. Poor them."

"This is very weird, you know. Previous abductees were girls who were nineteen to twenty years old. But it seems like girls with criteria beyond that age would get killed too."

"How terrible. What is the purpose of the killer killing those young girls?"

"How could I know? The hakim sent the mission to Elementalist to investigate it."

"I hope they could catch the culprit soon. I have to take good care of my daughter."

"That's right. We must be more vigilant and protect our families. I must keep reminding my daughter to go home not later than eight."

"Yeah, me too."

Hearing this convo making Kazuto was pensive.

Lately, he did get news of the disappearance of some girls aged around nineteen to twenty years. He got the mission from higher-ups to investigate it last week.

He would accept the mission willingly if only he hadn't found his inamorata. From then on, his inamorata being was his top priority. But he never thought the case was rather getting worse.

"By the way, do you know the siblings?"

"Yes, I know them. The older sister was Xiao Lin, and the younger sister was Xiao Xiao. It was deplorable for them."

Kazuto's heart seemed to jump off its place, hearing one of the names.

Xiao Xiao? Wasn't she the girl who told Niken about the Nishian Kingdom? Wasn't she a time-controller just like Niken?