Another Encounter

Chapter 22 Another Encounter

The sun continued to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the Azure Building's ground floor. In the background, the sound of clanging and whirring resumed as the construction crew continued their work.

Seated comfortably, Ceid and Ayda shared a moment of tranquil silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Ayda's mind was preoccupied with concern for her mother and brother, still in comas and confined to hospital beds. She also fretted over the possibility of her pursuers catching up with her, an outcome that would inevitably force her to flee once more.

Meanwhile, Ceid's curiosity about Ayda's story had been ignited by the tantalizing hints she had dropped. He longed for her to continue with her story.

However, despite his eagerness, he recognized her guarded expression and refrained from pressing further, respecting her need for privacy.

But this doesn't mean he would not speculate in his mind, though.

Previously, Ayda had recounted how the attackers had ambushed her brother and fled successfully. Yet, when he met her for the first time, she spoke of being chased and needed a place to hide.

As Ceid pondered, a scenario began to take shape in his mind.

Could Ayda have returned to the locations they had visited before? Perhaps, when she was investigating for traces of the attackers, she had accidentally uncovered some clues, pinning the suspect to the crime scene.

Did she inadvertently expose herself while searching for answers, making her a target for the attackers' pursuit?

Little did he know, the truth was far more complex.

Ayda had indeed uncovered crucial clues regarding the perpetrators behind the attack.

By following the trail hinted by the clues, she eventually found their hidden hideout, an underground base nestled deep within the mountains.

By leveraging her innate affinity with nature, she silently infiltrated the stronghold under the cover of shadows. As she reached the deepest part of the base, she overheared the organization's leader as he discussed a stolen artifact.

It became apparent that this artifact held pivotal importance within a larger scheme, entrusted to their custody until their sinister agenda unfolded.

Fueled by vengeance and determination to avert future catastrophe, Ayda acted swiftly. She eliminated the leader and seized the artifact before setting the entire base ablaze, reducing the mountain to rubble.

As a result, surviving members of the organization were now hot on her trail, this time driven by their own vengeance and the need to retrieve the lost artifact.

Despite the gravity of her actions, Ayda kept this truth buried within her, unable to divulge it for reasons known only to her.

Of course, Ayda remained oblivious to the fate of her pursuers.

She had no idea that the mysterious powerhouse of the Meza Republic had fortuitously intervened when he coincidentally encountered the pursuing squad.

The organization had long been a malignant tumor for the republic, prompting the powerhouse to take action against this threat. Thus, his unintentional intervention inadvertently helped her eliminate this potential danger.

She was also unaware that it would take a long while before the organization realized the group sent to chase her had been eliminated, prompting them to dispatch another group in their stead.

So, for a while, she would be safe without worry.

-

As they immersed themselves in their own thoughts, the peaceful atmosphere was suddenly shattered by the appearance of two soldiers, clad in Asma City garrison uniforms, stepping into the open space before the building.

Ceid and Ayda immediately recognized them as members of the search party they had encountered earlier, the same duo who had conversed with Grandma Lucia.

Ayda's heart skipped a beat, guilt gnawing at her as she remembered her transgression when she sneaked into the city amid the confusion of the beast tide evacuation.

Ceid, on the other hand, remained calm.

He recalled Wyd's report from earlier, which mentioned that the search party was seeking a heavily injured individual who had entered the city illegally. Ayda didn't fit that description – she was perfectly healthy.

However, he was also aware that their actual target was, in fact, him.

-

As the two soldiers approached the Azure Building's entrance, one of the soldiers greeted them with a polite smile, "Good evening."

His partner remained calm and quiet as he scanned the inside of the building with watchful eyes.

"We're looking for a suspicious individual who's been reported to have entered the city. Have either of you seen anyone matching this description?" the first soldier continued. He began to describe the suspect, someone heavily injured sneaking into the city.

Ayda shook her head, her heart racing. "No, sorry, we haven't seen anyone like that."

Ceid nodded in agreement, adding, "We've been here for a while now. We've never seen someone like that."

"So, does everyone inside someone you know?" the soldier asked.

Ceid calmly replied with a smile. "Yes, they're all part of the construction crew I've hired to renovate the building. I recently purchased the property, and plenty of places throughout the building require extensive maintenance and renovation work."

The other soldier asked, "Do you mind if I look around?"

Ceid immediately gave way to him, saying, "Go ahead. Please feel free to visit the building. I've nothing to hide. They are all hardworking workers there deserving praise."

After nodding to Ceid and Ayda, the soldier entered the building.

Looking at his partner going inside, the first soldier continued to ask Ceid several more questions.

"May I inquire about your presence here?" the first soldier asked.

Ceid met his gaze evenly. "Certainly," he replied, already formulating a plausible story. He drew upon the cover story he'd used when acquiring his Asma City identification – a fabricated tale of fleeing a beast-ravaged city.

"We're travelers," he explained, gesturing towards Ayda. "Her name is Ayda Kelran. We met here in this city, and I hired her as my assistant as she needed help.

I heard her family members have been hospitalized in this city for quite some time now. They were injured during an attack they encountered in some town outside Asma City. She desperately needed a job. So, I hired her.

You can easily verify her story if you visit the hospital."

Ceid continued to introduce himself. "As for me, my name is Ceid F. Hagrol. I came from outside the area. My previous city fell to the beast's horde, forcing me to seek refuge.

After traveling for who knows how long, I eventually ended up here in Asma City. So, I decided to make this place my new home."

The soldiers gave a skeptical glance.

"But why choose this building?" he asked, gesturing towards the partially renovated structure. "Most people have opted to evacuate to safer areas within the city walls."

"That's a valid question," Ceid chuckled, deflecting the inquiry with practiced ease. "It was because this building was offered at a steep discount, likely due to its proximity to the walls.

Others may perceive it as risky to establish a business here, a sentiment shared by the previous owner. It was said no one would want to purchase it.

Which likely contributed to the discount.

But, I saw this as an opportunity and seized it. The price was so attractive it would have been challenging to find elsewhere."

As he continued his rant, he also told him sincerely, "I'm not overly concerned about the risk, though.

After all, in the unlikely event of a breach in the city walls, it wouldn't matter where you are within the wall, right? Besides, I have complete confidence in the city's defenses.

As they say, a new start requires a place to call our own, wouldn't you agree?"

His words, laced with optimism and a subtle compliment to the army's capabilities, seemed to ease the soldiers' tension.

The soldiers nodded in agreement. "You make a valid point. Alright then. So long as you both possess proper identification documents, you're welcome to stay. Just don't cause any disturbances during the chaos."

Ayda breathed a sigh of relief while Ceid continued to exude friendliness. "Absolutely," he affirmed, handing over his recently obtained ID card. "We're law-abiding citizens, simply striving to reconstruct our lives." Simultaneously, Ayda also presented her ID card.

After the soldier examined their ID cards, his expressions softened slightly. He also took some notes on his tablet, probably setting up a request to check the validity of their story.

But Ceid wasn't overly concerned about it. Their primary objective was to locate the suspect described in their task. Verifying the identity and background of individuals was standard procedure for them when encountering suspicious individuals.

After all, from other's perspective, Ceid's decision to remain in this abandoned community while everyone else had evacuated could be considered suspicious in itself.

Soon, the other soldier who went inside came out. After giving a slight nod to the first soldier, he shifted his gaze to Ceid.

He told him, "Well, I found nothing suspicious inside. I'm sorry for disturbing you.

But please be careful. We're not sure where this highly suspicious figure went hiding or whether or not this person posed a dangerous risk to others.

If you happen to see anyone suspicious around here, don't hesitate to report it."

After asking a few more questions, they thanked him for his cooperation and excused themselves.

As the soldiers walked away, Ayda let out a shaky breath.

"That was close," she whispered, her voice laced with concern.

Ceid smiled reassuringly. "See? Nothing to worry about. We're in the clear.

Don't worry, they believe our story. Their main concern was to find that suspicious target. It was not to find us."

When he emphasized the word "...us." he said it with a playful tone.

Thanks to the Rejuvenation Pill, I avoided the current tribulation, Ceid said in his heart.