Chapter 75 : To The Capital.

'Show me Helios's track.'

A translucent mana wave lighted up in the distance, weaving and sailing among the trees.

"There." I pointed.

"Lemme see...If it's there, then it's either this or this one..." Mumbled Clara, studying the map while we were up in the sky. "Let's go here, and we'll see where it takes us from there, Shepherd."

We flew to where Clara suggested, and then I repeated the process.

"That way."

"So it's there...Seeing as we haven't seen so much as a torch or anything, I think they're hiding in a cave of some sort. Let's send the shadows below to scourge the surrounding area and look for the entrance." Proposed Clara.

"Cave, huh?" I mumbled.

Due to the mysterious interference, I couldn't do much but take baby steps. We literally have to stop every now and then to pick up the breadcrumbs.

Despite the others saying not, I thought it was slow, but I couldn't deny that this was by far the best option we currently have.

Still, now that we were close enough, I had more leeway to work on.

'Find a cave at a radius one kilometer away from me...Nothing? Then...try five...' My brain received the signal of a cave far in the distance, and I double-checked it to ensure we were on the right path. 'Show me Helios's track.'

And voila, word magic is at your service, ladies and gentlemen...The trail the word magic showed me matched the general direction of the cave I found. I smirked joyfully, feeling my mood elated by the discovery.

"There's no need to. I've found the cave. And Helios's track is also pointing in the same way."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get them bastards!" Declared Clara in high spirits.

It took us little to no time as we rushed through there.

From the sky, the mouth of a dark tunnel could be seen hiding in plain sight. It was covered with moss all over and tall grasses, with a small waterway running peacefully adjacent to the right, slithering its way far into the forest.

It was one of those places you would easily miss if you didn't know where to look.

"Damn it!" Not even a minute had passed since we arrived before I growled in frustration. 

"What is it, Milord?" Asked Renata, concerned.

I took hold of my bearings and said, "Helios is not there."

"Not there? What do you mean he is not there?" Questioned Clara.

"His trail shows signs of him going in...But it also shows him going out...There. That way." I answered, pointing to elsewhere.

"I see, we're too late...If he is long gone, then those people will know where we can find him. If not, we can ambush them while they're on the road. Either way, we still have the lead on him." Assured Renata. 

Cracking her joints, Clara added friskily. "She's right. So how about it, Shepherd?"

'Huh?' I tilted my neck slightly, confused. "How about what?"

"Can I go down already and bash some fuckers' skulls or not? I'm dying for a chance to blow off some steam..." Confessed Clara with raspy breathing and bloodshot eyes. She was radiating with so much bloodlust that I began to pity the bastards who'd meet her in a minute or so.

'Ah...Bashing some skulls?' I reeled my neck back in reflex. "Hey, don't let me get in the way. You do you, Spy."

"Fuck yeah! I'm going in first!" Clara took off, diving downward at full speed.

"Can you sense any slaves down there, Milord?" Queried Renata afterward.

"Slaves? Wait a minute...Hmm...There are groups of people bundled up together. Hold on. Ah, they're definitely slaves. I can see the cuffs on their legs and hands." I said after tweaking my eyes and studying the layouts of the cave. It stung a bit, but nothing too serious.

"I will have the Shadows prioritize securing the slaves. And then I will personally see to it to interrogate the slavers about the dwarf's whereabouts as soon as possible." Stated Renata, bowing her head.

"Break a leg." I pat her on the shoulder.

A bit shocked due to my sudden touch, it looked like she wanted to say something, but maybe she thought it wasn't the time to do so; Renata then dove, leaving me all alone in the cold midnight sky.

Minutes crawled along my wandering thoughts while the distant echoes of periodic screams came from down below. It got a bit in the way of me enjoying the quietude of the mysterious Milky Way, so I warded off the sounds to have the long-due tranquility.

And now that I was all alone with my thoughts, I was free to trace the way back to the prior event.

What Clara said. Renata's decision. My own shortcomings...Everything...

From there, I could see the things I failed to notice, which were none other than all the signs I unknowingly ignored despite the many hints that came from my own people.

"Ha...I'm a fucking idiot..." I whispered in disappointment.

I took a deep breath, trying to whittle down the frustration that ran amok in my turbulent mind, and before I knew it, I could feel two figures fast approaching from down below.

"Well, that's fast," I said, a bit dazed from the sudden shift in focus.

"Meh, the fellers are nothing but small fries. It was so boring I got lazy." Snided Clara.

Ignoring Clara's crude remarks, Renata took on a more somber tone. "According to them, the dwarf named Helios was sent specifically to the capital two weeks ago." 

"Specifically?" It piqued my interest.

"That means our man has caught someone's eyes. And seeing that these bastards even sent most of their fighting force as an escort, it can only mean one thing." Commented Clara as she playfully swam in the air around us.

"Someone important had bought him. Someone they can't afford to mess with." I knew what she was trying to say.

Clara snapped her finger. "Bingo. It can either be someone powerful or someone with a deep pocket who wants our dwarf, but one thing we can expect is the degree of the headache that's waiting for us...What's more, the play zone will be the fucking capital of all places." Her expression grew serious.

'Hm...Brute forcing isn't gonna cut it. There are too many risks and variables involved. How about I search and end him instead? No...It might be easy to do that, but I can't deny the potential of his presence if he can help us instead...' I pondered quietly beneath the bed of stars. '...Let's take a step back. Don't overthink yourself, and don't get hasty, Alexander...'

"Let's take this to the Council. Let's discuss this together and decide what's the best move we should take. " I concluded. "Assassin, you will be responsible for this agenda. Notify and brief the other Seatholders about the situation so far."

"By your will, Milord." Bowed Renata in reply.

I turned to the side and addressed the woman, who was painted with fresh blood. "Spy, take care of any loose ends here."

"Sure thing, boss~ But I'm not going back to the House after this. I'm off to meet the Merchant." Said Clara, still gliding in the air.

'Margreth? Hm...' I didn't see that coming, but I figured Clara must've had her own reasons, so I nodded along. "Sure. Just be sure you don't miss the Council."

"You kidding me? Do you think this crazy bitch will leave me alone if I do?" Scoffed Clara. 

Renata, who received her words, was void of any response other than the calm yet sharp killing intent that pulsed out from her entire being from time to time.

Anyone who spent enough time with her would surely know that whatever Renata was cooking in her mind right now was anything but pretty.

Shaking my head helplessly, I mused. 'Yeah, keep talking shit, and I won't even be able to help you when she hunts you for real, woman...'