A Deal

The young hunter was a bit too wise to believe that they have captured his teammates. It wasn't so easy to capture Kal and Koh, he knew his teammates' abilities and even if he saw their corpses right before his eyes – he'd still think that it was a well-played farce.

These two would never fall behind, would never score lower than Bave – these two were ranked in the top ten hunters of the Association!

"I don't know what you mean by 'captured' but may I remind you that you've not captured me despite my weapons being put away and sitting on a horse like a dumb scarecrow?", Bave made a point. He also hoped that this would make their leader irritated and rush his decision.

"I can see you are well-versed with 'The Art of War'*, Baht Ver. But I assure you, we are not that arrogant and ill-mannered as hunters are.", said the stranger, referring to the tactics of the famous military treatise to 'irritate your enemy'.

Like hunters? Bave's expression remained indifferent but how much could he trust? So, it wasn't the Association hunting them but then – who? He was more convinced that these men were either part of some organization or bandits.

"I trust no words of a man who has no face.", Bave reached a hand to hover it upon his sword grip. That was taking too long and the danger he felt before was gone by now.

Was he overthinking that they were after their lives? Or that they wanted to stop them from retrieving the Nominalia?

"I believe it is a bit too early to talk about trust, Baht Ver.", the man said in response, his voice was firm and yet calm.

The young hunter stayed wary especially after his name was known. But then again, was there even a chance of them attacking without knowing his name? He sighed out, audibly so.

This was going nowhere. He could exchange philosophy-related cleverness all day but he had no such time. Besides, it was visible that the objective of the enemy was not to kill despite the initial danger he sensed.

"Cut me some slack, will you?", Bave murmured and then reached for his sword to throw it on the side although he kept his daggers around his waist.

He couldn't trust completely but he knew the cruel world of battles. If he were in true danger, he'd been at least poisoned by now from the scratch upon his cheek.

The man offered his sword to the enemy and his voice loud enough to carry his message,

"I believe you were either well-paid by your master or you are foolish to stop me if you know what I am in for!"

"I serve no master.", the voice sounded ever so closer. Bave started to recalculate the distance, the man was, indeed, closer than before.

"Then you are a fool. Don't you know what you are doing right now?", Bave would not easily give any information regarding his mission but he suspected that the man knew very well about the Nominalia.

Questions regarding how and when, and where did he learn about Bave's route and plans, they could wait.

"I assure you; I do know. I am here to offer you a deal.", the confidence in the stranger's voice ticked Bave off.

A deal? He must have been kidding. He attacked his guild and now he was chit-chatting as if he was a master of a household who was hiring some barbarian from the woods.

"You must be kidding me! You nearly killed me!"

"If you are as skilled as the rumors say, you should know by now that our objective is not to kill you. I want the Nominalia once we retrieve it."

We? Did that man just say to Bave – 'we'? The young hunter looked up as he heard the gentle rustles of the leaves. Indeed, the man was close.

He saw his firm body standing tall on a thick branch, just twenty feet away, around six meters or so, looking his way. He could not tell much about him, for a black mantle covered his body and the hood hid his face.

"Quite arrogant, and you said you are not like us, hunters.", Bave frowned despite his haughty grin decorating his lips.

"Well, they say, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'. I thought speaking your language would make things easier."

That was infuriating! Bave, however, clenched his teeth and spoke through the pretense of his smile,

"Right, right… So, you went through all that trouble just to strike that deal?"

"You wouldn't listen otherwise. That was the only to make you agree."

"…Agree? – You think I have already agreed?", Bave's eyes adopted their hostile sparkle.

"You have, from the moment you took off for Luse. The fact that you decided to retrieve the Nominalia and not planning to keep it for yourself, gives me the one reason not to end your life here."

His words were confusing. It sounded at first that he wanted the Nominalia, and like any other would think, solely for wealth and power.

He could become quite rich, or whatever organization he worked for could become quite rich. However, now it sounded just like he cared for the Nominalia.

"Well, you don't need my help to get it. Go retrieve it yourself.", Bave hopped off his horse to fetch his sword back, truly disinterested in any deal.

"I don't know what made you think that I will just hand you the book like that. Or that I wouldn't keep it for myself. You know, the book is quite pricey.", his index finger and thumb gestured in a beckon for 'how much money' one could get.

"If you were concerned about wealth and fame, I would have not chosen you for my team."

Bave's lips gaped speechlessly as he did not know what to say. That man just went ahead and decided all by himself. Speak about arrogance!

"Listen, you are quite weird…", Bave adjusted his sword back on his belt holder and looked up once more.

"I don't know your reason to look for the Nominalia but I hope I made myself clear…Go. Look for it. On your own!"

The young hunter hopped onto his horse and tugged the bridle, he gave one last look to the man and was ready to gallop out of the thick woody area.

The man, however, ordered clear and loud - just as if he knew how to make a person freeze at a spot.

"Wait.", his hand rustled through his clothing and threw a small item down, darting it well enough to be easy to catch.

Bave caught a small bag and looked at it questionably but soon his question was answered,

"This is to stop the bleeding."

The stranger said no more but Bave was grateful enough that he received something to counter the effect of the herbs.

Although he didn't know if he could trust whatever was in that bag. The young man wasted enough of time and his captain duty made the call. He had to reunite with his team and not bring a bunch of weirdos along, in case he accepted the deal.

Moreover, the whole thing seemed fishy and confusing, so he better got going. There was no way for him to strike a deal that made him feel as he was pledging his soul to a devil!

As Bave rode into the far, the trees soon started screening his figure away – hiding him into the wood's depths. The strange man watched Bave's back until he could no longer see him.

A few men swiftly appeared on each side of the man, well-masked behind their clothing. It seemed the whole team of ambushers wanted to hide their identity.

"What are we going to do?", asked one of the men.

"Let him be for now. The mission is on halt.", the tall man sounded like a leader yet not, sounded disappointed yet not, sounded sad yet not.

That man, just as Bave thought, sounded as he was not. His voice, his posture, his thoughts, and his demeanor – everything sounded contradicting as if he was not!