Chapter 23: Confrontation

John sighed, his fist being placed under his chin.

He currently found himself at the same table he'd sat at the last time Ashur went into the meeting room.

Once again he was looking at his sword, however, unlike last time, he had companions. They were Kunan who was sitting across from him, eating a piece of bread, and Annerose who was laying on the table, rolling from side to side occasionally.

She shifted, putting her own hand under her chin, boosting herself into a side-lying position. She rolled her eyes.

"How long is that meeting supposed to take? Hasn't it been an hour already?"

"...It's only been 2 minutes." John said sourly.

"What!?" She shouted in shock, shooting up from the table.

Despite her small stature, she had a very big set of vocal cords as all in the hall turned, checking to find the source of the noise was her.

"There a problem!?"

Those looking quickly turned away at her gutsy shout. If it was confusion at a spirit being so casually out in the open or just her brazen attitude, no one spoke back.

She smirked, having a pleased expression on her face at the room's reaction to her call-out.

Kunan, who just swallowed his last bit of bread, spoke.

"By the way. How did you two encounter?"

The two glanced at each other; John gesturing at her to speak. He would've just given the base details, but that was something Annerose explained she aimed a decent amount of anger at.

She said she preferred to give very detailed explanations but in truth, they were overdramatic retellings.

She went over the basics of course, such as meeting while on an adventuring mission but she skipped ahead, saying things in vivid detail, giving statements like, "I knew he was special ever since I laid eyes on him!" or, "We've endured many battles together, some that would've resulted only in life or death!"

The whole time John's face was practically one with the table as his head lay flat on it, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

She just had to keep going, even as far as telling about their newest monster cave raid. She claimed without her power when he'd been separated from Ashur and faced six Demon beasts he wouldn't have made it.

Kunan during the whole explanation was completely gripped. His eyes practically had stars in them, reacting to everything she said with an ah or ooh.

Eventually, when she was seemingly done, he spoke. "Wow. Sounds like you two have very important bond. Back in my home, there weren't any spirits, none like you."

Annerose's lips curled into a smile. "Oh thank you."

She seemed to have taken his comment as a compliment. John however couldn't be sure it was though. Besides all their spirit talk, the man's words brought a question up in his mind.

"Where are you from by the way?"

"My home be on an island far, far south. There we are one with nature."

"That's interesting. I've spent plenty of time here on the Western Continent as well as North but I'm not often in the South. Same for the East."

Kunan smiled, unable to ignore the genuine interest dripping from his words.

"True. West Continent and North are very hospitable. Good place for business and trade, not overly hostile like East and South."

John nodded in agreement. Just as he started to speak again he released a frustrated breath of air. His neck felt itchy, and he knew very well where that sensation came from.

Someone was watching him.

John's eyes quickly fell on the source, one of Rox's party members. It was the same one with sharp yellow eyes from earlier who'd been watching him was looking at him once again.

Just as he was about to speak, Annerose, who was coincidentally floating next to him, spoke first; a scowl on her face.

"There a problem?"

The hooded person continued staring, however, their eyes became squinted slightly. The two other party members next to them turned, looking where the source of the voice was. The main hooded person spoke.

"The name's Rann and there is a problem."

Annerose tilted her head downward, an almost condescending look in her eye.

"Is it related to me? Got an issue with spirits?"

"Not at all. I could care less about you actually. It's that man you've been contracted to."

Annerose's eyes widened at his brash retort, her brow furrowing.

She tried her best to hold back an insult at him for having the audacity of saying something so rude. John tilted his head.

"How is there a problem? Last time I checked, I don't know you."

Rann, who'd been sitting at the far away table stood, starting to walk towards John's table. The other party members behind him followed.

John, wary of the group, stood as well however he remained behind the table. His eyes quickly darted between the approaching men.

He was unable to tell their level of strength but he assumed the one leading them was the most powerful. Also, he couldn't gleam if they did or didn't have weapons hidden in their cloaks. He slowly reached for his sword, just placing his hand over the hilt passively.

Rann would've been standing right in front of him if it weren't for the table in the way.

Now that John was up close to him, he could gleam more of his features.

Rann had ginger hair and a scar going across his upper lip. He didn't seem especially handsome but he wasn't quite ugly, just average with looks.

There wasn't a particular feature that stood out about him besides the scar; John guessed it was from a bladed weapon, based on the shape.

Kunan was still seated, having a confused expression. He clearly, at least in this situation, lacked social cues. He stared between the two men with a lost gaze.

Rann spoke, his sharp yellow eyes locked on John's. "You're John Selvic right?"

He hesitated before nodding, his eyes not leaving the ginger-haired man's.

"Well, that's my problem. What you did, or rather, didn't do, almost ruined everything."

"What do you mean?" John's voice shook ever so slightly.

He had no doubt he was referencing the Black Jack Massacre, however, he still wanted confirmation just in case.

"I mean the failure of your bodyguarding mission. Eight council members died from the 10 who led the entire country of Lubin. Are you kidding me!? They had to create a whole new system within the Adventurer Guild to mitigate the situation. People were calling for a major reformation that would've included fewer jobs and less trust in us."

John found himself unable to look away from the man. The intensity in his eyes was great, full of many emotions. Despite the angry tone he used, frustration was the main feeling in them though.

John opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. He had no right to try and refute his words. It was true.

Due to their failure, the collapse of the country's government was closer than ever before. He lowered his head.

Kunan stood, being the one to come to his defense. "To be fair Black Jack be the most infamous organization on Western Continent."

Rann shook his head adamantly. "No. Regardless of infamy, regardless of their strength, it's our job as Adventurers to carry out our missions no matter what. Whether that means pushing past our limits to complete our task or die trying." He then glanced toward John. "You couldn't do either. So, you're a failure. A stain on the organization. In my opinion, the least you could do is take on smaller jobs to avoid putting us all at risk again or better yet quit."

At the words quit, John raised his head, a determined glint in his eye. His face was extremely serious, his grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"I refuse. My goal won't change. I understand where you're coming from but I'll make things right whether I'm believed in or not. Black Jack will pay."

Rann's eyes lowered, finding their sights on his hand which was gripping the blade. The other party members behind him started reaching under their cloaks but with a raise of Rann's hand, they stopped.

"How are you gonna make them pay?" He asked.

"By eliminating them."

Rann released a slight huff, not enough to be counted as a laugh but his eyes were softened; looking humorously at John.

"And how are you planning to do that?"

"Simple. We track them down."

For a moment, after the words left John's mouth a smile found its way onto Rann's lips. However, as he looked at the man's face longer, he noticed something.

There wasn't a single thread of doubt, hesitation, or even falsity in his words. He truly meant what he said.

Rann turned, walking away from him.

"Well, if you do such a thing we'll be there as well. Don't want you to screw that up too."

Annerose clicked her tongue in irritation, as she watched the group get further and further away. "Hmph. That guy was just the worst wasn't he?"

"Is what you say true?" Kunan questioned.

John turned to him. "Is what true?"

"That you are planning on finding and eliminating the vile group?"

He nodded his head in response.

"Well then, just like that man, Rann said, Kunan would love to provide assistance when time arrives."

John smiled, a grateful look in his eye. "Thank you."

While Kunan had made such a statement without a hint of doubt or sign of hesitation, John still wondered, if the pair of him and Ashur did actually find the location of their base would they even be in a position to call for help or would they have to handle things right then and there?

Ashur had his arms crossed, his one eye locked on the table. He couldn't bear to look at either of the two people in the room.

Claire was sitting at the far end of the table, directly facing him.

She was seated at the chair closest to the door while Rox was by the window, where Ashur had been during the previous meeting.

Claire and Rox were currently talking, however, their words didn't reach Ashur's ears, as he was far too deep in his own thoughts.

"So, I assume Larouge sent you?" Rox said, a curious tone accompanying the question.

"Indeed. That was part of the reason why I came but there was another." Claire then glanced toward Ashur who was silent as a mouse.

She snapped her fingers, hoping to get his attention but there was no sign of it being successful as his eyes strayed to the same spot.

Her hand came from under the table, now hovering over it. In one quick motion, she slammed down, causing the whole room to shake violently.

Ashur's eyes quickly shot up, falling on the woman. A smile sprouted from her face, now that his attention was fully on her.

"I wanted to inform you of the specifics of how the situation will be dealt with. Can you promise to listen until the end?"

"...Yes." Ashur's tone was full of all the restraint he could muster which judging by the slight eyebrow raise from Rox, wasn't that much.

"Larouge has decided to handle the situation personally. However, knowing your personal connection with our main suspect, she decided to be generous. Her plan is to find him and uncover the truth of his involvement as well as anything else he may have done, starting after nine days. As you may know, she's been secluded, training for about half a year now, being the reason for her lack of public appearances. She said what's nine more days to that already wide margin. You will have two choices."

Claire paused, her eyes scanning Ashur's face.

So far, he was very calm, at the beginning of her spiel his fists were clenched but the moment the nine-day wait was mentioned they slightly opened. His one good eye was locked with hers as was all of his focus. He was in the mindset of hanging on to every word she said.

Being satisfied with his attentiveness she continued.

"The first choice is to wait out the nine days without any actions of any sort, just letting her handle it. The downside would of course be you not getting the revenge you desire or at the very least answers. The second choice is for you to try and handle things yourself, however, if you're unable to locate him as well as restrain him or at the very least find out what happened, then your Adventurers license will be revoked. That goes for anyone else that assists you with such a task. The consequences are so high since this directive was issued by Larouge, evoking her full authority as the Height. Now, has the picture been painted perfectly?"

Silence filled the room after she'd finished speaking.

Ashur's eye was still locked with hers however they shifted to Rox's, who was giving him a certain look. The look he gave him was one reinforcing her words, most likely to advise him to say yes, even if he didn't agree with the conditions.

Ashur looked back at Claire, his lips curling up into a smile. "It was painted beyond perfectly. Thank you."