Saved from the Guard Captains

The Guard Captains were, in their mind, simply doing what they had been trained to do, nothing else. This was their duty and function in the system that was the Bald Eagle Dynasty. They might be a small cog and doing this was most likely unnecessary, yet there was a chance that they would find something. And if they didn't do this, they would never know if they had let a spy through their all catching net.

All cathing net that hadn't captured Xiao Fan in it. By now, it had been way too long, exactly? He didn't know since he didn't count anymore, to him, it was somewhere nearing ten hours, that much he was aware of the time used to on this vetting.

Ten long hours which had made Xiao Fan want to scream in the agony that came from the boredom of this, and from the pain of his parched throat that hadn't gotten anything to drink during all this.

'They are machines' Like he had thought before had he now concluded. These people were machines who didn't need anything to survive. No commodity, no happiness, the only thing these people needed was the fact that they were doing something for the greater society by trying to see if he was a danger to that greater society.

A notion which so far hadn't come to any of them, yet. Still, the vetting had lasted so long because the evidence and notes they had taken so far balance carefully on the line of no danger and danger. And as it was so, they needed more questions, they needed more evidence.

Evidence that would not come out today, for Xiao Fan's saviour finally appeared, or he did hear his voice ¨What is going on?¨ Finally finding Xiao Fan, Wang Geming roared, a roar which was wanting of an answer to what was happening here.

¨Were are seeing if he is an enemy!¨ The person who said this was, of course, the Second Guard Captain, after all, he was the person responsible for all this.

¨Didn't I already vouch for him? Are you going against me?¨ The Guard Captain didn't back down from this, yet Wang Geming knowing his own place didn't back down an inch. 'I hope they haven't gotten anything out of him yet' He had a strong front, yet in the inside, he was worried for what they had gotten out of Xiao Fan. He knew who Mask really was, he had given him that name; moreover, he knew what it meant if everything was going to be spread out.

It wasn't too good for him. One could even say that this was the one thing he didn't want to happen.

¨Yes the Prince did so, but we still wanted to¨

He was cut off.

¨You wanted what? To go against the words I gave you?¨ Cutting him off was Wang Geming roaring over his Guard Captain.

¨We wanted to see if he was hiding something from you¨ He was going to saying this anyway, the Prince's roaring had just made this come out later, but oh well, what could he do.

¨Well has he? Is he an enemy!¨ He came next to the Guard Captain, almost grabbing him, yet didn't so, drawing back his hand that was about to take a hold.

¨No he hasn't¨ The Guard Captain didn't want to say this, yet he needed to, but anyone could see how after that the Second Guard Captain grinded his teeth.

¨You have had him for how long here?¨

¨For a while¨ The Guard Captain didn't want to say precise time.

¨I know you that you have the exact time¨ However, his try to hide this information wasn't working out too well.

To this, the Second Guard Captain before saying took one long breath, in and out ¨Nine hours, forty-five minutes...¨ He gave the time, and not only the hours, but also the minutes.

Wang Geming hearing this nodded 'It can't be any longer' He figured as the last time he had seen Xiao Fan was just over ten hours ¨And in that time did you find anything?¨

¨We haven't reached a definite conclusion yet¨ This time the Second Guard Captain wasn't trying to hide anything.

¨Almost ten hours of twenty people versed in this can't find something? I would say that the evidence being so, the man should be let go¨ He having all the cards now made the easy proposition of letting Xiao Fan, his golden goose out of this.

¨We would like to ask him a few more questions¨ This time it was the voice that Xiao Fan had heard the most. It was the voice of the Sixth Guard Captainess, who when seeing that her colleague was losing their target, spoke her own mind.

Wang Geming turned to look at her ¨Like I haven't realised?¨ He spoke a line that had nothing to do with her questions.

However, even if it made no sense, the people understanding the concept could feel a small shiver, especially the Sixth Guard Captainess felt her body jerk a bit.

¨Mask get up¨ He looks at her, yet spoke to Xiao Fan that he should get up and come to him.

¨Coming¨ He without giving the others time to react used the full power of a Second Grade Body Activation realm cultivator, letting himself escape and come behind Wang Geming before they had noted this.

¨Soldier what are you doing!¨ One of the Guard Captains when seeing this exclaimed. How did a simple soldier decide it was okay to leave, even if it was the Prince's word it wasn't acceptable since it hadn't been talked through. Their word couldn't be overlooked like that!

¨What are you going to do?¨ Wang Geming again turned to face the Guard Captain, who was slowly getting up with all the others around him doing the same.

The air was starting to heat a little, and Xiao Fan could definitely feel this.

¨You know how these things go! Even if you are a Prince, for he is a line soldier, so he shouldn't do anything akin to that without us letting him!¨ The same man spoke.

¨Then I'll have Mask here be released from service¨ He shrugged his shoulders. If they wanted to be like that, he didn't care, or actually, he did because that was letting him make an excuse to disband Xiao Fan and Zhuan An from their supposed service and then hire them as mercenaries.

¨No!¨ All the Guard Captains in one voice spoke, their voice was as if a one person with different tones was shouting.

¨You don't get to decide that. How does it feel?¨ Wang Geming had had enough of these guys trying to harass his golden goose, and would now take more measures.

¨We will draft him into an emergency group where you can't disband him¨ The Sixth Guard Captainess came up with a reason that would let them have Mask be part of the army until they decided it was okay to him leave.

¨Can't call upon a disbanded member of the military into an emergency group¨ it was swatted down.

Then for a moment, the Guard Captains all tried to find ways to get Xiao Fan into the army. Yet every attempt was being smacked back by Wang Geming, who was now a hundred per cent sure that Xiao Fan needed to change occupation.

¨You can't do this to us¨ Even the Second Guard Captain tried his best. At this point, every Guard Captain was sure that they needed to keep this person called Mask under heavy supervision. If the Prince was this welcoming to such a new character, the possibilities that something had slipped through them was too much.

¨Why can't I? Cry to my father, the Emperor if you want to. But I don't think he will like that my close friend is being bullied by you lot even after finding no evidence that he is a danger. You didn't even say anything concerning this vetting process to me!¨ He pointed his finger at his own Guard Captain.

The Second Guard Captain hearing this and knowing it was the truth let out a long sigh ¨I hope that the Prince is not making a missjudgement¨ Things being as they were, he didn't argue more; instead he stated that he hoped that Xiao Fan wouldn't be a mistake.

¨Everything has been going so well so far, and it is mostly thanks to him. There is no misjudgement being made by me having him on my side¨ He emphasised that Xiao Fan was on his side while the Second Guard Captain was on the Emperor's side first.

'Everything is turning out to be well' Xiao Fan behind Wang Geming listening to this talk had nothing that he could complain. Everything was proceeding better than he had imagined, Wang Geming was straight up defending him. And soon he could leave the occupation of a soldier which had been the biggest hole in his background, now he couldn't be found from any registry inside the Bald Eagle Dynasty.

Second Guard Captain took one more look at Xiao Fan, smiling a little ¨I hope so¨ He still didn't have anything against Xiao Fan. To him, Mask was a likeable guy, but his job that was also his life had made him cross him.

¨Have I done anything that could be even interpreted as negative?¨ Xiao Fan still being under the gaze of the Second Guard Captain asked the man a question.

A small pause ¨No you haven't, you have been a help to the Second Prince, a major help, nothing else¨ He replied.

A reply which made every Guard Captain add in a note concerning Xiao Fan to their profiles of him which made him be a target. Of course, he had been a target for the last ten hours, but this was a target in the sense that their own Princes and Princesses needed to take account. After all, they were men that had a small lord and a big lord, they might be the Emperor's men, but their duty was to help their Royal.

¨If you know this why would you still go this far?¨ Wang Geming took the lead again. He was getting the hang on how Xiao Fan would make a point or an opener which he could then exploit.

On the other hand, the Second Guard Captain was beginning to feel that this had been a bad decision and hoped that it would be already over since at this point, they were only losing more and more face ¨This will not happen again¨

¨Good¨ Wang Geming then started to turn around ¨We are leaving¨ He added in and began to walk, Xiao Fan next to him.

Leaving the Guard Captains looking miserable and defeated. Yet none of them criticised the Second Guard Captain as it wasn't his fault that it had gone down like this, and they were all cogs in the same machine, so his failure was their failure in a case like this.

¨What did they get out of you?¨ Wang Geming and Xiao Fan now having gotten a little space between the two groups made the Prince ask the important question.

¨Almost nothing, they were pretty bad at it¨ Xiao Fan was confident, even if he didn't remember everything, he was sure that nothing detrimental had slipped out of his mouth ¨Also thank you for coming to help¨ He, of course, wanted to thank the Prince.

¨It's okay. I didn't realise what the Sixth Princess was aiming for¨ He then offered a duffel bag ¨Here have some water¨

¨Ah water!¨ Xiao Fan didn't deny and took the duffel bag from the hands of the Prince quite swiftly, and as swiftly he drank all the content of it, making his throat feel much better.

Then when there was no more water, he turned to look at Wang Geming walking next to him ¨What plan?¨