CHAPTER 19

"Young master, the knight sent to check the direction where the smoke went is back to report", Lucius Donati's ears perked up.

"Tell him to come here and report"
"Yes sir!"

He sighed and looked at the map laid out in front of him. He was just sitting in a chair reviewing the map of Sirthyna Kingdom when the knight that he sent came back after checking where the smoke from the tracking potion Meridia gave them went.

It's already night time so they set up their camp for the night. It's been a whole day since they started their journey to find his lost sibling.

"Sir, I'm here to report about…"
"Come in"

He didn't even let the knight outside finish talking and instead told him to come inside because of the anticipation he felt. The knight salutes him after going inside the tent and stood straight, he then started his report.

"The smoke from the potion went towards north sir", Lucius looked back at the map in front of him and trace his position to north. "Were here in South, so that means it might've been pointing at the direction of the Centralis Region or if not, in Septen Region", he said as he pointed at the Central Region of Sirthyna, Centralis, and the Northern Region, Septen.

"Good work, you're dismissed", he said as the knight saluted to him again before leaving. He stared at the direction he traced on the map.

"This time, this time for sure. I won't fail this time. I'll find you, and when I do, I'll never let something like that ever happen"
































Ren closed the door quietly after entering Eleanor's room. He's been knocking on her door for like 5 minutes now but she didn't even make a single noise so he thought she's still asleep.

"Eleanor…I've been knocking for like 5 minutes…"

And he's right, "And she's still asleep. Looks like all that knocking was pointless, she's so tired that she slept like a log. What should I do now?", he came closer and stood beside the girl's bed, watching her as she clung onto her pillow while in a deep sleep.

He bended down and touched her shoulder, shaking her a bit in an attempt to wake her up. "El….elea….leanor…nor", Eli grunted making Ren flinch in surprise. He waited for her to wake up after hearing her grunt but she just came back to sleep after that.

He then proceeded to touch her face, planning to tap it in order to wake her up when this time, it's not Eli's grunt that made him flinch in shock.

"Eleanor, you're burning up!", he said alarmed. He then checked her temperature again. He kneeled on the floor and proceeded to place his forehead against hers, their faces are inches from each other when the door opened.

Ren distanced himself in hurry. "Oh! That was my mistake. I didn't know that you guys are having a moment, I'll just come back later", and then the door closed again.

"Wait! Mr. Raul! Eleanor is sick!"







"I can't believe I'll ever see a girl who has a high fever sleep normally like that", Ren laughed at Eli as she pouted after hearing what Historia talk about her.

"I also thought you were just in a deep sleep because of how you cling to your pillow and hug it like a kid. I will never know that you're very sick because of that image. Imagine my shock when I touched you and found out that you're actually burning due to a fever", Ren nagged as she looked at him as well.

"I'm, I'm sorry I…", Eli tried to say something but her head started spinning after trying to sit down and the 3 people in her room; Ren, Historia, and Raul, all noticed that as they all pushed her down to bed in chorus.

"Just rest for now. Don't push yourself too hard. There are still no reports submitted about the investigation that we conducted regarding what that man said, so you don't need to worry", Raul said before standing up.

"I'll get some food for you so you can fill your stomach before taking any medicines", he then went out of the room. Historia also stood up after Eli looked at her. "Okay, okay, I got it little lady, I'll check if there are any reports submitted on my office now about the investigation. You stay here and be a good girl so you can get well as soon as possible", Eli nodded and Historia also went out of her room.

She looked at Ren next but the young man just avoided her eyes. "No, no, no, and nope. I won't leave you here by yourself. I came here as your guard but think of me helping to get you back to your normal healthy self as a bonus. Now just rest and don't mind me", he said and like a kid, he crossed his arms and pouted.

"Don't pout so much, you do look cute but your face might stay like that. I don't have a problem having a duck as a friend though", Ren immediately looked at her, "Haha, very funny", and he grumbled which made Eli laugh at him.

"Thanks Ren", Rephienne's facial expression came back to normal and he smiled at her with his gentle smile. "Get well soon, so you can get back to being the jumpy, childish you like before. Okay?"

"Okay"

"Now sleep Eli. I can see it you know, you're trying your best not to yawn that you're getting teary eyed now. So go to sleep"

Eli nodded at him as her eyes closed, but what surprised Ren again was when she held his hand that was on the top of her bed. "You'll stay here right? Since you're my helper", Ren can't help but smile at how he found her adorable like this.

He held her hand that's holding his tighter, and with his other hand, he stroke her head gently. "Yes, I'll stay here with you. I promise"

Eli's breathing became stable and her hands grasping Ren's loosened, but Ren remained there, he never let go of her hand and just sat there beside her. Outside his room, Raul is peeking from the slightly opened door.

He went back as soon as he was able to get Eli's meal but then he saw and heard those two talking so he stayed there and watched them instead of barging in and breaking the mood and the atmosphere surrounding them.

He then slowly opened the door after seeing Eli sleeping, acting like he just came back. "Oh, Eleanor's already sleeping?", Ren looked at him but he noticed that he never loosen his grip on Eli's hand that he's been holding. He smiled and placed the food on the table near them, arranging them properly in the table.

He then looked back at the two youngsters but then smiled again after seeing that Ren also fell asleep with his head on top of the bed, still holding Eleanor's hand.

Raul then proceeded to go out of the room without making a noise or saying anything. Closing the door with the last thing Raul saw inside is the 2 youngsters sleeping peacefully.































It's been 3 days since Eleanor got sick after pushing herself in healing a curse using the staff of light. She was now okay and was currently sipping hot chocolate with Ren on her room when they both heard a knock.

"Come in!", she exclaimed and the door opened. A member of the guild came inside, "Miss, the guild master is calling for the both of you in her office"

"Aunt?"
"Have a seat you two"

Eli sat down in a couch placed in front of where Historia is sitting. Raul was standing behind the guild leader while Ren proceeded to sit beside his friend.

"Is something wrong?", Eleanor as she looked at Historia's business-like facial expression. "Eleanor, the report regarding the testimony of the man in the dungeon came yesterday. It looks like he's really telling the truth"

Eleanor nodded, "It is said that men in black suits did took people before. There are also reports that they also took people from different places as well. Since the man didn't see anything due to him being blindfolder when he's sent here in Primor from the headquarters of those men, we tried to trace where their headquarters are by gathering information from different places, and well fortunately, after so much effort, we finally found them"

Raul took a map out and placed it on the table. It's a map of Sirthyna Kingdom. "Here, this is where they found the headquarters. In an abandoned village called 'Umbra', which is in the Septen, the northern region of Sirthyna", Historia pointed out.

Eleanor then stood up. "We need to rescue the people taken by those men as soon as possible, before it's too late", she stated, Historia looked at Raul who looked back at her.

"Well, we really wanted to do that little Eleanor, but the problem is…we don't know anything about these people, the one we sent to infiltrate them was almost caught so we don't really know how skilled they are, if they have abilities, or how many they are in numbers. We're at a disadvantage since we still lack more information about them", Historia explained. Eleanor sat down and silence filled the room as they all tried to think about what to do.

"I got it!", they all look at the girl when she got up from her seat. "I have a plan, can you hear me out?"





























"So, what do you think? Can you help us Dan?", the imperial wizard stopped sipping on his drink and looked at his friend. He then smiled at her, placing his cup back on the table. "When I received a letter from a carrier pigeon and saw your name on that letter, I thought something happened to you and rushed here, you nearly gave me a heart attack Eli", he said with a smile that doesn't seem to match his voice.

Eli looked down like a child and with a small voice said, "I'm sorry", Daniel who chuckled at her look at the window beside them in Eleanor's room.

"You want me to help in capturing these people or organization of men in black suits and rescue the people they took, am I right?", the girl nodded at what her friend said, stating what he understood from what she's talking about to him earlier.

"I'm not making a promise to pay you to come and fight with us, I'm not making you prepare yourself and come with us. What I want to request to you is to report everything that we've found out about this organization. If we can convince his majesty that this organization is very harmful for his citizens, which they were, he'll send out troops; knights and wizards, and alchemists that can also assist in order to capture these men. Besides, this issue had been one of the kingdom's problem for years now, so I think his majesty won't hesitate to do what he can in order to stop them as soon as possible. I also know that he won't doubt you if you include that the monsters that you've encountered on the east might also be connected to this organization", Daniel silently listened to every explanation Eleanor said to him.

"So I need your help in reporting this to his majesty. You can say that this information was anonymously brought to you so that it won't cause any trouble for the guild. But please, help us. You are the only one I know who can help me with this", Eleanor begged as she looked at him intently.

Daniel remained silent and sipped on his drink again that made Eli anxious, but she tried her best not to be and to trust her friend to help her.

"So what you're saying is that you need me to make an official report to his majesty in order for him to dispatch a group to subdue or arrest this organization?", Eleanor nodded to Daniel's summary of what she's asking of him.

The boy then stood up from his seat and fixed his clothes; he then took out his wand and stood in the middle of the room. "Daniel wait! What are you…"

"You told me to make an official report right? So I'll need to teleport to the palace as soon as possible if you want to rescue those people quickly. And me teleporting in the palace can also make it more urgent", he said with a boyish smirk plastered on his face.

Eli just stared at him like a lost kid which caused him to laugh. He came close to her and bended down. "Oh, I also need the papers in order to present evidence that a report was indeed sent to me so would you mind giving me a copy?"

That's where Eli snapped and immediately took off towards Historia's office. A few minutes later, she found Daniel waiting for her. He stood up from where he's sitting earlier and came close to Eli as she gave him a copy of the reports that she got from Historia.

"Well then, I'm off, I'll send a letter to you soon to inform you about things", Eli nodded and hugged him. "Thank you Daniel"

The young man hugged the girl back with a smile. "I told you, you can also count on me. But you owe me for this okay?", he said as he jokingly winked at her after. Eli then stepped aside as Daniel casted a spell, teleporting him out of Eli's room.

At that exact moment someone peek inside the room. "So, what did he say?", Eli faced Ren who's cutely peeking at the doorway. She then motioned for him to enter, in which he did. "He said he'll take care of it. So, what about the thing I instructed you to do?"

Rephienne gave her a wide smile. "It's done. I told master about it and she said that she'll send it to us as soon as possible", Eli nodded and stood up, taking out a paper from one of her drawers and a pen, then checking the first and the second box of her checklist.

"So the 1st part of the plan is to inform the king about the organization. Daniel will take care of that. Then 2nd one is to tell master to provide potions that we might need in fighting monsters just in case we came across one, especially since were going to their headquarters where those monsters might came from", she then look at the third box of her list and look at Ren waiting for the next thing she'll say.

"Now, the next thing we need to do is wait for any notice from Daniel. And while we're still waiting, we'll need to focus on training and making ourselves as ready as we can be"





























2 days after Daniel agreed to help Eli in making the king move to help in capturing the unknown organization, a note carried by a carrier pigeon came into the guild. It came into Eli's room to be exact.

Eleanor opened the note and smiled as she opened her door and immediately went to Historia's office with the carrier pigeon on her shoulder. She knocked on the door of the office and opened the door after hearing a faint, "Come in"

She entered the office and saw Historia busy talking with Raul about some papers that she's been holding. "Aunt, uncle", the two look at her as Historia motioned her to come closer. The smiling Eli handed them the note that she received from Daniel. "We need to prepare everyone", Eli stated as the two smirked after seeing the words on the note that Daniel sent them.

'4 days'























2 days later…

"Miss, two letters and a package came for you", Eleanor look at Ren as they both stood up after hearing that. "Please excuse us", Historia nodded at Eli as she went out of the meeting room together with Ren.

They went to another room where the guild member who informed them directed them. Inside the room is a small box with a letter on top of it. They opened the letter and read what's inside.

'This is everything I can give you guys. Be careful and come back safely.
-M.O'

The two smiled after confirming from the initials of the sender that this is a package sent by Meridia. They opened the box and saw potions arranged and labelled. While Eli is still inspecting the other potions, Ren on the other hand picked up another letter that was beside the box.

He looked at the sender, "Eleanor, this one, I think it's for you", he handed the letter to Eli who put the potion back on the box. She opened the envelop and read the letter inside.

Ren waited for her to finish reading the whole letter while he's busy inspecting the potions this time. Eleanor then put the letter back on the envelop after reading its contents. Ren notice how expression changed from a happy one to a serious one as she sat down and started to think deeply.

"What is it?", he asked. Eli looked at him and lifted the letter. "It's from Anette", she said. Ren walked towards her and sat down beside her. "Looks like she's also going to be assisting us at the upcoming raid", Eli continued.

"And?"
"And I need to go to the Holy Temple"