Meeting The Lieutenant

"This is his apartment?"

"It's the address we got from the receptionist."

Locus and Genken were standing between the stairs they took to get up there and a wooden door that allegedly led to the Lieutenant's apartment.

"Do you want to go inside?"

"Obviously."

Using his ability and a little transformation, Locus bypassed using a key for the lock.

"Psst, we don't know who else might be in here."

Locus didn't want to take any risks. Genken, on the other hand, carelessly walked inside the room with the usual sleepy look on his face.

The apartment was dark. The curtains were closed, and no lights were burning. That was something Genken immediately changed. He opened all of the curtains and then made himself comfortable in an armchair.

The sun's light flooded the room and revealed the opulently decorated room with expensive and exquisite furniture, golden edges on every object, and lots of space for someone to live.

Another door appeared to Locus' left. He slowly approached and then abruptly opened it. Beyond the door was nothing but an empty bedroom with an adjacent bathroom.

"What now?"

"I wanted to know how the room looked and what we had to expect."

"A wise choice, but what will you do now that that's done?"

Locus walked through the room and eyed the paintings on the walls.

"There are only paintings of this Lieutenant. It looks like he has no family."

The man who seemed to be Lieutenant Golmer looked rather tall and muscular. He had short, black hair and a full beard. A scar stretched across his right eye. Genken examined the paining as well.

"He looks more manly than the two of us combined."

"He sure does. Do you think I can take him on?"

Genken scratched his chin.

"I need to see him in person to know for sure, but I'd say that he's the kind of person who overestimates himself. You're good as long as you don't fumble."

"Then let's get down to business. How will we attack him?"

"The lock is broken. The element of surprise doesn't work that well anymore. But depending on whether or not he can perceive Aura, we might be able to make it work again..."

The next morning, the door to the apartment slowly opened. A tall shadow stood in the doorframe. Genken opened the curtains, and the light revealed a scar over the shadow's right eye.

"Lieutenant Golmer, I assume?"

"What are you doing in here?"

The Lieutenant spoke with a deep voice. Genken turned around to face the man who was about half a head taller.

"May I ask what you were doing during the past week?"

"Only if you tell me what you two are up to."

Locus came out of the bookshelf's shadow.

"Someone is interested in having you suffer."

"Is that so? Then I must assume that someone survived the slaughter?"

Genken raised his eyebrows.

"You admit that you attacked and destroyed the village?"

"Sure."

"Don't you worry about the possibility of us telling the guild?"

"Not really. After all, dead men can't talk."

The Lieutenant closed the distance between him and Genken and hit him in the side with his left fist.

While flying through the room, Genken teleported into the armchair and used it as a buffer. Genken and the armchair fell over.

Locus didn't just stand there and watch. He drew his katana and tried to cut the Lieutenant in just one move.

Due to the timing, Lieutenant Golmer was still in the position in which he attacked Genken. There was no way for him to dodge if the speed he had used to close the distance to Genken was his maximum.

But just when Locus' katana had completely left its sheath, the Lieutenant disappeared.

Locus' attack missed its target.

"What?"

Suddenly, the Lieutenant reappeared right under Locus' nose, literally. He used an uppercut to send Locus flying.

What had just happened? There was just one plausible explanation: Lieutenant Golmer had used his ability.