003 • No. 459

I think it's been some hours as I mindlessly scroll through a Bounty catalog while running my fingers through my Nekomata's soft glowing pink fur, while he's resting on my lap as I stare at the various numbers and rewards, but none of them seem interesting.

For Keita's sake, how much longer is Sora gonna take looking through those files????

It can't possibly take that long, can it? I swipe the screen away with a quiet huff, picking up the two tailed cat spirit by its underarms and swaying it side to side, watching his twin tails sway along with his feet. Heh, cute.

"Are you bored?"

"Meow"

"Yeah, I'm bored too..."

"Meow..."

I sigh silently from my nose before sinking further into my couch, letting Shin rest on my shoulders, the tip of his two tails flickering curiously from side to side as I contemplate on whether or not to take a nap. Though, right as I'm about to clock out, Sora pops out like it's nobody's business. 

"OKAY— I've figured it out!"

As if his fairly warm welcome wasn't welcoming enough, I nearly jumped out of my own skin, sending Shin flying before he floats lazily back towards my shoulders, hissing quietly at Sora's abrupt entrance. 

"Whoops— sorry— But anyways, I think kinda found something...!"

"Haizz, stop yelling-!! A groan irritably, scratching my head as I sat up straight back up again, shifting Shin around so that I can hold him a bit more comfortably in my arms.

"This better be worth the four hours I've been lounging about and waiting for..." I grumble beneath my breath, my gaze eventually meeting his as he 'sits' down beside me, the couch making no movements to subsequent his little maneuver. 

"Okay, so his last known location was a couple of months ago, where coincidently, he was in the Fú Yùn Sector."

My interest is immediately piqued after hearing that as I glance over towards his direction.

"For how long?"

"Two weeks"

"Doing what there?"

"Aaaaand that's when things get difficult to answer.."

I sigh defeatedly with the notion that we've practically come up empty hands. Just when I think things are somewhat going my way...

"But hey! On the bright side, at least we know where to go for intel, kinda." He states, trying to make light of the situation "Oh! Maybe you can ask Zhang! He's bound to know something right? Having such an important chip like that, and Zhang himself being an important figure to that part of the Region."

I glance over towards him again while holding Shin comfortably against me. It seems like with the look I gave just now him, he clocked exactly what I was going to ask next, so he just sighs and answers it nonetheless.

"Yeees, I looked into him... He's affiliated with more or less suspicious activities, but not completely or overtly bad ones. Just the ones you'd expect politicians would make"

I hummed softly in acknowledgment, my eyes wandering the floor for a moment before flickering back over to him.

"Anything else?"

He chuckles. "Well, wouldn't you like to know..." He pulls up a holographic fingers by using his two pointer and index finger, then pointing in the air as if expanding something before sliding the screen over to me to have a look at.

Name: HOA ZHANG

Age: 30

Affiliations: YÙNQÌ CLAN

Status: TRAILBLAZER

TB Position: HARMONY ACOLYTE 

My eyes practically pop out of my damn head after reading his short description. 

"He's a fucking Acolyte?!" I scream out, which sends Sora cackling and making Shin grumble in my arms a little from the sudden increase of noise. 

I pause for a moment, thinking to myself before whipping my head to look at him again,"Does he have a bounty on him" I shoot out, credit signs practically spinning in my eyes, which sent him further in his giggle fit until he was coherent enough to answer me.

"No no no— he pays people to stay off his back and work for him partially, so unfortunately you won't get anything even if you try to turn him in..." He squeezes through his giggles. 

Who would've ever thought.... I don't think I've ever met an acolyte before... those guys are pretty strong in terms of strength. People who follow the trail of the Aos' around these corners of the universe are called Trailblazers — very fitting name, I know. And apparently those who pique their interest, become Acolytes.... I always thought those people were myths of something like that, because think about it! How does someone 'pique the interest' of a fucking universe god! Obviously I've never met one, never caught one.. so seeing someone as seemingly high-class as Mr. Zhang here, is like finding a pretty penny on a rainy day. Again, sorta weird analogy.

"Now I really need to find him... if there's even a slim chance that he met Rune, I have to meet him..." I mumble, my gaze moving down to Shin who's rolling around on my lap, eventually rolling on to his back which made me smile a little. My fingers found themselves entangled in his stomach's fur before eventually picking him up from beneath his arms again.

"Time to go find our little 'Acolyte'~" I coo in a bit of a sing-song manner, nuzzling my nose against his as he purrs comfortably in my grasp.

"Meow~"