Gossip

[Before starting please give me power stones!!]

Gesse's silhouette should be visible after two blocks and I continue with my training.

"Okay... let's continue," I muttered to myself as I continued my swinging.

I had become a triple saint a month ago and I was still getting used to my strength.

I had no idea how much I could advance in five years, but that was a matter of how well I continued to train.

"Two hundred and three... two hundred and four... two hundred and five!! Haaa..." I dropped my sword when I couldn't take it anymore and the first rays of the sun hit my face.

So we'll have to leave at noon, huh? I'd better warn them right away so they can prepare.

With this in mind I entered the inn again and went straight to take a bath.

Fortunately everyone except Hilda was awake when I left so I joined them in the dining room from the inn.

The breakfast I ordered was simple, boiled fruit with some kind of bird that looks like chicken, bread and a simple tea.

It wasn't the best thing in the world...in fact it wasn't good at all, in fact I've never liked the food in this world but I can't do anything about it, the spices I know don't exist in this world.

"Paul?...Are you okay? You've been very quiet since we started eating," Roxy murmured as she looked at me with slight concern.

"Oh yeah, I just discovered something really bad yesterday and I don't know how to tell you all..." I muttered as I broke my bread into small pieces.

Laws stopped eating and raised an eyebrow at my statement, as did Roxy, and the rest of my group looked dismayed by the situation.

"Well...must it really be that bad? You know you can trust us right? Right guys?" Flute declared and the others nodded in agreement.

"W-well...it was after I made the provisions...when I was going back to the inn I discovered that two guards with Millis shields on their chests were following me, This made me immediately alert, but fortunately I was able to lose him. The problem is that when I followed him, the guy headed to the Millis embassy in Shirone and...There are several powerful guards and swordsmen...even with my current strength I don't know if I can defeat all of them...which is why I want us to leave the city at noon if possible" I declared looking at everyone fixedly.

"Th-that's true?...S-so what are we waiting for?!" Hilda's anxious voice behind me made me jump momentarily.

"Yes...I chose noon because that's when there will be the most carriage traffic on the street and it will be easy to go unnoticed even if you don't believe it," I said with a weak smile.

"Okay, we'll abide by your decision," Flute said calmly, and Lilia nodded.

"I'll help you pack, we better eat quickly" Roxy said with another one of her beautiful smiles...ahem!

"Yes, I will also help pack as quickly as possible, but I would like to eat first" Hilda said with a carefree smile and gave me a kiss on the cheek and then sat next to me.

Finally my gaze traveled to Laws and his wife Anna and both had complicated expressions.

"I'm sorry for dragging you both into this. I know I promised to escort you to Asura, but I never warned you of the dangers I'm carrying," I muttered, bowing in apology.

"Nah! It's okay! I didn't leave when Enzo attacked us, we won't leave you alone now, after all, with your influence I can secure a good job," Laws declared and his wife glared at him.

"Well, thank you very much, my friend. We'll just wait for Gesse and leave the city immediately," I murmured, and so we finished breakfast.

...

My statement thank goodness did not cause panic among my group but rather kept them more cautious, I even decided that we would not leave our respective rooms until it was really time to go, We didn't know if there were undercover agents already at the inn and it was better to be safe than sorry.

Fortunately Gesee returned at approximately nine in the morning but the guy looked quite nervous or was walking in circles in his room

"Millis's guards almost intercepted me, I barely escaped, they are looking for you, The Cardinal wants you alive or dead no matter the price" was what Gesee said once I approached him but he said it as if he had already planned it even though it makes sense in a way...

After that he started writing a letter, he didn't tell me the content of it and he literally kept it in his underwear.

But it was not the time to think about that.

I told everyone in advance not to go out in a group, the first to leave was Roxy at ten in the morning, then Laws and Ana, then Flute and Hilda and Lilia and finally me and Gesee in a span an hour and a half.

This with the simple purpose of not raising suspicions.

"Paul...how long can we continue like this? I'm tired of constantly running away. Will this be the whole time I'm with you on this trip?" The monkey face asked with viable nervousness.

"I don't know, and I'm sorry. I'm hoping that when we get to the capital, I can repay you, friend. After all, even if you don't say it, you've helped me a lot, and you deserve my reward for it," I said with a smile as we walked through the city streets.

"I don't know... when I joined you, I didn't think I'd have to risk my life so many times, you know? I want to live too. I thought we'd go on adventure after adventure all over Millis and Asura, not running away from Millis soldiers... I'm getting tired of this," Gesse muttered in an angry tone that made me raise an eyebrow.

"As I told you, I'm sorry about that, but we have no other choice. We have to leave the city," I muttered, my eyes narrowed.

"And then what, huh?!" Gesse yelled, stopping in the middle of the street. "What will happen when you get to Asura? Will you return to your noble life and give me some money and leave me to my fate?! I didn't ask for this! We met in Millis by mistake... and I think this whole trip was probably a mistake!" Gesse's voice filled with venom as he glared at me, his fists clenched in anger.

"Gesse... you know I wouldn't do that, but we're in this together, right? Have you forgotten we're partners?!" My voice grew louder. Since I wasn't used to yelling, my throat was starting to hurt.

"But not like that, damn it!" The monkey yelled loudly.

I looked around, and we had already caught the attention of some passersby. This is bad. At this rate, they'll discover us!

"Lower your voice, stupid! If we keep going like this, they'll discover us," I said as I slowly approached him.

"What does it matter? We're all already dead anyway!" His scream attracted the attention of every passerby.

"Gesee! Are you stupid? What are you planning? Leave the group and travel alone? You said yourself that those guys had already found you! They know your face and mine! And you know I'm not doing this just for me!" I said in the most imposing voice I could muster, but it wasn't much with this ten-year-old voice...

"Damn brat! Y-you don't know anything about me! I crossed the Demon Continent alone! And I managed to survive while you spent your time in your mansion doing literally nothing! Like the noble dog you are!!"

"So it's like that, huh? Why, as I remember, when I met you, you were literally begging to be integrated into a group! And what did you say when you saw me?!" I yelled loudly.

"Shut up, asshole! You don't know anything about me!" He yelled and started running toward an alley.

"Wait, Invecil, where are you going?!" I yelled.

"I know a shortcut!" was all he yelled.

A shortcut?! And why didn't he ever mention it?!

"Gesee, wait!!" I tried to follow him, but he was no longer in sight...

The alley split into three paths, and I also had a terrible feeling about this place that I couldn't explain.

"tch... damn monkey" I muttered to myself as I walked out of the alley onto the main street and continued walking.

I trotted as discreetly as I could, considering the fact that I was carrying a suitcase, which made it seem like I was in a hurry.

After twenty minutes of walking I finally arrived at where we had left the carriage, our plan was to go through the main streets and mingle with the crowd.

We had left the carriage stored in a stable due to its size and Laws was in charge of taking it out and tying it to the horses.

"Paul!...they took a while, what happened?...where's Gesee?" Roxy asked as she approached me.

The others were already loading their luggage into the carriage and it was almost time to leave.

"Wait... Gesse didn't come? The bastard said he'd take a shortcut!" I said in frustration as I peeked out onto the street.

"A shortcut? No, he didn't come, did something happen?" Roxy's beautiful voice echoed in my ears, but it wasn't the right time.

"Yeah...we had an argument and the idiot finally left saying "I know a shortcut!" and ran away until I lost him..." I muttered as I loaded my luggage into the carriage.

"...he must have gotten lost...or maybe..." Hilda muttered and I immediately realized the implications.

What if the guards caught him because of his carelessness?! Maybe that's why I felt that sensation in that alley!?!...

No...as he himself said, he knows how to take care of himself, but then why hasn't he returned?!

"Paul...it's almost noon, what do we do?" Laws asked me as he climbed into the front of the carriage to drive it. He would do so until he left the city so as not to attract attention.

I looked at the others and saw that their eyes were also fixed on me with expectation.

Oh yeah...I'm the leader of the group, right?...

"...we will continue with the trip, but we will pass near the streets of the inn and the central square to see if we find it" I declared and everyone nodded.

We placed blankets on the front and back of the carriage so they couldn't see us, and Laws put on a brown robe to disguise us.

He drove the carriage to the main street and it was full of carriages in both directions, it was easy to blend in among them without attracting attention.

But my vision was fixed on where the hell Gesse could be, and unfortunately, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see any sign of him...

"Do you think he's lost or captured?" Flute muttered behind me as I peeked out from under the blankets.

"We can't rule that out..." I muttered and walked to the front of the carriage. "Laws, when we leave the city we'll rest for a few moments to see if Gesee can catch up with us," I said and received an "as you say" in response.

"Damn stupid monkey... you're just making everything more complicated," I muttered to myself as I sat in the back of the carriage with an impatient look.

"May I know what you fought about?" Roxy said as she sat next to me with a worried face.

I blushed instantly and looked away but quickly regained my composure.

"He basically said he's tired of running away...that he regrets forming a party with me or something," I muttered and pulled out my adventurer card.

"Huh?...what the fuck?!" I yelled as I stood up abruptly.

"Paul?..."Is something wrong?" Roxy asked with concern.

"My adventurer card...our party," I muttered as I looked at the adventurer card in shock. I only looked at it to see my age since it updates automatically, but now...

"It says here I don't have a group and I checked it this morning! How the hell did my group with Gesee dissolve?!" I exclaimed in confusion.

"Paul...I'm sorry but...only one member of a group can leave it and since you were a duo..." Roxy's voice reached my ears and frustration reached my face.

"Th-that means..." Hilda muttered worriedly and I clenched my fists in anger.

"The bastard abandoned us..." He completed his sentence while looking at the ground in anger.

After a few moments of silence I regained my composure. After a few moments of silence I regained my composure and walk towards Laws.

"Laws...change of plans, let's keep traveling without stopping and let me know when you want to change shifts" I declared and sat back down.

So that bastard is gone, huh? So I have no reason to wait for him again.

But wait a minute...what about that bad feeling I felt in the alley over there? What caused it?...

"Huh?..." My voice escaped my lips involuntarily and I felt like a million people were staring at me in anger.

It was the same feeling in the alley and the others seemed unaffected...

"tch...something is wrong" I muttered to myself and looked out over the savannah, we had already left the city and were close to the forest, but when I turned to the right, a sword was already at my neck.