NoGift

BY NOON, Argent met up with Aurum, Clay, and Black at the inn's restaurant. They chose an inconspicuous corner to have lunch so the people around wouldn't easily hear whatever they had to discuss.

"So how was your talk with Mr. Wicks?" Argent asked once all the food they ordered were delivered.

"It went well. He's kind of pitiful though. His shop was in shambles. The Temple told the people here that Mr. Wicks was a heretic and was trying to bring in a blasphemous item inside the country. Of course, those brainwashed citizens believed them. They went and harrassed Mr. Wicks," Aurum answered while slicing the steak she ordered. Her face was now back to the plain one she had been using.

Argent was not surprised hearing that, it was already in her expectation. "What's your opinion of him?"

"Good. Kind of timid but still has courage in him. Honorable too. And most importantly, even though he grew up in this place, he still has his own mind. He didn't turn into a mindless idiot who doesn't question the Temple;s orders."

"I see." That's a good sign. When Argent found out about the situation of the people here in Shandra, she already guessed that Mr. Wicks was different from most people here. After all, he dared to cooperate with Silver Corporation despite knowing the Temple's dislike towards her company. Argent turned to Black who was eating enthusiastically. "Black, don't eat too much."

Argent designed Black and White in a way that they could take in food. The food they ate could be converted into energy source. But eating too much could cause temporary damage to their system. Like how an overcharged device would act if you gave it too much electricity. And Black was prone to that 'overeating' problem. Argent doesn't want to have to fix him while they're here.

Black pouted for a bit but still agreed. "Yes, Master."

Then Argent looked at Clay who has been staring at her since earlier, like he was looking at a problem he couldn't solve. "Stop staring. You're going to bore holes on me."

"He also did that to me earlier," Aurum said.

Clay shrugged. "I'm just thinking what your real face looks like."

"Continue to stare at me like that and I'll gouge your eyes out. Then you'll have no chance of seeing my real face," Argent said while biting on her steak.

"I suggest you do it anyway," Aurum added while smirking at Clay.

"Fine," Clay just said, lifting both hands as if in surrender. "I do have one question, no, make that two."

"What?"

"What's your real name and do you own Silver Corporation?" Clay asked.

Argent could only assume the reason he's asking this question was because he saw Aurum's real face. If he already knew Aurum's real identity, then she saw no harm telling him hers as well. "Name is Argent and yes to your second question."

Clay already expected the answer to his second question, but it still surprised him. He knew how big Silver Corporation was. The two years he was away from the village, almost all the people he met owned an sPhone. If almost everyone in the world owned that gadget, then he couldn't imagine just how rich the company that made it was. And right now, he was sitting with its owner.

"What are you doing here then? Don't you have people you could order to fix the distribution of the sPhones here?" Clay asked again, a bit confused as to why Silver - no, Argent went here himself.

"Let's just say we're bored and leave it at that," Argent said, explaining to him the reason why they're here was too troublesome.

"How about you, Brother, what did you find out?" Aurum said, changing the topic.

Argent told them about how the news of her fight with the knight already reached here. And she also told them about Luc and all the things he did.

Aurum wrinkled her brows after hearing what her brother said. "That Luc person is definitely suspicious."

"That's without question," Clay agreed. "Maybe he's setting up a trap that's why he showed you that hidden passage."

"Yes, he's suspicious. No doubt about that. But I don't think he grabbed my attention just so he could set me up for a trap."

"Why do you think that?" Clay asked, a bit confused.

"All his actions could be explained if we go with the assumption that, for some reason, he knew exactly what I'm doing here." Argent kept thinking since earlier and that's the only answer she came up with.

"But how could he possibly know?" this time it was Aurum who voiced her confusion.

"Maybe he's a telepath. He saw us in this inn and read our minds." Argent said 'our' but in this case it was only Aurum and Clay. Since Gift doesn't work on her and Black was not human and therefore someone with a telepathic Gift couldn't possibly read his mind. However, the informations that could be read from Aurum and Clay were enough.

"When we separated, he chose to follow me because I was alone and thought that he could fool me more easily. Then he did that foolish act so he could tell me the information I wanted about the Bishop. Even showing me that hidden passage." Really, that's the only explanation Argent could think of right now.

Aurum understood what her brother was saying but she still couldn't help but feel confused. "If that was the case, then why would he do any of that?"

"Maybe because he wanted to get rid of the Bishop and he plans to use us to do that," Argent answered, a bit annoyed thinking that someone might actually dare to think of using them.

"Won't he be a problem?" Clay said after listening to Argent.

"I don't think so. At least, for now. Because we share a common goal. But if he later on do become a problem, I'll take care of it." Argent would just probably stab him if that time came. She turned to Clay. "Your sister, she was chosen to go to the capital because the Bishop took a liking to her, correct? Did you ask her for further details about that?"

The sudden changed of topic was a bit surprising for Clay but he still managed to answer Argent immediately. "Yes. According to Flora, when the Bishop came to visit the village, he took one look at her and told the village priest to send her with the others that would be sent to the capital. And also, the whole time the Bishop was there, he kept giving Flora, well, let's just say, perverted glances."

That last bit really pissed the hell out of Clay. If Argent didn't manage to save Flora, he couldn't even begin to imagine what could have happened to his sister.

What Clay said only further proved what Argent already thought about the new Bishop of Shandra. That just made it easier for them to find dirty materials that could destroy the Bishop's reputation. Which in turn could affect the reign of the Temple in this country. "Well then, I think it's time for us to make a proper plan."

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The new Bishop of Shandra - Charles Dupont - was sitting on an ornamental chair inside his heavily decorated room. He appeared to be a man in his 40s, with thinning blond hair and a hook nose that looked like the beak of an eagle. He was holding a goblet of wine in his hand. A beautiful servant girl was beside him, pouring wine on his cup. The afternoon sunlight was passing through the floor to ceiling window. It should have been a perfect day. But no. Because of that damn bandit, his day was completely ruined.

Yesterday, a new batch of teenagers from the village of orphans should have come here. Most of those managed to be brought back here at the middle of the night. But the one Charles was most excited to see was not there. According to the coachman who was travelling with them, a bandit came and snatched the girl. If that was not enough, that same bandit seriously injured the knight who accompanied the teenagers.

It was fine if it was an ordinary knight. But alas, no, it was Heath Magnus - the knight who was being reared as the Pope's personal knight. And according to the message the priest in front of him just delivered, if the healer didn't manage to come on time, Heath might have been in a critical condition now.

"Are there still no news of that bandit?" Charles asked the priest.

"No, Your Excellency. But we already sent out flyers of his portrait according to the coachman's description. I'm sure it won't be long before we receive news," the priest answered respectfully.

"Go out. You're just ruining further my already ruined mood."

The priest bowed and went out of the room.

Charles drank the remainder of the wine then put down his goblet. He looked at the servant girl beside him. He remembered the girl he personally chose from the village. That girl was much more beautiful than this servant girl. But now he might not have the chance to touch her. All because of that bandit! If he knew, he should have just done whatever he wanted to the girl when he was still in that village.

Thinking of that just made him angrier. Charles pulled the servant girl and made her sit on his lap. He could feel her whole body trembling. That somehow appeased him. He liked it when they're afraid. Seeing the look of fear in their eyes just brought unprecedented pleasure to him.

He held the girl's chin and raised her face. "Why don't you entertain me, my sweet?"

The girl's eyes were instantly filled with abject terror. Just the way he liked it.