NoGift

"WHAT big project? We don't have a big project plan up!" Finn said through the screen of his sPhone. He just suddenly got a call from Felicia last night, telling him that Argent wanted him to prepare a business plan for a big project.

"Don't shout. You're making my headache worse," Argent said.

She was in her study, just waiting for Aurum to get ready. Then they could go to the port where the ship brought by the fourth prince of Xing was waiting. Today was the day that the prince and his entourage would be leaving for Xing. And of course that also included her, Aurum, and Black.

It's almost been two days since the talk Argent had with the prince of Xing. Since then, she hasn't left her study. Nelly had to bring her food just so she could eat. Argent has been looking through the data of her mother's sPhone sent by White. But no matter how much she looked it through, she couldn't get much information. Showing that her mother didn't use her sPhone to store any relevant information regarding her search for the missing duke. Knowing her mother, she probably used a more traditional pen and paper. Nothing important were also recorded. Most of the recordings were of her calls to Argent and Aurum. Which meant that she mostly only took her sPhone out of her space ring during those calls.

The only source of information Argent had was the bracelet she gave to her mother. Since it had a built-in GPS system, she could trace her mother's movements since the last time she called her which was more than a month ago. According to the data she retrieved from the bracelet, her mother stayed at the same country in the Northern continent for ten more days. Then all of a sudden, the signal of the bracelet appeared at Xing. Argent could only assume that a person with a teleportation Gift took her mother.

Then after that, her mother stayed in one place. As if she was imprison by whoever teleported her to Xing. She only had movements two days ago when she sent that distress signal. But then she was immediately captured again as was shown from that last video. Due to the fact that her mother didn't contact any of them or even pressed that distress signal during that 20 plus days she was imprisoned, Argent could only assume that her mother was in a state where she couldn't call or do anything. Argent's guess was that she was unconcious. If she was not, Argent was sure that her mother would do everything to fight.

The only good news she got from all of these was that those people who took her mother probably wouldn't kill her immediately. They kept her alive for three weeks for a reason. They needed her for something. Which meant Argent has time to save her. She just hoped that that time would be enough.

Argent couldn't help but clenched her fists. If she just checked her mother's situation from time to time, then something like this might have been prevented. But no, she was too confident that nothing would happen to her mother. The seven years that her mother safely traveled around the world made Argent complacent. And thus, this situation.

"And why does it have to be in Xing? Do you know how hard it was to get permission just so we could built that measly five shops there? And now you want me to think of a big project we could do there?" Finn added.

"Aren't you good at that? Just do it okay, please?"

Finn wanted to complain more but then he noticed the dark shadows under Argent's eyes. Which meant that he probably hasn't been sleeping. Finn only noticed now the exhaustion on Argent's face. Seeing him so tired, Finn couldn't help but soften. "Fine. I'll do it. Just try to take a rest, okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you, Finn."

Argent ended the call. She closed her eyes and leaned on the back of the chair she was sitting on. She already called Jaxon and told him about the situation. She knew he has men in Xing. It would be good if those people could investigate ahead. That's why Argent sent to Jaxon the two locations showed by the bracelet. So his men could look into it. They were people who worked for Jaxon, so she trust that they would be discreet about it.

Now, all she had to do was to go there and investigate the situation herself.

The door of the study suddenly opened and Aurum peeked inside. "Brother, I'm ready. Let's go."

Argent stood up. "Yes."

----------

The twins and Black went down the carriage they were riding. They already arrived at the port. Argent didn't tell Gregory and Nelly about what happened to her mother. All they knew was that she and her sister would go to Xing for business. It wouldn't really help anyone if she told them the truth. At least, they could stay here in Albion with no worries.

"Wow... Look, Master. The ship is so big!" Black exclaimed. "Are we going to ride there?"

"Isn't that already obvious?" Aurum said, flicking Black's forehead.

"Argent!" a familiar voice suddenly called.

They all looked back and saw the second prince of Albion riding a white horse. The horse stopped in front of them and he jumped off. He was sweating. As if he went here in a haste.

"I heard you're leaving," Winter said. He just heard about it from Nikolai. It looked like the Duke of Hanover didn't really want to make it public. So the news hasn't spread yet.

"I have business in Xing," Argent said as an answer.

"How long are you going to be there?"

"Depends. But hopefully not that long." Because leaving that place much sooner would also mean that they managed to save her mother much sooner. Argent was about to tell Winter that they have to go when she remembered something. Because of the situation with her mother, she almost forgot about that other important thing. "That sister of yours, she's connected to someone in the underworld business. If you don't deal with her now, she will destroy you sooner or later."

Argent has been searching for information about that masked man for years. Gecko might be the main culprit to what happened to her and Aurum in that fighting pit, but that masked man had his share of blame as well. She wanted to pay him back for all the scars she received that day. That recording of his conversation with the first princess was the first lead Argent got in years. But she couldn't do anything about it now. Because rescuing her mother was infinitely much more important.

Winter was really not that surprised by what he heard. He knew the first princess was not really a kind person just like how she wanted to project herself. She's the complete opposite of her public image. So her, having a connection to shady people was understandable. He didn't question where Argent got that information. Because he has no reason to lie. But for the most part, Winter just believed in him.

"Thank you, for telling me that," Winter just said. "Does that mean that you already consider me as a friend?"

Aurum rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe this popsicle could be this cheezy. "Brother, I'm going up ahead."

Argent nodded and Aurum walked towards the ship. She returned her gaze back to the prince. "Why are you so fixated on that?" she asked, pertaining to his last question.

The prince became silent for a moment. Then a small smile appeared on his lips, completely warming the cold expression on his face. "Let's just say it's one of my childhood wishes."

Argent raised her brow because of his answer. But then she thought about it. There really wouldn't be any disadvantage in befriending the prince. On the other hand, if he did became the next king, there would only be advantages. And besides, she doesn't really find Winter that annoying.

"Then let me fulfill that wish of yours." She reached out her hand towards Winter. "Friends."

Winter looked like he was he was shocked by thunder. But then he immediately returned to god and shook Argent's hand. "Friends."

The small smile on his lips was now a full-blown smile, making him even more handsome.

Up on the deck, Li Jun and Zhang Lei Feng were watching everything that's happening.

Li Jun glanced at the young general who couldn't take his gaze away from the pretty duke. The prince suddenly felt guilty. He didn't really ask for Lei Feng's opinion when he agreed to that business deal. "Are you really okay with the duke travelling with us?"

"Yes," Lei Feng simply answered, still staring intently at the duke.

Li Jun just shook his head. Maybe he should make sure that the two wouldn't be alone during their voyage. That's the best thing he could do for this friend of his.

Unlike what the prince was thinking, Lei Feng was actually not staring at Argent but at the kid she's with. No matter how long he stared, the kid really does have the same face. Does this mean that, somehow, no matter how small, there's still a memory of the past left in her subconcious?

For the first time, in a while, the young general smiled.

----------

Eastern continent, Xing Empire.

At a small town, a young man with a plain face that wouldn't really be noticed by anyone passing him was eating lunch in a noodle stand. He was wearing a simple white robe that was made of fine material, indicating that he's from a well-off family. The only thing that was probably eyecatching about him was that he was wearing a pair of gloves.

"Are you new in town, young lad?" the old man selling noodles asked. This was a small town, so he had seen most of the people here.

"Yes, grandpa. I'm actually a travelling writer," the young man answered, smiling. "I heard that there's a famous legend around this area. Would you mind telling me about it?"

"It's really no big secret. It's said that under the sea of Leng Jing lies the Temple of Tian Long. Only a child with the blood of Tian Long could open the gates of the temple and get his treasure," the old man said. "But people all know it's just a legend. There wasn't even a sea called Leng Jing."

The young man nodded. "Thank you for telling me, grandpa." He finished his noodles and paid.

He was about to go when the old man called him. "Be careful, young lad. Don't go alone where no one could see you. There's a lot of thieves roaming around here."

The young man smiled. "I know."

He started to walk. But despite what the old man told him, he still went to a dark alley. Just as he expected, the two men who's been eyeing him since earlier followed him there.

"Give us your money if you don't want to die," one of the two said.

The young man turned around. "What if I don't want to?" he asked innocently.

"Then we just have to get it the hard way," the other sneered, immediately attacking him.

The naive smile on the man's face instantly disappeared. He swiftly dodged the man's attack and put his ungloved hand on his face. The man immediately screamed in pain because his face was starting to rot in an incredible speed.

The other man stepped back, his expression full of fear. "N-no, please, please do-don't k-ki--"

"Too late."

The man didn't manage to finish what he's saying because in just one blink the young man was already in front of him. The young man grasped his neck, he could feel his skin rotting at a very fast speed. Before he could even scream, his head was no longer on top of his shoulder.

Viper looked uninterestingly at the two dead men. He brushed the invisible dust on his shoulder before putting on his glove. He took his sPhone from his space ring and smiled brightly when he saw the picture of a teenager with silver hair and purple eyes on the screen.

His Argent grew up to be so pretty and so amazing. Building his own company and inventing this device. Viper couldn't wait to see him again. But he has to finish this mission first.

There was a sudden notification from his [TalkUs] account, indicating that someone sent him a message. It could only be from one of the assassins with coded names in Dreich Gallere. He opened it and he almost crushed the sPhone when he saw the picture inside.

It was Vixen. With his Argent!

Viper gritted his teeth. "That bitch!"