Chapter 39: Squad 7 of Twilight Order

The smoke slowly dispersed, revealing nothing but a scorched patch of cobblestone where the cloaked man had been standing only moments ago. The three Awakened from the Twilight Order remained still for a few seconds, their eyes scanning the surrounding streets while the City Police kept the civilians away from the area.

Then the blue-haired man turned toward me.

His eyes moved over my clothes, then to the revolver still in my hand. His expression changed almost instantly.

"Wait..."

He stared at me for another moment before his face stiffened.

"Are you a noble?"

I raised an eyebrow.

The man immediately straightened his posture before lowering his head.

"Apologies for my earlier language, young sir. I did not realize who was standing in front of me."

I stared at him for a second before laughing.

"Don’t worry about it."

Honestly, I couldn’t care less.

The man raised his head again, looking somewhat surprised by my reaction. He then extended a hand toward me.

"Lucas."

I shook it.

"Edmund."

"I’m the leader of Squad 7 of the Twilight Order," Lucas said, withdrawing his hand. "Our squad operates under Count Ricardio."

’Count Ricardio.’

I filed the name away without further thoughts.

Lucas glanced toward the clothing store before continuing, his expression becoming more serious.

"The woman you just saved wasn’t the actual target. She was a decoy."

I looked toward the place where the woman had disappeared.

"The target was the wife of Earl Mikkel. She was supposed to be attacked today, but we received information that the organization behind it had discovered her movements."

"Navaja," one of the other Awakened added quietly.

Lucas nodded.

"Navaja."

So that was the name of the organization.

’Hmm... This Navaja was the one mentioned in the newspaper as well... They are getting too much active nowadays.’

I looked at the destroyed street, the scorched stones, and the fragments of the battle that remained scattered around us. A few minutes ago, I had simply been walking through Kingsmere. Now I had somehow ended up between an assassination attempt and one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations.

I sighed inwardly.

This was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to avoid.

There were people who made their living standing in the middle of situations like this. Awakened who hunted monsters, investigated organizations, fought criminals, and involved themselves in matters where a single mistake could mean death.

I wasn’t one of them.

At least, not yet.

Whatever games these people were playing, they were games of life and death. Getting involved might bring trouble to me, and trouble to me could eventually reach my family.

That wasn’t something I was willing to risk.

"Well, I’ll leave the rest to you."

Lucas looked at me.

"You’re leaving?"

"Yes."

’Yeah, of course! Why the hell do I need to be here? I am not answering any questions, because it might lead to Voice of Death... Even the revolver I have now is in the legally grey area...’

I smiled at him, rubbing the back of my head.

"I have somewhere I need to be."

Without waiting for his response, I turned around and walked away. And to my surprise, Lucas did not stop me.

’Thank god.’

That was exactly what I wanted.

...

The further I walked, the quieter the scene behind me became. The sounds of hurried footsteps and distant shouting gradually faded beneath the ordinary noise of Kingsmere. Carriages rolled across the cobblestone roads, their wheels producing a steady clatter as people moved through the streets as though nothing unusual had happened.

The morning air was still remarkably clean, carrying none of the heavy smoke that usually lingered around the industrial districts. The buildings surrounding the road were also far more refined than those in Ashwell Row, with polished windows, decorated facades, and shops displaying expensive goods behind their glass.

I continued walking without any particular destination in mind, simply following the road toward the academy. After everything that had just happened, I had no desire to think about another fight. I had already used more spiritual power than I would have liked, and the last thing I needed was another Awakened deciding that I looked suspicious.

Moments later, I reached the center of a large intersection.

Four wide cobblestone roads stretched away from it in different directions, constantly occupied by carriages passing through the city. In the middle stood a golden statue.

’King Alfey the second.’

The statue depicted him as a fit, imposing man with a curved mustache and a crown resting upon his head. A long cape hung from his shoulders, while the rest of his clothing carried the unmistakable appearance of royal attire.

Both of his hands rested upon the hilt of a sword, whose tip touched the ground.

Beneath the morning sunlight, the golden statue seemed to shine brightly against the surrounding streets. The details of the king’s clothing were clearly visible even from a distance, and the sword beneath his hands gave the entire statue a sense of quiet authority.

I slowed down for a moment and looked at it.

Then I smiled and continued walking.

Kingsmere was certainly different from Ashwell Row.

Five minutes later, I finally arrived at the academy. The familiar sight immediately came into view, and I walked through the entrance without slowing down. The noise of the streets gradually disappeared behind me, replaced by the more familiar atmosphere of the academy grounds.

I hadn’t even gone very far when I spotted Arthur.

He was sitting beside a small patch of plants, casually flicking his wrist every few seconds. Each time he did, the plants responded. Their stems stretched upward, leaves unfolded, and small buds slowly swelled beneath the morning sunlight.

Arthur didn’t even seem particularly interested in what he was doing. He simply sat there, speeding up their growth with every lazy movement of his hand, as though making plants grow several times faster was nothing more than a way to pass the time.

I stopped a few steps away and watched him for a moment.

Then... I smiled.

’So this is how Mr. Houseplant is spending his mornings.’