In his unconscious state, Alan's mind drifted through hazy images of his homeland, the Kingdom of Rir. He beheld the imposing castle of King Ushio, encircled by towering walls that guarded the bustling capital of Umarna. The glow and vibrancy of the capital remained unchanged in his memory.
As his vision expanded, Alan observed the seven bridges linking the capital to the surrounding villages, each pulsating with prosperity. His attention turned to Tyly Village, its name proudly displayed atop a towering structure. Alan's gaze wandered through the village, recognizing familiar sights—the sweet shops, clothing stores, and trinket vendors that adorned its streets.
Continuing further, Alan ventured deeper into the village and came across quaint huts, each exuding a sense of serenity and charm. Positioned at just the right intervals, they seemed to accentuate the beauty of the river flowing behind the village. Above the tranquil waters, majestic mountains bathed in hues of pink and cerulean under the setting sun, painting a scene straight out of a masterpiece.
Mesmerized by the breathtaking vista, Alan's gaze eventually settled on a small hut nestled below. As he traveled down, glancing at the hut, a wave of familiarity washed over him, nearly bringing tears to his eyes as he beheld the humble dwelling.
Alan slowly opened the gate, anticipating the comforting familiarity of the hut. However, what greeted him was a scene of horror. A woman's lifeless body lay on the floor, her head severed and placed grotesquely atop a man's hand. The man sat nearby, a knife plunged into his heart, his anguished eyes wide with pain as his mouth hung open, his tongue resting on the woman's head.
Terror seized Alan, and he bolted out of the hut, only to find the once serene landscape transformed into a nightmarish realm. Where the castle once stood, now loomed the ominous silhouette of Relic Castle. Tears welled in Alan's eyes as he witnessed a violent eruption from the castle's peak, spewing molten lava and consuming everything in its path, including Alan himself.
In a panic, Alan jolted awake in his bed,his heart pounding with fear and confusion.
Longiseus remained composed in the face of Alan's abrupt awakening, casually remarking, "Must be some nightmare."
Alan, still reeling from the intensity of his dream, rose from the bed and hurried to the window, trying to steady his breathing as sweat dripped down his forehead.
Longiseus approached Alan with a damp cloth in hand. "Here," he offered quietly. Alan accepted the cloth, gratefully wiping the sweat from his face as he gradually regained his composure.
His eyes glanced over at Armis, who lay unconscious on the bed, concern etched across his features, Alan's words began to form his worries, but suddenly Longiseus intervened.
"No need for concern," Longiseus assured him. "He's fine, just resting like the others. And by the way..."
Longiseus gently placed his book on the table beside Armis's bed, his gaze humble yet determined as he continued speaking.
"Before I forget, congratulations," he said warmly, "you two have passed and are now Rook Level Raiders. In the evening, you will receive your compensation and manuals like the others. After a day off tomorrow, you will be dispatched to Relic Castle with an official sendoff."
Alan's expression softened with relief upon hearing this news. He eased back, his senses calming as he sat by Armis's side, watching him stir awake. As the briefing concluded, Longiseus began making his way towards the door.
Expecting Longiseus to leave, Alan watched in anticipation, only to be surprised when Longiseus swiftly locked the door and began spraying a vial of black liquid on it.
After finishing that he moved back to Alan and Armis, approaching them as he began, "That was Silentium Potion, you can find its recipe in the manual. I am not going to explain it to you."
Longiseus's tone was nonchalant as he brought a chair to the middle of the room. Then, his expression shifted to its usual sternness, seriousness, and authority as he sat down, crossing his hands and placing one leg on top of the other.
"What matters is its effect," he continued, his voice firm. "Spray it on the door of a room, and it ensures that no sound, not even wind, leaves through that entrance or exit. Because!" he exclaimed, glancing at Armis, who had just awoken and was instantly commanded by Longiseus's authoritative voice.
"What I am going to tell shall not be passed to any other ear, except the ones present here," Longiseus continued, his tone unwavering. "Violate the rule, and I will find you and kill you myself with my sword. And as you already are aware of what happens when you kill someone with your marked weapon..."
He tilted towards Armis, whose expression became grim. Alan glared at Longiseus as he continued tilting back up.
"What you did with Venatus is known as Purgatio, it is a forbidden technique that absorbs the mark and lifeforce tied with it into the killer's mark and enhances the weapon and the user many folds than the mere monster slaying." Hearing this, Armis finally let his eyes hit on his mark. Now much darker and resembling proper armor, as Longiseus continued.
"But it has its drawbacks; if the user has a meek mind, the constant use of purgatio corrupts its mind, turning the user into a killer psychopath. That is why, if everyone used purgatio to enhance their mark, Pompeii wouldn't even last a day. The 5th Pope made sure that this technique shall be forgotten from all Pompeii, except for some influential lineages, and the Pope himself is aware of its existence."
As Longiseus said this, his voice turned concerning and grim. "But because of the chaos caused by Venatus at the festival, someone else became aware of this technique."
Longiseus glared right into Alan and Armis's eyes as they understood, who Longiseus was talking about-
"You are already aware of who I am talking about. I saw him, and he is not someone who should be aware of such a secret. So, I have two conditions for you if you want me to spare your lives and cover up your involvement in the whole Venatus destruction," Longiseus's voice turned into a threat as he stood from the chair and began walking towards the gate.
"Never use the Purgatio again in your life, and…" Longiseus tilted and grabbed hold of the doorknob, glaring back at Alan and Armis, who now wore serious expressions. With a commanding voice, Longiseus said, "Find Augustus and kill him before it's too late."
Then Longiseus opened the gate and found Aurelia, Lyco, and Relect waiting to meet their friends. They bowed to him before Longiseus left, and they burst into the room. Relecta quickly jumped on Alan, crying like a baby.
"BOSS!!! I thought you died," she exclaimed.
Behind her, Aurelia embraced Armis, her concern evident on her face against the blush on Armis's cheeks.
"Oh, Armis, I was worried that you would never get back up," she said softly.
Lyco climbed onto the bed from behind and draped both his arms around Armis and Alan teasingly.
"And I was worried that now you guys will never pay me back," he teased.
Hearing his teasing, Armis and Alan's grim expressions changed to laughter as they rejoiced with their friends. But inside, they still grappled with the words of Longiseus, who had forcefully set the next course of their journey at the tip of his sword.
NEXT MORNING
"Wake up, everyone!" Aurelia's voice thundered through the door of Alan and Armis's room, shattering their peaceful slumber. Armis bolted upright, his instincts on high alert.
"Who's there?!" he exclaimed, ready to defend himself.
Meanwhile, Alan struggled to wake up, his vision blurry as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Relecta clung to him like a sleepy koala, her nightgown hanging from his neck.
"What's going on?" Alan mumbled, still half-asleep and disoriented.
Aurelia stood there, her face lit up with excitement, arms outstretched as if waiting for Armis and Alan to join her infectious energy. Armis, observing Aurelia's enthusiasm, gradually relaxed, lowering his guard. With a half yawn, he addressed her, "Whoa... it's just you, Aurelia. Let me... just..."
Before Armis could retreat to his bed, Aurelia grabbed his hands and started spinning him around, her voice filled with exuberance. "Armis!!! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's our last day to PARTY!!!!"
Armis tumbled onto his bed after Aurelia's retreat, still reeling from the spin, Aurelia resumed her excited pose, her hand still extended towards the ceiling.
Alan, dragging himself out of bed, walked over to Lyco, who stood at the gate watching Aurelia's childish antics with a sarcastic frown. Scratching his head, Alan stood in front of him, with Relecta still hanging from his neck like a pendant. Glancing at Aurelia, who was now shaking Armis out of his dizziness, Alan turned his half-opened gaze to Lyco and asked in a mild, half-asleep tone, "What's she up about? What party?"
Lyco maintained his sarcastic gaze on Aurelia as he answered, "It's our last day in Pompeii, so it's her way to cope with the anxiety she's feeling for tomorrow, our sendoff to Relic Castle."
Alan suddenly realized, his eyes widening in surprise, as he wondered how he could have forgotten. Maybe the stress of the past two weeks had dulled even his sharp senses, or perhaps he was just getting—"
Before Alan could contemplate further, Relecta slowly climbed onto his neck and quietly nibbled on his skin like a baby. Startled, Alan began pulling Relecta away as she almost tore off his flesh.
After tossing Relecta back onto the bed with a mixture of amusement and annoyance, Alan turned to Lyco, who was chuckling at the interaction between Alan and Relicta.
Regaining his composure, Alan said, "Oh yeah, you're right. So, what are we doing today, Au—"
Before Alan could address Aurelia, she leaped onto him, grabbing his shoulder tightly and bouncing up and down like an excited child in her nightgown.
"We are gonna eat, we are gonna shop, we are gonna buy armor, WE ARE GOING TO THE BEACH!!!!" Aurelia exclaimed with closed eyes and raised arm, her excitement palpable as she tilted her body and spread her feet in pure childlike joy.
Alan, cringing with squinted eyes, slowly backed away, but before he could react, Relecta jumped on him, throwing him off balance. He fell, and she triumphantly sat on his back, echoing Aurelia's excitement.
"To the beach!!" Relecta shouted alongside Aurelia's enthusiastic proclamation.
Frustrated, Alan looked up towards the door where Aurelia stood, as she looked at Alan and then glanced at Armis.
"You three, get ready in 30 minutes!" Aurelia declared, before mimicking a horn with her hands around her mouth and yelling, "WE ARE GOING SHOPPING!!!!!!" She dashed off down the corridor.
Following Aurelia's lead, Lyco came to the door with a teasing expression.
"This is gonna be a long day," he remarked before leaving, slamming the door behind him.
Meanwhile, Armis, still lying on the bed with his head spinning, and Relecta sitting on Alan's back, bouncing with excitement. Alan lay on the ground, his tired expression evident as he sighed and buried his face in the floor.