Sylvie can't fly all night like Aya and I can, so we were currently setting up a camp under the base of the Grand Mountains. It was a pleasant journey so far, we talked for a little, but mostly flew in silence after a while.
Arthur conjured seats for us made from his earth magic as he set up the fire pit in the middle, so we didn't have to use mana to stay warm. I had plenty of mine left, flying was like walking for me now, however, I couldn't fly and fight still, that was still difficult.
Sylvie was already asleep on an earthen slab Arthur conjured for her across from me. Aya was sitting to my left, and Arthur had a seat on my right, he wasn't sitting though at the moment. "Is this good with everyone?" Arthur set the branches he gathered on fire with his magic, and I felt the warmth hit my face, it was a nice feeling.
"Perfect." Aya answered him, and I nodded my head. "I feel bad for your bond, she has to carry you the whole time."
"Hopefully, I hit white core soon, so that I can fly myself." Arthur should be hitting white core at any time now, well, not while we are on the mission, when we get back. "But it's fine, it gives us time to talk about everything."
"Did you bring food?" I asked, changing the topic slightly. "Cause I am pretty hungry." I only had these snack bars in my mana ring, and didn't really want to eat them, they tasted like shit to be honest.
"I did." Arthur said, pulling out a piece of meat from his mana ring. "I'll cook it for everyone."
"Thanks!" I exclaimed, happy that he brought something good. "So, while you are cooking, should we go over our actual plan?" I asked, knowing Aya knew this whole thing was to root out Rahdeas being a spy, and at the same time taking down a Retainer. "Aya, can you tell me everything you know?"
"Why not?" Aya said, sending me a smile. "I was told that there was a high chance that Rahdeas was an Alacryan spy, and that Commander Virion was using him." I nodded my head at her as Arthur began to cook the piece of meat he brought over the fire. He was listening to our conversation, I could tell, because he kept on looking up at us. "You suspected that there was an Alacryan base underground, and we are all hoping for a Retainer or Scythe to show up, how you knew about the base, I don't know, but I am happy you do."
"I wouldn't hope for a Scythe to show up." Arthur added. "I still think we are outmatched, let's not forget, Cadell wasn't really trying when he fought us."
"Oh, I know." I replied, knowing he didn't try to kill us, but I think getting him to use his gas form was a win for us. "I think, if anyone is going to be there, it's going to be a Retainer."
"I agree." Aya answered. "From what I have gathered, they wouldn't have a Scythe at some hideout underground." She was wrong, I mean Seris was in a hideout underground in Darv, but it's a good thought.
"It doesn't matter who is there." I waved them both off. "We will take care of whoever shows up."
"Don't get cocky, Veer." Arthur shot at me. "You know we would be in trouble if Cadell shows up."
"Cadell is probably getting an ass whooping from Agrona right now." I didn't know their relationship that well, but he probably was, I mean he let two Lessers escape him. "The odds of there being only one Retainer there are low, Cadell now knows my powers, and knows what we are capable of, he has told Agrona by now, and I'm sure they wouldn't risk sacrificing a Retainer so easily."
"You're right, but we know that." Arthur said.
"Yeah, and the fact the three of us are going, with your dragon, I think you are right, one Retainer would not be enough." Even with limited knowledge, Aya is pretty smart, but that makes sense, she is a Lance. "You did beat one single handedly, and he was the strongest Retainer, right?"
"He was." I admitted, examining Aya as she thought about the situation. "If I was Agrona, I would send a Scythe, but I don't think he will, it will show a weakness to some sorts, if anything, there will be two or more Retainers."
"I don't know about that." Arthur sat down, and stared at the fire, which was now roasting the piece of meat he had cooking. "Even two Retainers wouldn't be enough for us now, from what I know at least, you defeated one by yourself, he knows Sylvie and I are a force to be reckoned with, and with Aya with us, two Retainers would go down easily."
"True." Aya said, and I also agreed with that statement, two Retainers wouldn't be able to take us down, well, maybe, I think Arthur is overestimating his strength, he defeated Jagrette barely, like barely, he was wounded from head to toe in acid marks, or whatever the marks he had, but I know he struggled with her. "I say we just think that a Scythe will show up, that way if it doesn't, we are in a better state." Little did Aya know, that in a one on one fight, a Retainer would kill her in seconds.
"I agree." Arthur leaned back in his chair. "We also have to take in account any soldiers that are there." He was right, we had to be smart about how we took care of the soldiers there. "One of us are going to have to fight them, while the others are fighting the Retainer or Scythe."
"Yeah." You know, on one hand, I'm like, I want to fight a Retainer or Scythe, but on the other, if I had the chance to fight a thousand people at once, by myself, it would be pretty fun, however, fighting one singular person who is known to be one of the strongest fighters on their side would probably be better.
"I suggest either Lance Aya you take on the soldiers, or Veer, I want a shot at the Vritra." Arthur said, which I knew he wanted, he told me already, so it made sense. I didn't know if Aya would allow that though, now that they had two missions basically, they had to make sure I didn't get captured, which I was not going to be.
"I am fine with that." Aya turned to me and continued. "One of us, Arthur, should be near Veer at all times, maybe not next to him, but in a close proximity."
"No, none of that shit." I spoke up. "No, I don't need protection, I'm stronger than the two of you combined, I'll kill whoever shows up." I faced Arthur, my face dull of any emotion. "You can count on that; it doesn't matter who." The two of them went silent, no one saying anything. "But, if you want to make sure I am safe, I'll pull the old clone trick out of my bag if I have to, so don't worry, I'll be fine."
"You think that will work again?" Arthur asked. "On a person as strong as Cadell, you think a simple clone will work again?"
I nodded my head. "I mean, depending on how I use it, of course it will." You wouldn't be able to track my real body because it has no mana, you would have to search for it, and I'm sure Aya and Arthur wouldn't allow that, so I was pretty sure. "Arthur, remember who was the one who stood up against Cadell."
"I know you did; I'm just saying what are the odds you do it again when he is trying to kill you." Arthur had a point, but there was zero chance Cadell was showing up again this early, we won't see him for a while, I guarantee that.
"I'll do it again." I said straight faced. "I know you want revenge on Cadell, Arthur, but if he is there, I'll handle it by myself, you can take a Retainer if one shows up instead." Like I said, Cadell wasn't going to show up, but if he did, I would kill him.
"I like seeing this side of you." Aya tilted her head at me. "Knowing what you are capable of, an angry you scares me, might be able to kill Arthur and me straight up." She had no idea.
"It scares me too." Arthur said. "You didn't seem angry when you were fighting Cadell last time."
"I wasn't, I was in shock, you know that." I looked at him with a, you know face, trying to say that I was surprised Jagrette wasn't there, because of my knowledge of the novel. "I don't know the last time I have been angry, well, I guess that's not true, I was angry that fight, I was angry I didn't kill him."
"That's slightly different, you weren't angry with your opponent, but yourself." Aya stated, she was right once again. I truly doubted her intelligence, which I know sounds wrong, but I did. "Veer, I know you have been told this countless times, but I want you to hear it from me." I looked at her confused, not knowing what she had to say. "Arthur was the one who was supposed to be our savior, and I believe that still, but I also believe you have the strength and intelligence to do the same exact thing."
"You have no idea." Arthur said sarcastically, causing me to smile.
"Veer, while Arthur is our angel, you are our devil." Wow, like I haven't heard that before, just in slightly different terms.
"Huh." Arthur shrugged. "I am an angel, my little brother is a devil, how ironic."
"I'm only called a goddamn devil because I can control blood." I suggested, I knew that was true at least. If I didn't control blood, I would be called something different, like the child of prophecy, ehh, not that, but something different.
"No, you are called a devil, because you killed a hundred Alacryans by yourself, and cleared multiple dungeons by yourself, they say out there when you come around the only thing waiting for the enemy is death." Aya was smiling at me. "You little devil."
"Shut up." I smiled back at her, not knowing that really. "I guess that isn't totally incorrect though, everywhere I go, people tend to die, mostly enemies."
"Yeah." Aya leaned over and took in the warmth of the fire. "You are the strongest person in Dicathen."
"I know that already." I did, I also knew that wasn't enough, I couldn't be the strongest person in Dicathen, I had to be the strongest person in the world, that was the only way to get what I wanted. "Soon, though, Arthur will catch up to me, isn't that, right?"
"I will." Arthur had a confident tone to his voice, but I knew he wouldn't, with my blood magic, he had no way to catch me, unless he gets aether, but if he does, that means we lost the war. "Besides whom we are fighting, we are supposed to go into the town to shut down the slave trade, like that was a serious mission."
"That should be easy." I shrugged, knowing Sebastion would be there, I'll kill him without hesitating when I see him, I could care less.
"Well, we have to walk into the town like we are normal people, so I had an idea." Arthur said, and I already knew what it was, but not how it would work.
"And what is this idea?" Aya asked him curiously, and I faced Arthur with a grin, knowing it.
"We go into Ashber as slave traders." I rolled my eyes at my brother. "I'll be in charge, you two will act like my slaves, and we will get into the place with ease."
"Haha." Aya laughed. "You are clever."
"Tch." I was no one's slave, but I guess since I knew what this mission would come down to, I had to pretend to be a slave. "I'll do it, seems like the only plan." I had a plan, go in and kill everyone that we suspected to be a slave trader, yet again, that may be everyone.
"We can't be in these clothes though." Aya was right, she and I were in too fancy of clothing to be slaves.
"I have that covered." Arthur pulled out two outfits from his mana ring and held them out to us.
"Ha." I laughed looking at my outfit, it was a brown dirty looking shirt, and a pair of dirty black shorts. "You got to be kidding me." Aya had a similar outfit, but it had more of a dress look to it.