Chapter 40: War Declaration

When they returned to the Adventurers Guild, they found Stella and her own party up and about, lounging around. They also just recently returned from their own Dungeon, didn’t they? Their ragged and tired looks told Bastille that it was such case.

“Hey there, Jacques. Looking sharp as always.” Percival spoke, finding the energy to meet their Leader with a high five which was caught by Jacques, letting out a solid clap resound out. “And you still look like you’re full of energy.”

“Yeah.” Jacques nodded. “We found an artifact for our Archer, so I’m in a good mood today.”

“How lucky...” Harper intoned, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Didn’t find anything?” Bastille asked, and the Priest answered his question with a wordless nod.

The Sorcerer only nodded, understanding their circumstances. It was somewhat unfortunate and demoralizing like that, after all.

“Tobias! My friend!” Leo said, and marched towards him with his hand raised.

“Leo. Pleased to see you’re fine.” Tobias said, his voice much more modulated, but he also raised his hand to match the orange-haired boy’s gesture.

And just like that, an almost deafening, even more solid clap formed from a high five resounded out the guild, which made everything silent. But that only lasted for a few moments, before everyone else began to talk to themselves again.

Those were Adventurers for you, definitely. They weren’t really that impressed with such a loud clap that made Bastille’s ears ring with pain.

But since when did Tobias become friends with the guy...? Then again, maybe befriending someone a person fought up close and personal was something that men tended to do? Bastille idly heard of friendships being made when people were punching each other’s faces out, after all...

He still didn’t know what was up with that.

“Hey, Clara.” The raven-haired, purple-eyed girl around their age called out, and she looked absolutely happy to see her friend again.

“Alaina!” The Archer cheered back, and just like that, they immediately stood in front of each other, Clara having a very subtle bounce to herself.

“I see you found a Relic.” The Enchantress said, with a certain melancholy to her voice. But to Bastille, he only let out a subtle, proud nod.

It seemed like these Dungeon treasures were called Relics. Jacques was wrong, after all.

“Yep, yep.” Clara nodded as she spoke, and that’s when Bastille finally decided to stop paying attention to their conversation.

Now that he thought about it, where was Stella? She was the official party Leader of the other party they were interacting with, after all. A quick glance around the room, before he let out a small, amused grin.

Jacques answered his question without even saying anything; in the form of them talking in one far off corner. How the hell did he even pull Stella aside for a personal one-on-one conversation?

It must be because they’re both the Leaders of their parties, and he must have pulled her aside for something like that. Absolutely real smooth.

Well, props to him, then. Because really, aside from her Magical Eye, then Bastille wasn’t interested in her in the slightest. Not to discredit her own feminine appeal, but he had his own particular, specific tastes, after all.

That being said, what could have made Jacques interested in her to begin with...? Well, he probably shouldn’t pry, so he only shrugged in turn.

... And there went Tobias. He seemed to give his orange-haired friend a small nod, before he slipped away.

If Bastille didn’t happen to glance at his direction at that moment, he wouldn’t have noticed that that just happened.

And what exactly was he going to do now...?

Tobias began to walk towards Jacques and Stella’s direction, and then he seemed to say something that made Jacques nod towards Stella and walk off, and that was when he couldn’t hear their discussion anymore.

Because once again, they were situated in a far off, secluded corner of the Guild. Now that they walked off, they were even more secluded now.

And then after that conversation, Tobias left the building without any context or explanation why, while Jacques seemed to walk back to his companion.

Yeah... He felt like something was up. Maybe he should follow him –

“Bastille!” Jacques called out to him, making him turn around to face him.

“What is it?” Bastille asked back, and then tilted his head in confusion when Jacques only patted his shoulder.

“We need to discuss something serious.” Jacques narrowed his eyes. Bastille’s retorts died when the blonde noble’s eyes were completely serious.

“Alright.” He sighed. “Let’s go elsewhere then.” The Sorcerer replied, and his words were met with a nod, as both of them headed off from the group with polite, self-excusing nods.

When they left to a more isolated corner of the Guild, Bastille only looked towards his leader. “What is it?”

“I need to ask you for a favor.” Jacques replied. Then he continued to speak, and whatever came out of his mouth only made the Sorcerer’s eyes widen with some surprise. “You think you could do that for me?”

“... Absolutely stupid, but whatever.” Bastille sighed back, and shook his head. He had a feeling he would regret agreeing to this...

***

In one of the second floor rooms within the Adventurers Guild, behind one of the doors opposite to the ones of the infirmary, there were three inhabitants within such a room. It resembled a completely normal office, with glass windows which could be swung open or closed shut, and furniture that while made of wood, lacked any of the artistic arches and curves associated with wooden furniture for royalty or nobility, opting for completely square and practical furniture to maximize efficiency and space instead.

Yes... This Office was simply too modern in design, Bastille realized.

“And that concludes my report.” Bastille finished, letting out a sigh to himself after speaking for so long. He idly lowered down the notepad he brought with him, in which he wrote some important, but subtle details just in case he forgot something.

Damn Jacques... Why did his request have to be something like this...?

“So the Tier 3 Magical Dungeon has been cleared by your Party.” Eva, the receptionist in front of them, said with a delighted expression. “Congratulations are in order, then.”

“Does that include a promotion?”

“Bastille, your eyes are turning greedy again.” Clara commented dryly, and he only looked at her with an expression that only proved her point.

It should be noted that she was ordered by Jacques to accompany him when it came to filing their Dungeon Delving report. And there she was.

Of course, since he was alone with her, he did not want to tease her at any point. First, that wouldn’t be any fun. Second, he’s not a bully, despite what she might think. Third, he did not want to get elbowed without any mercy.

Then again, she was silent for the most part. Except maybe an agreement or a reminder when a detail is misremembered every now and then, she kept mostly to herself like that.

Probably because being the assistant of the Party Leader giving out reports is mostly just fact-checking and giving the image from another perspective. And she was actually doing great like that.

“Fortunately, you are qualified.” She replied, with a nod of her head.

His eyes narrowed in turn. Of course they were! They’ve been doing nothing but clearing Magical Dungeons for the past few weeks!

“By the way, where’s your Party Leader? Shouldn’t he be the one to file these reports for you?” She asked, and he let out a slow blink.

“Well... about that.” Bastille began awkwardly, then gave a single cough to clear his throat. “He said he needed to do something important, so he left me in charge. Is this arrangement not acceptable?”

“No, no... You’ve been his assistant when it comes to these matters, so I’m willing to let this slide once.” She replied, giving a small shake of her head. “Alright, then that’s the report done. Normally I shouldn’t be bothering to ask this, but I have to admit my own personal feelings have made me curious about that boy. How is Marcus – or was it Tobias now?”

“Yeah. I don’t know about you, but dealing with the necessary paperwork to get his adventurer name changed like that. Ah... that was pain...” Bastille groaned, stretching out his hands as he seated himself comfortably against the impossibly comfortable sofa. This reminded him of his home back then... “But he’s doing fine now. Anyways, what made you ask?”

“Well... the first he came to the Guild, I have to admit that he was completely... strange.” She admitted. “I don’t ever recall him laying his eyes on the grand painting of our beloved city, and he was almost too...”

“Indifferent?” Clara offered.

Bastille knew that Tobias listened to his lessons about science every now and then, and by extension, that meant Clara stuck around and also listened to his lessons every now and then, because she obviously held Tobias with some fancy.

That was the reason why he wasn’t surprised that her vocabulary has improved since then.

“Yes, thank you. Indifferent, that’s the term. So I honestly thought that he would be too strange to ever fit with people. You could imagine how surprised I was when you offered him to join your party.” Eva said, chuckling to herself. Then she straightened her back. “Anyways, I just wanted to ask; how he is nowadays?”

“Definitely not indifferent anymore.” Bastille answered, humming to himself. “Less strange, and more open. I guess you can say he’s like a normal person now.”

“Hey. You make it sound like he wasn’t normal before.” Clara spoke up, and he let out a sigh. Of course she would speak up when it came to talking about that guy.

“I’m not gonna lie, he’s been kinda weird for the first few weeks.” He retorted, although it lacked the sarcastic edge he usually laced his words with. “Even you said so back then, don’t you remember?”

“T-that was completely different.” She stammered back, shame crossing through her face. “That was him acting as Marcus back then... Now, he’s Tobias.”

“You do know they’re one and the same, right?”

“Yeah... I really think he just didn’t have any friends who tried to understand him. That’s why he ended up like that.”

Bastille didn’t say anything to refute that. Because really, that guy... It was obvious that Marcus was his only true friend, to the point where he assumed his identity after he died to try to cope with it. What kind of normal person even did that?

Eva clapped her hands together, and let out a delighted hum. “I’m glad that he’s made some pretty good friends with you guys. No... I think the reason why he’s able to return back to normal like that is because you guys in specific were the ones to befriend him.”

“Wait... Why do you care so much about him, exactly?” Bastille asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. In turn, the woman only gave a lighthearted laugh.

“He’s always come to me for his quests and rewards. Even if the line is long, or the line is short, he never bothered anyone else.” She replied, then let out a small smile. “How could I not pay attention to him when he’s like that?”

Too focused on things most people would ignore... Has a distinctly unique way to cope with things... Never seemed to notice shallow appearances that other people would pay attention to... Strangely fixated on the things that he finds agreeable or comfortable...

Bastille sighed.

Tobias was one hell of a guy, after all.

But it’s a good thing that those tendencies were toned down over time.

“Anyways, it’s good that you pay attention to him. But don’t you think that you’re kind of wasting your time right now?” He asked, standing up from the sofa to prove his point. “Now that our report’s done, don’t we need to go now?”

While the older woman seemed ready to ask another question about the well-being of their latest party member, she only nodded her head. “Indeed, it is. My apologies for keeping you longer than I needed to. You may feel free to leave now.”

“Come on Clara, let’s go now.” He sighed, and made his way to the exit of the office. But the lack of footsteps aside from his own made him turn back, and he only found Clara narrowly, subtly glaring at the slightly older woman.

... That was probably jealousy, if nothing else. So with a sigh to himself, he lightly chopped her head. The results were instant; she stopped her subtle glare, and only looked up at him. And then she let out her obvious, full glare, aimed towards him this time.

“Yeah, stop glaring at me. We need to go now, we’ve wasted enough of her time as is.” Bastille said, and reached out to grab her arm, before pulling her upwards so she could stand.

Or that was the intent; because he was forcefully reminded that he was only a Sorcerer, and even an Archer had more physical strength and stability than him. So that action only ended up with him uselessly trying to pull on her arm.

“Alright, I get it. Stop grabbing me, I’ll go.” She huffed, releasing her glare when she finally realized that she was being stupid. Thankfully. And without any further words, the unlikely duo left the office room.

Looking up towards one of the glass windows, Bastille only had one thought in his mind, and he let out a heavy sigh.

Tobias really did kick the hornet’s nest, didn’t he...?

***

Within the silent, tree-filled forest, a voice suddenly called out, making Tobias perk up from the fallen log he had used as his seat, and he stood up to look at the newcomer.

“What can I do to change your mind, Tobias?”

That voice... That smooth voice refined from using long, extended speeches. That familiar baritone voice, with subtle footsteps following his wake, as his sheathed saber clinked by his side...

Jacques listened to the letter’s instructions with utmost detail, at the very least. Tobias let out a small, wry grin at that fact, as he turned around to face him.

“You say that.” Tobias began, as he eyed the saber. “But you already came in here prepared to begin with.”

“It seems like I have.” Jacques agreed, with a small nod. From his pocket, he retrieved a silken glove – the one that he borrowed from Leo earlier. “I certainly didn’t expect you to throw a white glove at me, though. It seemed like my threats did nothing to faze you.”

“Yeah. Sorry for the fact that I tend to snap back to whoever antagonizes me and holds something that I want to know.” He apologized, but without any of the mannerisms typically attached to his apologies. His back was still perfectly straight, and his gaze still locked with his Leader’s. “But don’t you think you’re rude for leaving a conversation unfinished?”

“Alright, then. If that’s what you want.” Jacques’ eyes flared white, and for the shortest while, fear crept up to Tobias. But he suppressed down that fear, and only matched it with a glare of his own. “It is only expected for the Leader to provide for his party, isn’t it?”

“You got that right.” He said. “I decided that I’m going to get those answers, one way or another.”

“Even if it might shed blood and cost a life?” Jacques began, then he only shook his head. “No... That was foolish of me. Forgive me. Your impulsive decisions already led to that, with Marcus and all.”

This guy...!

Tobias glared at the man in front of him. “I regret telling you that.” Then he drew his sword with a faint hiss; well-sharpened steel rasping against wood scabbard. “I want to take back my personal life that I told you about. But that is impossible, so it’s only natural for me to want to learn about your secrets in exchange, right?”

“I suppose that’s the case.” Jacques nodded, but he already held his saber in his right hand as well. The slightly curved blade seemed to be sharpened and polished just for this occasion. “But it seems like you aren’t going to back down any time soon.”

While he was terribly upset and angry because of his comment prior, he knew that giving into his emotions right now would only spell disastrous consequences. So he narrowed his eyes, and let out a hiss of breath to calm himself down.

“We don’t have to do this, you know.” Tobias said. Because a single mistake – is all it would take to kill someone in this duel that he declared out of his sheer impulsiveness. “If you would tell me what I need to know, then it shouldn’t come to this.”

“You already know this answer, but until you defeat me, then I refuse.” He replied, shaking his head. “There are some things better left unknown, Tobias. What you want to know is one of them. And besides, didn’t you already proclaim your War Declaration? Why are you withdrawing it now?”

“... You’re right.” Tobias shook his head. Then he finally raised his longsword – sharpened steel which should have been held with both hands, but he found it light enough to use with only his right hand. He always did. “I did tell you to come here dressed with steel. I will force you to speak the truth when I win.”

“I’m really glad you’ve learned a thing or two when it came to poetry and quotes.” Jacques drawled out, and with a small flourish, pointed his saber at him, while his eyes burned a bright white. “Let me tell you something new then, Tobias. To the victor goes the spoils.”

“Now that’s a good one.” Tobias nodded. “I only hope that you’re capable of following through with it.”

Jacques said nothing after that. But he let out a small, refined slash with his saber in the air, and he called out a word which only confused Tobias.

“Analysis.” Jacques called out, and his already white eyes seemed to flash brighter – much brighter than it already was, and his eyes seemed to read an invisible panel of light ahead of him.

And after a few moments, it was Jacques who sprang forth.