Missions.

Next Monday Gaius received the results of his examinations. As expected his results were varied, while some things, like science, were already known in the Hidden World in his age there were many that didn't. He lacked knowledge of the precise formulas in Physics, he was ignorant of history and literature. So he actually had to study so he could get the appropriate diplomas.

Thankfully the association allowed him to self study, since he had been registered legally as an adult. Due to that he found himself with a lot of free time now that he didn't need to catch up to thousands of years of Touki and Senjutsu research. This freedom made Gaius realise something, he had nothing to do. In his hermit life he had to do everything, but now? He was gazing at his navel half the time. And he had woken up two hours ago. He also lacked any form of entertainment, he had no books, no movies, no video games. And yesterday's culture appreciation made him long for them. Thus he concluded he needed extra money, while he still had half of what he had been paid, that was to fund his magical activities and his every day expenses.

It was time to take a mission. With this purpose he went to the administrative district, before he was stopped by the rules. It turned out that one must complete at least ten missions of a lower rank before being allowed to take one of a higher rank. Meaning he was stuck with white missions, things like bringing old man Mitsuhide valuabable myrthanic mercury. They also paid low, in the hundreds of yens. However his spirits were brought up by the fact that ten white missions wouldn't take long.

As such he valiantly searched for a little boy’s lost pet, a three year old manticore. He helped an old lady summon a lesser wind spirit. He brought old man Mitsuhide his myrthanic mercury. He expelled a poltergeist from a playground, which weren't ghosts but spirits born of mischief. He watered down a moonthrall flower bed. And another five missions.

He returned to the mission counter to bring them in, and he finally could do red missions. He was disappointed. He upgraded from finding a baby manticore to feeding captive adult ones. To summoning a pestilence spirit. To bringing old man Mitsuhide his fireburst rubies. To expelling a nighthound. To feeding blood sucking vines. Etcétera.

In other words, nothing dangerous, and all boring and time consuming. But he had dealt with boredom before, therefore he decided he would deal with this boringness in exchange of later excitement. But before he could leave he encountered familiar faces.

“Hey there Gaius! How are you doing? Haven't seen you in a week.” A voice sounded behind him. He turned and saw Akihiko and Ryuunosuke.

“Hello Akihiko, Ryuunosuke. I'm doing fine, just going up the mission rankings.”

“Good morning Gaius.” That was Ryuunosuke.

“Ah, the old tradition of not being allowed to take missions of your Rank, even if you are ready for them. Been there, done that.”

“Pretty much. By the way what is Ryuunosuke doing here, shouldn't he be at school?”

“No. The year has already ended. I have vacations right now. Or I would if Akihiko didn't make me accompany me.” The last part was said with irritation, Ryuunosuke was not happy with his vacation being cut short.

“The earlier you end your mentorship, the earlier you are free Ryuunosuke. Think of it as an investment for summer vacations. By then I'll probably have given you my approval.”

“Wait, I haven't asked before but what is a mentorship?”

“It's a special program. After you have passed a Rank 0 combat test you are allowed to go into missions alongside a more experienced member. This member is selected of an available list of volunteers by the mentored.” Answered Ryuunosuke.

“So that means you chose Akihiko? Why?”

“He may not seem like it, but he's pretty famous. He is only a Rank 0 but he is one of the associations best investigators. He also takes missions way above his Rank and has survived so far. He seemed like he had a lot to teach.”

“What do you mean I may not seem like it? I'm the picture of professionalism!”

““No you aren't.””

“Bullies.” Pouted Akihiko.

Ryuunosuke laughed and Gaius smirked. Once Ryuunosuke calmed Gaius kept asking about Akihiko.

“Why are you so good Akihiko? No offence but you aren't a very skilled mage. Is it mundane investigative skills?”

“Yes and no. They are part of it sure but I'm actually good at basic Patterns, it's more complicated ones or complex spells that elude me. I'm not very good at mana manipulation. However there are plenty analysis and espionage related spells among the basic ones. Detect Blood, Trace Blood, Trace Hair, Trace Magic, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Detect Drug, Detect Illness, Detect Spirits, Detect Wards, Detect Traps, Detect Ki, Trace Ki, Trace Spirit, Reveal the Hidden, Temperature Sight, Dark Sight, Life Sight… And many more. Couple that with actual detective training, that I got when I realised I was just plain bad at magic, and experience and you get a pretty good investigator.”

Gaius hummed in approval, before thinking of something.

“Have you never thought to get ki?”

“I have ki.” That was a surprise for Gaius, and it seemed it showed in his face, since Akihiko averted his face and coughed. “I just don't have much?”

Gaius looked at him, facepalmed, and groaned.

“You haven't practiced much your only way of surviving if you stumble on something you can't deal with.”

“Yeah?” Akihiko’s eyes swimmed around looking everywhere except Gaius.

“Why. Not?”

“It didn't really show results for the effort I put in?”

“Lies. Ki always shows results. It's like saying that a workout doesn't show results, that just means you are doing it wrong, or have wrong expectations.”

“Nice weather we have today, don't you think.” Akihiko looked up while saying this.

“In a building.” The disbelief was nearly tangible.

“I'm also curious Akihiko. Why not?” Intervened Ryuunosuke curious.

“I may, or may not, have had to make a geas that forbid me from increasing my ki.”

The stares hit Akihiko like sledgehammers. He actually recoiled under them.

“You what.” Gaius couldn't even process the sheer stupidity of that geas. That was like swearing to never use your left leg.

“Teehee pero?” Said Akihiko while putting a fist on his head.

“Don't teehee us, Akihiko! That's a horrible geas, even I know not to do that!”

Akihiko sighed, before putting a serious face on. “There's a reason, lives hanged in the balance.”

Gaius closed his eyes and decided to stop there.

“Alright, I'll trust your judgement. I won't insist. Aside from that where do I apply to the mentorship? I want to go to the oranges at least.”

“But-”

“Ryuunosuke, all humans have secrets, let Akihiko have his. We have no right to intrude. Or would you like for him to ignore your privacy? Even I understand that.”

“Ok, ok.” He relented.

Akihiko smiled brightly at that. “You actually don't need mentorship for that.”

Gaius was startled. “What?”

In Akihiko's car Gaius lied his head on his hands.

“I can't believe I didn't think of sharing a mission.”

“You couldn't know that was allowed for missions under yellow. They also count for the mission requirements for a Rank less, so a yellow will count as an orange.” Akihiko tried to console Gaius. He then turned to Ryuunosuke.

“Now, tell me the mission details.”

“We have to investigate a disappearance yesterday. A young man vanished in the middle of an alley. It is still not sure it is magical in nature, since the only witness was drunk. But it's better to be careful.”

“Mission objectives?”

“To find out what happened, and rescue the man.”

“Even if it's mundane?”

That question catched Ryuunosuke by surprise. “Um, yes?”

“Good. You aren't one of the assholes who would wash their hands. I knew I liked you for a reason.”

Ryuunosuke was stricken. “There's someone who wouldn't?”

“Some think that since the Hidden World is, well, hidden, we should minimise contact with the mundane.” Akihiko scoffed. “It's bullshit in my opinion, and taking into account the association overlooking my actions I think the higher ups think so too. But some will try to interfere if you rescue a mundane from something mundane, so be prepared to fight for your principles. Thankfully we have muscle to back us if we're in over our heads.” He smiled at Gaius, who nodded back.

The conversation died at that moment, before Akihiko made Ryuunosuke go over the details of the case. Once he was satisfied he fell silent. They arrived at the scene of the crime in silence.

Once in the alley Akihiko casted a few spells.

“Magic detected. So many perps have been discarded. I don't have enough to follow them back to their base. We have to narrow down the list of suspects.”

“So, we go to his parents. You know to ask if someone had stalked him? Or something?” Sugggested Ryuunosuke.

“Good idea.” Gaius was impressed. “Didn't think you knew of kidnapping protocols.”

“I actually saw that on TV.”

“If so, TV has for once taught something well. Come on, time is against us.” Akihiko ushered them towards the car.

They arrived at a house with two floors. Akihiko ringed the bell, before a policeman showed at the door. Akihiko presented himself and asked to be let inside. Soon after a man in plain clothes came out.

“Saito. Does this mean it's one of ‘those’ cases?”

“Yes.” Affirmed Akihiko bluntly.

“Who are the two?”

“My apprentice, and some muscle.” Akihiko signaled to Ryuunosuke and Gaius respectively.

“Good to meet you two then. The muscle above all, we never lack that in this kind of case. Come on inside.”

They did so and the man, Konya Kioshi, introduced them to the parents.

“Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa, this is Akihiko and company. A famous private investigator.”

“But we haven't hired anyone?” Said the mother.

“He belongs to a company that takes care of special cases for us. This may be one of them.”

“Special?”

“The perp may be someone once trained by the government.”

“What?!”

“It's more common than you'd think. An cop leaving the business and going bad. We have someone else take care of these for impartiality. He is trustworthy, and he has never proved that trust wrong. Tell him what you were saying to me.”

“Alright. Kei didn't have many enemies, he was a quiet boy. The only thing that I can think of is his girlfriend's stalker.”

They asked for more details and then they moved outside.

“What do you think, Akihiko.” Asked Kioshi.

“Pretty obvious. Was the stalker. It was probably a coin flip between the guy and the girlfriend, both are valid targets for a stalker. That or a really unlucky coincidence”

“I don't know. Would they be so stupid as to kidnap someone just three days after they got in a fight with them?” Asked Gaius.

“Stalkers aren't known for their intelligence. Otherwise they would know that no means no.”

“That's an understatement.” Scoffed Kioshi. “I can leave this to you, no?”

“Yes, we'll handle it. Just be ready to prevent an escape.”

“Ahead of you. I've already sent agents to watch his house.”

The four men drove towards the perps house, and on the way received confirmation of the stalker entering the house.

Once they arrived they broke in. They found the house empty, so they examined it in depth. It was incredibly disorganised, as if no one had cleaned in a long time. Gaius noted an oddly high level of remnants, concretely pleasure. He told as much to his three companions.

“That might be drugs.” Commented Akihiko. “If it really is that high it has to be. Keep your eyes open for them.”

In the bathroom Gaius, in Senjutsu state, noticed a wave of fear.

“Over here!”

Akihiko found a secret passage behind the bath. They entered and descended some stairs.

The stairs ended in a stone door. The four agreed to send Kioshi back. Once he was gone Gaius opened the door and barged in, quickly followed by the other two. The door snapped shut behind them.

“You have to be kidding me. Thanks Murphy.”

In front of Gaius stood the skeleton of a two meter tall horse, with one peculiarity. A thirty centimetre long horn rested on its forehead.

“An undead unicorn, really? What's next, a draugr? I should have let Ken finish.”