With only four guards left Sir Holt begins to sweat. The only light of hope remaining is the mysterious stranger accompanying Kite. If the two were close they wouldn’t have fought separately even after the stranger defeated his guards. Wholly unable to rely on his guards he tries talking his way out of the sticky situation.

[May I ask what this good sir has come to my humble abode for? I may not have much but a good host does their best to accommodate.]

[Me? Someone had the balls to steal something from right under my nose. Normally I’d kill them immediately but I was curious why someone would steal my useless junk and then run away when they’re found out. That’s why I’m here.]

[It would seem all of this occurred because of a simple misunderstanding by a worthless subordinate of mine. He misunderstood my orders and offended you. I can only lament his lack of judgement. There’s no need to worry about what was stolen, I’ll properly compensate you. Now, if you don’t mind I’ll be on my way.]

Hearing the preposterous reason for Jellal breaking into his house Holt was relieved and worried at the same time. He was relieved that a powerful enemy didn’t have some irreconcilable grudge. At the same time he was worried that such a person marched into his house over they consider junk. He can only imagine what kind of consequences there would be if someone so much as laid a finger on something that kind of person values.

Walking confidently, Holt and his two personal guards head for the doorway. The other two injured guards try to catch up, but are cut off by Kite. Seeing their refusal to surrender Kite resumes his onslaught. The handicap of fighting with broken weapons is too much for them to overcome as their defensive battle turns one sided.

Sir Holt doesn’t blink as two more guards lose their life. Approaching the door he’s surprised to see Jellal stand up. Jellal turns around to lock the door before plopping down in his chair once again.

[What’s the meaning of this? You have no reason to stand in my way. I already said I would compensate you for your loses, so why do you insist on blocking my path?]

[Didn’t you order your guards to kill me not to long ago? Do you think I’m going to take something like that lying down? You didn’t personally attack me, but you’re responsible for the actions of your men. Because of your orders I was attacked by nine guards, and I know for a fact it wasn’t them misinterpreting your orders since I heard them myself. How can I possibly let you off easy when they had to pay with their lives? That’s just unfair to them.]

Jellal’s words crushed Holt’s last bit of hope, leaving him between a rock and a hard place. He could try to push forward, but considering how his guards ended up it would be the same as tightening his own noose. His alternative is to go through Kite. Even then he can’t guarantee success, or that Jellal won’t prevent him from leaving. The last option available to him is surrender, which he isn’t too keen on.

At this time Jellal calls out to the guards, making things extremely clear.

[If you throw away your weapons, drop to your knees, and place your hands behind your head I’ll be nice and take it as you unwillingly being his subordinates. If you don’t want to do that you can die with him. There will be no second chances to make your decision.]

Realizing he had already been marked for death by Jellal, Holt begins to panic. The only way to live through this predicament is to surrender, and even that isn’t guaranteed to save him. If he surrenders all his crimes will come to light and it’s highly likely for him to be executed.

The lightest punishment he can hope for is to be stripped of his rank and assets, but to get such favorable treatment he would need to bring something to the table no one else has. Unfortunately the files he could use as a bargaining chip are already in the enemy’s hands leaving him with nothing.

With no alternatives Holt begrudgingly drops to his knees and places his hands above his head. His personal guards don’t hesitate to do the same, throwing away their weapons in the process. Kite quickly rushes to tie them up before Jellal can kill Holt. Taking them into custody he glares at Jellal suspiciously, showing that he’s already claimed them for the city.

[Well this leaves me in an awkward position doesn’t it? If I kill him no it makes me look like a criminal with no respect for the law. Say Kite, why don’t you let him go? He needs to be punished properly. Are you certain he doesn’t have any secret contacts to get him out of this situation? It would be terrible if such an evil person is able to do what they want in your city, so why don’t you let me take care of it?]

[I can’t do that. I’ve sworn to uphold the law. Even if you kill me because of it I’ll never bend when it comes to completing my duty!]

[Kekeke, that’s why I like you. You’ll do a lot of good for the masses in the future with that kind of mentality. If you truly want to help people I’ll give you a little advice: leave this city. The people that think a few patrols will slow the miasma are naïve idiots. This city’s fall is already set in stone; the only thing left to be determined is how many people go with it.

Instead of pointlessly dying here you should leave and help people somewhere else. If you feel rotten about leaving people to die then warn them of the danger. If you do, what happens after that comes down to the choices of each individual.]

After giving his speech Jellal stands from his chair, putting it back in his bag immediately after. He unlocks the door before walking toward Holt. Kite tenses up as he stands in front of Holt, set on protecting him.

Brushing past them Jellal continues to the secret tunnel as if everything he said before was nothing more than bravado. As Jellal disappears into the tunnel Kite heaves a sigh of relief, his heart still beating a thousand times a minute.

Maniacal cackling comes from the tunnel as the passage closes, causing Kite to turn his head and look that way on reflex. Thinking about how paranoid he’s become around someone he just met he inwardly mocks himself.

Behind him Sir Holt’s eyes lose their light as his body tilts forward, falling to the floor. Kite’s face drains of color as he looks down on Holt’s lifeless body. The two guards are similarly stunned. Not one of them has the slightest clue what happened to Sir Holt despite being in the same room.

All the evidence points to Jellal being responsible, but they can’t tell how he did it. Even if they accused him they have no evidence. Before leaving he had even acted as if he was leaving Holt to Kite which would take the heat off him as a suspect. Add to that Holt dying while Jellal wasn’t in the room and his alibi is so airtight on paper it’s waterproof.

Jellal strolls through the tunnel, the huge smirk on his face hidden by his mask. He had been very deliberate in his actions when he left so he would have a perfect alibi even if they knew he was guilty.

How could they possibly know he had prepared a wind magic inside Holt before leaving. Activating it after the door to the tunnel shut not only served to enhance his alibi, but it also acted as a show of force. He wanted to make it clearer than crystal what happens to people who provoke him.

He may not have confidence in this city’s survival but his reputation is still of utmost importance. Even if only ten percent of the city’s population escapes there will be some that can pass his reputation along and help it spread regardless. At the very least his reputation would make others think twice about picking a fight or shortchanging him, saving him the annoyance of dealing with too many of those types of people in the future.

Passing through the other side of the passage he gives the wary guards a light wave before continuing past them like he owns the place. Fortunately they’re Kite’s men and aren’t about to risk their lives to stop the person who led them here.

After he passes they go back to guarding the secret tunnel, waiting for their leader to return. Jellal leaves out the front door of the building while the guards watch the tunnel, not knowing the other side’s been closed already.

Tracing the path he took on the way here he returns to the outer wall of the merchant association. Following along the wall he returns to the main road. From there he goes past the association and sets off on his quest for new clothes.

Paying particular attention to the signboards he finds one shaped like a t-shirt. Stepping inside he makes his way to the counter.

[I hear this is a good place to get high quality clothes in a short amount of time.]

[That depends on what you want and how much you’re willing to pay. If you want some premade clothes they’re on the racks. Custom made will take time, though we can rush it if you’re willing to pay extra. So what’ll it be?]

[Depends if you can meet my standards. First I’ll need to see an example of your work. If it’s up to par we can go from there.]

The receptionist slips into the back room to grab a sample, leaving Jellal waiting at the counter. She comes back with a pair of pants and a shirt.

Jellal grabs the shirt from her hands and inspects its quality. Everything looks good on the surface but to be sure he grabs it with both hands and gives it a tug. Since it didn’t rip apart at the seams from the amount of strength he put in it passes his minimum requirements.

Moving on to the pants he gives them a thorough inspection before grabbing each pant leg and pulling. The seams once again hold firm meeting his minimum standards as well.

[The quality meets the minimum standards so we can continue. If you’re interested in the job I’ll need the clothes as quickly as possible. If you’re swamped, we don’t need to bother wasting time, I can find someplace else.]

[With the way things are in the forest business has slowed to a crawl. People would rather buy armor and weapons than clothes so I’m pretty free right now.]

[Good, then I’ll need some examples of the types of fabric you have on hand. I’ll also need some examples of the different styles of clothes you make.]

The receptionist goes to the back room once more before returning with her arms full of colorful pieces of cloth.

[We can make whatever type of clothes you want so I brought some cloth samples for you to go through. Of course I’ll also need to get some measurements to ensure the clothes you order will fit.]

Jellal uses his hands to feel the various types of cloth, narrowing it down to a few that are pleasant to the touch. He separates two heavier fabrics to use for pants and some lighter ones for shirts, before passing them back to the receptionist.

[How about two shirts from each of these fabrics as long as you have it in dark colors. If you can, make some slightly baggy pants with these two types to go with the shirts. I need long sleeves on the shirts, that’s a must. I’d prefer button up shirts with high collars, embroidered with gold thread if it’s possible to get it done quick. Make sure the wrists can be buttoned so they stay tight. Also make the backs slightly longer than the front.

Lastly I’ll take a white long sleeve shirt made of fine silk with an accompanying vest and dress pants. If you have socks and shoes that’ll match up well show them to me as well. Oh, I’ll also need a couple hooded cloaks. I’ll be wearing my mask with it so you’ll have to take that into account.

Other than a pair of premade clothes to replace these dregs in the meantime that’ll be it.]

While Jellal spouts demands the receptionists carefully writes down everything down. To be safe she goes over the list with him to make sure she didn’t miss anything. With everything in order she leads him to the back to get measured.

Carefully writing down his measurements to go along with his demands she quickly finishes up. Before she has a chance to escape Jellal request her to pick out some suitable premade clothes since his mask impedes his vision. Even if he can see how the clothes look with his mana, he can’t see what color they are making it difficult to find a good looking outfit.

Bringing back a couple outfits she leaves him alone to try them out. When she’s out of sight Jellal takes off his mask and checks out the clothes before trying them on. Compared to his current clothes they’re a step up, but still not up to his standards.

Picking out the most comfortable set he keeps them on, throwing his cloak and mask on afterwards. He stuffs his old clothes back into his bag before grabbing the extra clothes and walking out. Returning to the counter he prepares to find out what he owes.

[The premade clothes will be five silver. Your order can be ready tomorrow afternoon if I skip sleep and work hard. Of course that’ll cost extra. If you want them as soon as possible it’ll run you ten gold, half of which must be made as a down payment.]

Jellal reaches into his bag to get the money before remembering the extra cloth and needles he brought from the treasure room. Figuring he might as well try to get rid of it while he’s here he pulls it out instead of the money.

[I’ve got some extra fabric I picked up from a bandits’ hideout not too long ago if you’re interested. It’s not particularly high quality but there’s a decent amount of it.]

The receptionist sifts through the boxes of fabric before giving her reply.

[I told you before that business hasn’t exactly been booming so I can’t give you market price. If you’re willing to let it all go for one gold I’ll take it. I can’t afford to spend much on something I don’t know if I’ll be able to use so that’s the best I can do.]

Reaching back into his bag he digs out nine gold and five silver to cover the bill, throwing it on the counter. Since he’s inside and there’s no one around to see he doesn’t waste a pouch like he would if there are spectators.

She quickly collects the money and hides it behind the counter before writing up a receipt. The receipt will act as proof of purchase as well as confirming his identity when he comes to pick up his order. With that taken care of she gets to work moving the items she bought to her back room as Jellal makes for the front door.

While he was inside he noticed some new stalkers had shown up outside the shop. Nobody was trailing him when he came here meaning only someone who knew where he was going to be would show up, and the only person who knew he’d be here is old Isaac, and by extension the merchant association.

Of course they could be after one of the local store owners but the timing is too coincidental for that. Shaking his head is disappointment he continues his shopping.

Walking next door he enters the shop of Isaac’s leather working acquaintance. Outside the stalkers shift around his position, confirming he had previously ascertained. As the door closes behind him a gruff voice calls out from the back room of the store.

[Be with ya in a minute so hold yer horses.]

While waiting for the store owner to show his face Jellal notices Silica coming toward the store. He’s pleasantly surprised since he was planning on tracking her down to get his cape, yet now she’s saving him the trouble of her own accord.

The only problem is his disguise which she hasn’t seen before, but he’s fairly certain she wouldn’t be so foolish to make a scene about him sneaking into town. Originally he had planned to walk out of the store and stop her but from the way she’s walking she isn’t walking past the shop but to it.

Instead of going out he decides to wait and see if she’s really going to come straight to him. Sure enough, she walks right up to the front of the store and pushes the door open.

The store owner finally makes his way to the counter, carrying a folded up fur cape with him. His bushy beard obscures his constant scowl as he looks over his two customers. Chucking the cape on the counter he crosses his arms and grumpily greets his customers.

[I’m busy so hurry up and tell me what ya want so I can turn ya down. As for you missy, your order’s ready so give me my money.]

[I’ll start then. Make me a belt. It needs to be sturdy and have a couple small pouches. I’ll also need a pair of scabbards for my weapons, so make sure they’re compatible with each other. I don’t like wasting time so if you can’t make them of high quality in a short time with your skills I’ll find someone who can.]

Getting straight to the point Jellal gives the grumpy old man his demands as he pulls out his saws. Silica is left stunned as she recognizes his voice and weapons. He had told her he would find her, but she never thought they would meet so soon. More surprising is that they met in town, something she never imagined would happen.