Under the curious glares of civilians, a dozen soldiers waltzed into the hospital. Although they didn't look any more menacing than they normally did, there was something about them that made the bystanders feel like they were ready for battle.

Already aware of which room Drake was staying in, the lieutenant didn't even bother to talk with the receptionist, which he would only later learn turned out to be a mistake. When he opened the door to the room, both he and Zhao Qi were surprised to see only a doctor and a nurse tidying up the room. There was no sign of Drake anywhere.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"The patient and was here! Sergeant Xeno Maccow!"

The doctor raised an eyebrow, as if the lieutenant was asking a stupid question. Then, after a moment, his eyes shone in apparent understanding, and he gestured towards the window, pointed to the front of the hospital.

"He woke up and left a few minutes ago. Said he had to talk with the commander of the army here in Frost Grass. Maybe you missed each other? He might be waiting for you at your headquarters."

Cursing, the officer took out his phone, and called someone. After asking a few questions, he cursed even louder, and threw the device on the ground. Then, he barked orders for the soldiers who came with him, telling them to scatter and search for the fake Cleaner. Only Zhao Qi stayed in the room with him.

"Doc, did he say anything more before he left? Anything that could lead us to him?"

"Err... I don't think so? He didn't talk much. He did mention that he and his squad were ambushed by a Menoraz scout party, though."

"More like it's the other way around. F*ck! The bastard tricked us!"

Hiding a small grin, the doctor feigned a surprised expression. They had missed Drake by barely five minutes. Maybe he shouldn't be happy about that, but since he decided to help the fake Cleaner, he might as well go all the way.

"May I know what is happening? It sounds like you are hunting one of your own, lieutenant."

"Zhao Qi, you explain it to him, and interrogate anyone you think could have seen the spy. I'm going to find that scumbag!"

"Yes, sir."

While the female black-coat told him about their suspicions, the medic turned to the window, and let out a sigh of relief. Now, Drake's destiny was in his own hands.

-------------------

"You want five hundred for this? Do you think I am dumb? Three is the most I can offer."

"Now come on, soldier boy! I gotta make a living too. This is one of my best specimens! You won't find finner in all of Frost Grass City, I guarantee! Four hundred and it's a deal!"

Looking at the old man in front of him, Drake gripped his forehead. The Yscalent he was trying to buy wasn't the best he had ever seen, and it certainly wasn't worth all the money the man wanted, but he didn't have time to search for a better option.

"All right, you old haggler, four hundred it is. But if it collapses under me, I'm walking all the way back here only so I can kick your teeth in, got it?"

"Yep, yep... Very scary, Cleaner. Now gimme my money."

Grunting and complaining, Drake passed the sum to the man, and took the reigns of the Yscalent. It neighed a little, but allowed him to mount without any problems. He already knew it wouldn't be very fast, but he didn't have much money with him, so that was the best he would find.

Controlling it with his knees, Drake left Frost Grass City. He only had to flash his stollen badge at the soldiers on the gate - the one directly opposite of the one he entered from - and they let him pass without any questioning.

Very aware that his disguise would soon be compromised, if it wasn't already, he threw the badge on the side of the road. He hoped someone would find it, so the poor Cleaner would have a name on his grave. He still hadn't gotten over having to kill him.

"Now, what should I do?"

The obvious choice was to somehow get back to Menoraz, so he could meet his companions again, and relay the intel he had to General Lilac in person. He was sure that if he was careful, he wouldn't even see traces of any more Lapidum troops. There were thousands of kilometers of border covered in wilderness between the two countries. While armies would have trouble traversing these places, it was no problem for just one person.

However, there was a part of him that wanted to explore Lapidum more. It was dangerous and reckless, but he still wanted to try. Not as a scout for General Lilac, but as himself. He believed the intel he got was already more than enough. The only thing holding him back was his worry for Frainer and Kniivar, but he knew that they would somehow find their way to General Lilac, and he trusted her to take care of them. He wasn't sure why, but he had a hunch the old woman wished him good, even if she screwed him over once.

At this moment, a random idea crossed Drake's mind, and he couldn't help but smile while thinking of the malice behind it. What would be the reactions of Frost Grass City's garrison if he came back after becoming a ranger? Of course, that was just a thought, and one he would never make come true. Probably.

Rushing his mount, Drake calmly followed the road. Although Lapidum Kingdom was the one attacking, the situation seemed pretty similar to Menoraz, maybe a little less chaotic. There were lots of soldiers marching towards the frontlines - which made Drake tense up every time he passed by them - only those used black, and not blue. There were also many civilians going the same way as him, and even wild Iferes didn't dare to attack so many people grouped together.

"Uhmm..."

Amongst the many civilians, there were some suspicious-looking individuals. Drake knew he shouldn't judge people based on their outer appearances, but sometimes it was hard not to. Their clothes were dirty, and they were armed to the teeth. If it was only that, then he might still think that his instincts were wrong, after all he was also carrying an arsenal.

It wasn't only that, though. These men and women had the words 'bad intentions' written all over their faces. The way they looked at the civilians as if they were searching for a prey... How they diverted their glares when he stared back... There was only one real answer to their identities.

They were thieves, robbers, and hooligans. A few Drake was pretty sure were murderers. And it wasn't just one gang either. During the span of a day, Drake saw several different groups. If here, where the war hadn't even arrived, there were already so many bandits and to-be criminals, he couldn't imagine how bad the situation was in Menoraz. Even as he found a good spot to set camp, Drake had the feeling this would be a sleepless night.

...

Drake's gut feeling was proven right. No sooner than darkness fell, and the stars appeared, he heard shots. Pretty sure of what was expecting him, he sighed and mounted his Yscalent. The noise of gunfire died down after a few seconds, but he had already memorized the direction they were coming from. Advancing deeper into the forest, he soon saw the lights of a campfire.

Dismounting, he sneaked through the trees until he caught a glimpse of what had happened. Around the fire he saw a group of hooligans, armed with pistols, going through the possessions of their victims, laughing and jeering. The owners of said belongings, a middle-aged couple, and a young girl Drake supposed was their daughter, were cowering on the ground under the aim of one of the criminals.

Scanning his eyes through them, Drake saw that the man was clutching at his arm, and there was a small amount of blood gushing through the gap of his fingers. At his feet was a Lisio, also shot. Common metal-type Iferes, Lisios made for good guards, and also good friends. People usually didn't sign Spirit Contracts with them, even if they had enough trust, because their lifespan was quite short. Most died before turning eight.

The furry creature had scale-like fur, of a dirty brown color, but that still shone with a certain luster when the fire reflected on it. Drake could see that it was well-taken care of, and that it had tried to protect it's owners before being killed. The ground around it's body was caved in, and scarred, most likely because it had used Plated Shield.

Seeing the dead Ifere angered Drake more than the terrified family. Wounds and trauma could be healed later, but not death. Looking at the gang of criminals - composed only of men - he knew he couldn't let the family in their hands, especially the two women. Not that he was planning to.

Swiftly, he counted five outlaws. People like them obviously wouldn't bother keeping a lookout, so he grabbed his rifle and took aim. A quick twitch of his fingers later, and the bottle of alcohol one of the bandits was holding exploded in his hand just as he was taking a sip. Shards of glass cut his face, and he screamed. Drake guessed the alcohol that flew together with it only made the pain worse.

"Drop your weapons! I can put a bullet in each of you before you can blink twice!"

Maybe, just maybe, one day he would encounter some smart outlaws, who would take his threat seriously. Unfortunately - for them - this particular gang wasn't very wise, and their first reaction was to shot at him.

"He is only one! Kill this motherf*cker!"

There were several factors working against the criminals that they seemed unaware of. The first was that Drake was a shadow in the forest, while they were next to the campfire, making them perfect and brightly lit targets. The second also involved the fire, They had been looking at it for so long that when they suddenly focused on Drake, all they saw were white spots. And the third factor was that Drake was a way better shot than them.

Their first volley missed by a good meter, while Drake's calmly aimed second shot hit the hooligan closest to him squarely in the chest, With a surprised look on his face, the man knelt, and then fell face-first on the ground.

His next bullet was as certain as the other two, and opened a hole on another criminal's neck. Seeing as their aim was growing steadier, Drake changed positions, getting closer to them, instead of doing what seemed logical, and retreating. His instincts told him that was the right decision, even if it didn't seem like the smartest.

Throwing his rifle aside, Drake unholstered his pistols, deciding to trade the longer range the first gun provided by the swiftness of the latter. Feeling a projectile miss him by a few centimeters, he returned fire, hitting the outlaw on his left knee. The man stubbornly kept trying to kill him, so drake wasn't so merciful in his next shot.

Shocked by how quickly three of their friends had fallen, the two remaining criminals hesitated, and glanced at their Yscalents, seemingly thinking about running away. However, right at this moment Drake accurately hit the pistol in their hands, sending them flying, and leaving the hooligans with a numb wrist. That was enough to convince them to give up.

"Stop shooting! We surrender! We surrender! Please!"

Luckily for the survivors, Drake wasn't a cold-blooded murderer. Higler had made sure, in the short time they traveled together, that Drake always knew when to stop. After all, if he killed surrendered enemies, how was he any different than the scum he despised?"

So, instead, he walked towards the first of the shivering bandits, and smacked his pistol across his face. Unprepared for it, the man was knocked out cold right away. The second outlaw wasn't so lucky.

He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and lifted him up. Terrified to see Drake's cold face centimeters away from his, the man almost pissed himself. For him, Drake didn't look like a normal person, but a demon directly from hell. Noticing that, Drake sneered disappointed before delivering two quick blows to the criminal's stomach, and an uppercut that sent him straight to sleep.

"Bah! F*cking coward..."

Finished with the gang, Drake turned to the family of three, who had curled up even more, trying to find comfort in each other's presence. The parents positioned themselves in front of the girl, and seemed even more terrified of Drake than they were of the criminals before.

"You wouldn't happen to have any rope on you, would ya?"