“Here.” Ellie handed me my black cloak with such a tired expression.

I actually wanted to ask her about that... But after seeing the field outside the base that was currently filled to the brim with over five thousand people, I seemed to understand why she was exhausted.

“Do you need a drink?” I asked.

“Badly! But let me just teleport to pick it up. After all, the ceremony is about to begin.”

“Well, it doesn't make any difference then! You will teleport twice for that. Just let Sion take it for you. Sion!”

“I'm really going to tell Evelin about that thing back there, bro...” Sion threatens me.

“Okay, then you just shut up here. I’ll go by myself!”

With that, it all passed until the ceremony officially began.

Everyone gathered according to their each team number. I'm in platoon thirteen, the seventh squad with Ellie, Sion, Frans, Jogi and Novita. Lined up one by one, I realized that everyone is also enjoying the warm sunlight and the cool air that is also blowing all the flags, creating a sound which mingled with one another.

A flag with the same coat of arms, a black pen silhouette with many different numbers, fluttering in every line of the squad, where I don't actually understand about what is the connection between the nickname of The Sins Taker and the symbol of the pen.

Those flags were raised and carried along with each of their respective teams to the front of the stage to be given an emblem on each of its members' black uniforms.

The activity lasted long enough to make me doze off in the middle of the schedule list. Counting the seconds, talking casually with Elis in mind, I was finally allowed to sit on the edge of the field to have some rest… Bowing my head feeling sleepy...

I watch every foot of people who pass by, to support my boredom itself.

Then somehow I feel like I'm recognizing the size of this person's feet that is so familiar. “Small…” I said that subconsciously after its steps moved closer and even closer, until it actually stopped right in front of me.

“What's small?” The girl swiped at her own feet, thinking about whether it's right or wrong, then she sat next to me.

Silent there for a few minutes, I remembered that the same thing had actually ever happened before... In the cafeteria just a few days after we met. Maybe she's still waiting for me to talk to her about something just like that time... Or she just prefers the quiet silence as much as I like it. Hmm…

Things will feel very special if that’s actually the case though...

Is she getting bored?

Ah... I hope she doesn't feel bored…

Or should I really care about her thoughts that much?

Haven't I had priorities since the beginning?

Because it's such a shame, I actually thought about this before, when I decided that I wanted to protect Fanya and Deo. Two people I've known for years, people I've considered as members of my own family.

That's the reason I'm still afraid of death. They are the reason for me to keep fighting... Just like before when my sister was still beside me… So if someone snatches it or tries to interfere with it again, then there's no point in it if I don't get rid of it…

Even if it was this girl…

Wow… Really?

Calm down, Daniel…

Calm down…

I'm sorry... But you, Me! We really really need to get a slap for that one demonic thought!

Then I really slapped myself all of a sudden…

“Eh? What are you doing?” Ellie laughs from beside me.

“Have you ever… Who hates evil, suddenly thought of something so utterly evil, that even the devil himself would be terrified to hear it come out of your mouth? I've had it often. So I think I deserved that slap just now from myself.”

This girl seems to be thinking too hard to understand what I'm saying... Or she actually understands, but is afraid to give an answer that is not much different from what I have for myself…

“Me too!”

“Huh? Really? But… But why do you look so happy while just saying that?! You devil! Can't you be more demonic than what I thought?!” I'm actually slightly disturbed by Ellie's smile while calling her a devil dozens of times.

“If you tell me what you're thinking, then I don't mind telling you about my evil thoughts either!” Ellie's smile grew warmer, which was a far cry from what she was saying.

Which means there is only one thing... Whatever it is, it seems she misunderstood what I just said earlier… So let me explain it back to her…

“What I mean by that demonic thought, is something that even yourself would never possibly tell others, because of how demonic that thought is! I don't even want to give any examples, because I know how bad that would sound like! So you've just misunderstood, young lady...”

“Oh…” Ellie's answer was simply just too simple. She lowered her head as if in thought for the third time.

“You are a very innocent person, aren't you?”

“I don't know... am I?”

I laughed at her current curious face while leaning against the high wall of this one base building, waiting for twilight to pick up.

But really... What's with my thoughts earlier? Am I that cruel already?

~~~~~

“So that's how we go about our tasks, apart from the direct calls we'll probably receive more often in the future. Any questions?” Standing at the front of the room, Ellie watched each and every one of us.

Who were sitting listening to her from the audience, in a medium-sized room. The size of a simple classroom, we call it the squad mission room.

There's only the six of us, squads 13-7. Where the men sat enjoying the morning, two days after the inauguration day, while Novita was pasting a bunch of papers on the bulletin board just to our left.

“It looks just like a quest board! Like the one in some kind of fantasy stories... Right, jogi?” I asked the man beside me with enthusiasm. but instead he shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment.

“Well, actually I also feel that aura when I glimpse it.” Frans, who was sitting in front of me, turned his head to discuss the same thing.

“Ah, Frans? So you also play games a lot? slightly unexpected…”

“And why do you suspect that jogi over there like to play games?”

“Because his serious face reminds me of someone... An acute online game addict who became my best friend.”

“Wow... Rude…” Sion comes to heat things up.

“You better look at the front of the class right now.” This super serious guy… Jogi is finally willing to talk... Just to remind us of how irritated Ellie's face was that we didn't pay much attention to her explanation.

To save the situation, Frans got to his feet, walking while asking himself. “So all of these papers contain tasks that we can choose as we please to do? Let’s see… which one should I choose huh?” He was standing there in silence, his back to all of us.

Looks like he just wants to save himself…

Following what he had just done, we all moved slowly as if forgetting what had annoyed Ellie earlier. While behind all the men who were standing around even hugging the mission board, I peeked at every paper that Novita was sorting right beside me.

She put the paper containing the mission with the criminal identity of a woman and an old man on the table on the left, while the young man on the right.

“Jesus christ…” I was shocked by what she had just done with all those case papers.

“What?!”

“You think it's tinder or some shit?!”

“No!” She ran away, carrying all the young male criminal papers away from us, and closer to Ellie. The girl hugged her friend while still sorting through the papers. That's when I saw Ellie who was still looking at us with a very annoyed feeling.

“Oh shit…” I said.

Averting my eyes, I scanned this wide board carefully…

I read each task, I then asked why they gave us missions with a bazaar-like method. Why not just give us an order to do something specific? Wouldn't with this way, there would be a mission that was not chosen by any team?

“Hmm... actually, everyone is also asking the same thing you just asked yesterday. Maybe this is also a test for us? There is a possibility that they are also overseeing the selection of decisions that each team has, when it comes to taking some missions. It sounds very odd, doesn't it? Like the leader of The Sins Taker is not serious in controlling each of its members.” Frans gave me a bit of an opinion on a thing I just asked.

Controlling, huh?

Was this also Edward's idea? Are we being sorted? A test? Really? That’s sound stupid… And wouldn't this actually make the whole society hate the way the sins takers work? why would he be willing to choose such a stupid way? So unbelievable…

And... Not only society, but I also suddenly started to feel the impact of this way of choosing missions… When I saw an old piece of paper that seemed to have been printed and pasted in many places even before the inauguration of the new team a few days ago.

The victim's name was Saskia Umaga... Died in the same city, was killed the same way.

“Sist…” I muttered to myself.

It's been so long, no one has ever wanted to touch this mission. So that's why the culprit was never found? because the mission itself was never started by anyone?

I pulled the paper out of its place. read each paragraph carefully, there is no data whatsoever on who the possible killer is.

“Ellie, I'm taking on this mission.” I walked up to her without any desire to speak of anything else.

“You speak as if you want to go alone for the mission. That's because you didn't listen to my explanation at all! A maximum of four people are allowed out of the base, two more stand by here for emergency missions. You can't choose missions individually, you have to discuss them with your fellow team.” As Ellie explained, everyone walked over with the one mission paper they had chosen together.

“This mission was installed just a day ago... And the personal data of the perpetrator has been laid out quite clearly, just an ordinary young thief who threatens his victims with his own magic sword. He had never killed and had no history of anything that sounded dangerous. Daniel, this is fitting to be our first mission... Whereas yours sounds quite risky, without any description of the perpetrator and it hasn't been taken in too long. Maybe there are actually a lot of enemies? As a killer, he now must also be far stronger than the sum of each of our souls.” Frans's explanation was supported by everyone. But also with that way, the longer it goes, the more difficult this mission will be if you ignore it, right?

I don't care about the number of enemies... I just want to know the truth. Or I just want to meet the killer if that's the only thing I can do.

I have to think of a way…

“Then what if it's just like this... If I can't find the killer before three in the afternoon, just pull me back. If what you guys are saying is true, then we should have lost track of the killer in this such a long drawn-out mission. So if I really don't find him in the short amount of time I've been given to myself, then I'll just give up. That's all.”

“But Daniel…” Sion seems to be getting annoyed with my stubbornness.

“Ellie…” I started trying to beg.

Thinking a little to herself, the girl then asked for my mission paper which I had previously given to Frans for him to compare with the mission they had previously chosen. I know that this girl will soon realize my intentions, because I have told her that story before.

About the death of my sister, Saskia umaga…

“So that's how it is…” She finally said those words.

“Okay. Since the mission you chose sounds pretty easy, Frans, can you do an investigation with just two people? Meanwhile, Niel, you will go with the remaining one… I actually doubt you'll be able to find the killer before three in the afternoon though. That sounds a little too improbable…”

“Are you sure you want to let Daniel take on the job? That sounds pretty dangerous, ya know right? I thought you had something with… Nevermind…” Frans suddenly stopped with his own words.

“It is okay... I believe that Niel will keep his promise. Three o’clock, you hear me? Now choose who you want to take with you.”

Without needing to think, I immediately called out Sion's name out loud. Whereupon the man was now retreating unexpectedly, resisting as much as he could. This guy doesn't seem to understand... So I pulled his hand away, whispering to tell him about my plan.

“Before I tell you, watch your attitude so you don't get shocked. Because that way, they will be suspicious of the things I want to whisper to you. Okay… Listen... You don't have to go to the trouble of working. After Ellie teleports us to the location, you can go do whatever you like. And when it’s three o'clock, maybe I won't make it, right? Then we just have to go home and relax back at this base. Do you get it now?”

“Oh… I see… Okay, I agree!”

Valiantly and mightily, Sion advised Ellie to take us away immediately, so that I would not waste too much of that precious little time on myself.

I didn't expect it to be so simple after I dared to try to persuade everyone…

~~~~~

“Before you go, assure me that this is just a journey to find the truth... Not for revenge.”

“Yes, yes… I get it already. Don’t you worry about that.”

“Niel, I’m serious.”

Somehow I'm getting tired of the worry of a girl with everything that I really want to do. No… It’s about what I have to do. So I just nodded with a slightly annoyed expression.

“Don't ever use your magic.”

“Of course I won't use it. Right now I'm not in the mood to kill anyone.”

“I don't care about those people's lives. I just don't want you to be hurt again by your own curse power.”

“Oh…” I froze in shock at what she just said.

Backing away with such a warm smile, Ellie said goodbye to both Sion and I. “Three o'clock exactly, send a photo of your whereabouts. I will teleport there to pick you guys up. Bye…”

“Just a reminder, she said that bye to both of us... Not just you, Daniel.” The jealous man patted me on the shoulder while asking if it was okay for him now to go have fun around the capital. Seeing him walk slowly into the family restaurant alone, I was ashamed of himself.

Okay…

The first stop, is the location of sister's murder scene. Boarding house where she used to live. Fortunately that place is not far from where I am currently standing.

Time to find out about the truth…

~~~~~