"Ile Kierra's and Ile Angelique's guardian, Il Lindar, right?" A guard of the city in his late fifties, his hair and mustache greyed by age, asked me as soon as I was out of the house.

As a side note, I have to notice that the guard seemed and felt very experienced, his stats also being above the average guards I had seen until now.

NAME & TYPE LEVEL (Hiding anything below average) Strength 12 Negotiation 14 Piercing 15 Force 13 Quick 12 Middle-Quarters 12 Shield-Combat 16 Block 13

"That is me, yes." Considering that we were in front of a house to my name for over five months more, there was no way to deny it, not that I felt I had to either.

"You have been summoned to the [Guard's Captainship] on the orders of the Captain's council." As the guard explained, he slightly inclined his head before his left arm moved towards his belt, producing a wooden badge-like item that he presented to me before continuing, "As part of the same order, we are here to escort you three."

The badge, a thin, circular piece of wood of some strange whitish tone read:

Immediate on order of the [Megvuroz Guard's Council].

While the guard appeared to be alone, when he mentioned that he wasn't, I quickly surveyed the surroundings only to find a patrol of five guards on each side of the street.

"Escort us? As if now? What the?!" I didn't think much as I blurted out in succession. But noticing the surprised expression on the guard's face and remembering that he and his companions were merely following orders, I quickly explained my sudden uproar, "We only went to bed a couple of hours ago, and I am sure the girls are tired, so..."

"I am sorry, but the orders are to escort you three without delay." The guard could only give me an uneasy smile, repeating his orders.

Was I dissatisfied? Hell, yes, I was damn fuming! Still, what could I do? Lash out at the man? Like if that would change anything but complicate the already troubled guard. Thus, I ended up asking for a bit of time to wake the girls up.

In response, tension draining from his face, the aged guard immediately offered to wait for how long we would take, even if the girls wanted to eat or something. {So it doesn't appear as something bad for us. At least, that's what I feel. Still, why the urgency?}

***

Our conversation, or maybe my few shouts at some point, or the door, or whatever else, had waked up the girls, and when I returned upstairs, I found the two of them in the corridor, their faces worried. Their worry was dispelled after I briefly explained what happened, and both nodded in response, saying they would be quickly ready. But still, the same as me, the always curious Angelique couldn't help but wonder the same as I did, "Why the urgency?"

Another question would surface in both of our heads a bit later when we left the house, with Angelique taking advantage of the pretty spread-around escort to tell me in a low voice, "The escort is too big for a simple summon." And indeed, with the older guard walking just some steps from us, the other ten guards spread around nearly as a circle, making me wonder if there was something else but the summons.

Anyway, as we walked towards and on the main street, the guards taking us through the central part, the one meant for chariots and carts - I tried to read the mood, look at the guards' faces, and even concentrate on my [Danger Sense], but I didn't felt anything wrong. On the contrary, the faces of the guards, as they looked at the girls, were anything but hostile, with some even smiling as they walked in formation around us.

In fact, I had relaxed quite a bit as we reached the nearly black three-storied building with the enormous paired spears carved on the sides of a shield serving as the emblem, the [Guard's Captainship]. I relaxed only to nearly explode again when inside, in something akin to a spacious waiting room, I was asked to wait while the girls were going somewhere.

"What the fuck?!" Caring nothing about the surroundings, the guards, and the people in the room, I roared at some civil servant dressed in the usual cloth pants, shirt, and vest who came to receive us and had just told me to wait there.

"Ehh... Captain Amer, he only asked me to bring only the two Ile to him!" Half-stuttering, probably unused to being shouted at, the pretty young guy still managed to collect himself by the end, nearly yelling back at me.

"And what do I fucking care?!" With yesterday's events still livid, I was damned if I let the girls go somewhere alone right now, even if it was the office of a guard's captain.

"I am the captain's aide! You should do as told!" Yelling at me once again and attracting the attention of the several guards in the room with his wildly waving arms, the nearly hairless guy yelled once again.

{He's damn asking for a punch!} Honestly, I understood the thought to be the worst idea in such a situation, but damn, what the fuck? If the captain wants to talk with Kierra and Angelique, then there is no reason for me not to be present, right?!

"He is Il Lindar. He also participated in the efforts yesterday. He's also the two girls' guardian." While the two patrol's worth of guards didn't enter alongside us, the aged guard did, and now he was the one who attempted to defuse the situation, interjecting on my behalf, introducing me.

"I do not care! The captain's orders were clear, to bring the young Ile Kierra and the even younger Ile Angelique to his office. Alone!" Probably my fault, but the young aide was nervous and screamed at the old guard without holding back. And that turned out to be a mistake, as the few guards that did react to his yells before suddenly found themselves very busy to help, some making a show of having a lot of stuff to do and half of them directly walking off somewhere.

Now, feeling more confident of my righteousness, I would not budge an inch. Maybe I wouldn't punch the guy, as he was basically also acting on a superior's orders, but to do what he says? Now that was out of the question. Or at least it would be so if not for two voices entering my ears almost simultaneously, one accompanied by a light tug on my sleeve, the other so loud that I felt my ears exploding. What to say about the other people in the enclosed, actually without windows, room? And it was no exaggeration, as I am sure I saw a few people pale, and at least one guy who looked like a peddler raise his hands towards his ears.

"We will go, don't worry so much." Angelique, the one who tugged at my sleeve.

"Lindar! What are you doing here?!" A giant figure that hardly squeezed through one of the doors in this waiting room boomed.

With the girls having already decided and the voiced guarantee from captain Kaid that there was nothing serious going on, there was no reason for me to continue my shouting match, so I stepped back, not that my desire to punch a certain someone disappeared, not with the cause of my sour mood smiling as if he had won.

In any case, the girls left towards one of the doors, one leading to the stairs up, as I would find out later. As for me, I, alone, when ignoring the several people in the room, was left to deal with Kaid, who quickly, for someone of his giant-like figure, approached and grabbed me, then ushered me into the same door he had just squeezed through.

***

The room behind the door turned out to be Kaid's office. Still, even if he didn't tell me so, I would have never doubted there was some connection between the slightly savage-looking man and the barebones, nearly devoid of anything, room.

But what furniture it had! A desk so big that it could easily pass for a bed, if not for its height and four chairs around it, each meant to accommodate someone not smaller, if not even bigger than Kaid himself. There were also two cupboards on the sides of the desk, one with wooden mugs and other cutlery on top while the other with writing utensils. And surprisingly, to no offense intended to the owner, the latter was the one that appeared to be more used!

"So, the two girls you were looking for... they are the ones everyone praised as heroes?" Inviting me to sit in one of the enormous chairs as he did the same, Kaid asked while smiling.

"Well, those two are indeed the ones I was looking for, but wait, heroes?" No way I could pass such a description of the girls, so I asked back after answering his question. I would even ask first, but the etiquette!

"Ah, you can not know about that! You three are residents!" Kaid shouted out as he stood up to walk towards the somewhat dusty cupboard with cutlery on top. "Want some?" It was hardly a question as the oversized man took out a three or so liter clay jug from inside the cabinet and a couple of wooden mugs from the top, looked at me, and without waiting for an answer, walked back while serving the wine, at least by the smell of it.

Putting one of the huge, as everything in the room, mugs in front of me, Kaid continued where he left, "Let's see, after the residents left, the ones that aren't local were questioned while being escorted to some provisional lodgings. At least for the ones who didn't have the coin to pay themselves an inn."

"I see..?" Urging Kaid to explain what I wanted to know, I stared at him, who went silent only to down - IN A SINGLE GULP! - the near liter of wine inside the mug, or maybe I should call it a tankard? After all, even without the lid, something of such size?

"Haaa-" Exhaling as the wine went down, Kaid looked at me as if thinking what to say, then resumed his explanation, "So, most of the people from the upper side of the street sang praises about the girls and just how they helped everyone. With merchants, servants, and even the guards to arrive first saying the same, the council of captains had no way to ignore such deeds, right?"

"Huh? You mean that all of this summons and escort stuff was to..?" Really?!

"Yeah, so I need to ask you, what the fuck happened for you get so heated up and wish to punch Dez?" Kaid asked, but before I could answer, he quickly added, "I mean, the guy can be infuriating, but he's good in what he does, and as an aide, he's the envy of every other captain. Or was, as he was the one to get me Lend, and now the latter is the coveted aide!"

"Ehh, you see..." Taking a big sip of the offered wine, I related the causes of my sour mood, even if I myself started finding them a bit laughable.

But seemingly. Kaid didn't find it funny, as he groaned at the part of me getting the girls right out of bed to arrive and when he learned that we skipped breakfast..? He damn exploded worse than I had!

"Damn the guy! Amer would have only commanded them to invite you three and provide an escort on the way when you can come! But to get people out of bed, to not allow the two girls we are to praise to even have some breakfast?" The mug hit the desk with a loud thump, and Kaid stopped to refill it before finishing, as if an absolute truth it was, "I understand you, I truly do."

***

After learning that the council of captains, neither of the six having slept even, had no sinister plan for Kierra and Angelique, I calmed down entirely. And for about half an hour, I just enjoyed the company of captain Kaid. Actually, it was enjoyable as it was informative, as I learned not a few things about the city, like the six captains being the ones for Megvuroz and another three serving the Viscount directly, and so on.

With a couple of snack-like plates, some cold meat and cheese cuts, summoned from my [Inventory] and Kaid's cupboard seemingly containing far more than the two jugs finished in the meantime, our small sit could have gone for long, if not for a knock that interrupted us as we started the third wine jug. {I seem to have bad luck with people knocking today, don't I?}

"Who?!" Apparently of the same mind as I was, our talk being pleasant for both, Kaid roared in response to the knocking. But his rage disappeared right away as he heard the voice from behind the door who said just one word, or a name to be correct, "Esme."

***

Esme turned out to be the only female member of the six captains making up the city's guard's council. And while for me, she was just an attractive (actually, very much so while also strong) woman, for Kaid, she appeared to be something else. Her [Status Screen] showed good skills and the same lack of stamina as Kaid (with only some 40% remaining), even if neither showed any tiredness.

NAME & TYPE LEVEL (Hiding anything below average) Strength 14 Body 11 Negotiation 14 Deceit 15 Force 11 Quick 17 Close-Quarters 13 Slashing 13 Feint 14 Danger-Sense 11 Identification 11 Command 15 [Justiciar] -

Again a [Justiciar]? Do captains judge criminals or the spot or something? After all, while I can not be sure, even if the title said something about bringing criminals to justice, for me, it appeared after an actual kill..?

"I see you two are enjoying yourselves." That would be Esme's first commentary as she entered the room before introducing herself to me and then glaring at Kaid, who, to my surprise, actually flinched, "And you didn't even invite me? Knowing that I am damn tired from the night?!"

Without giving either of us a chance to respond or react, Esme walked towards the cupboard, took a mug, and then walked to the table. But here, with me not being so infatuated with her as Kaid seemingly was, I took the chance to shine, quickly raising up, getting a hold of the jug, and filling up the wooden mug she held.

"Thank you." As she smiled at me, I felt a jolt, my mind half-blacking out while thinking {Damn, she's hot!}

And indeed she was! While her muscles were clearly defined and her figure wasn't one of a model, she was still very well endowed in every required part, and how she moved and acted was so gracious that I had no idea to what to compare her. Not even her chainmail or plated boots, gloves, and shoulder guards appeared out of place or hid anything. So to be brief and avoid singing her an entire ode, I should say that everything she did, even how she breathed, was laced with grace and charm.

"Lindar, right? I am sorry that you had to spend time with this oaf who didn't even think about asking you what he should." Ignoring the suddenly wordless Kaid, Esme sat on the chair nearest to mine, her eyes looking straight at me.

Probably because she was well versed in masking it or the setting, I didn't feel much danger from her like the one I did from Arxibiela, who in no way was inferior in her charm. Honestly? The green-haired [Fang] was even more striking, but Esme? She was like a combination of the stunning beauty of the [Hound] and the ease I felt when dealing with Gris.

"And what would that be?" Striking or not, as I said several times before, it wasn't my first rodeo, and I didn't go all dumb on her as some captain present in the room did. Not that I wouldn't have if not for a certain detail...

"As someone related to the two courageous girls that helped so much during the fire and one of the first actual fighters to arrive on the upper side of the street, would not it be a mistake to forget to ask if you didn't notice something suspicious?" Laughing as if I asked something funny, she shook her head, her scarlet hair gracefully moving as if to mesmerize me.

Her blood-red hair, green eyes, beautiful smile...

Everything was too damn attractive. And really, if not for a very small, insignificant detail, I would really think about hitting on her, even howling as a damn cartoon character. Still, there was that!

Holy Flame, Starter.