[Master's Hand] doesn't work on a group of people. Not that I tried to activate the skill on such a large group before. I try it anyway as I speak to my crowd.

The skill seemingly doesn't work.

"HEY! Right now, there are still people in need of help. The enforcers will let us go. Needless fighting is the last thing we need. We'll meet back up after a moment to rest."

The enforcers didn't explicitly say they were letting us go. Since they wanted people to disperse, I'll strongarm them into not arresting anyone. Someone from the crowd yells out, "Where are we meeting up? How do we contact you?"

"It's going to be hard to set a location that everyone knows where it is. Look for the sharks or check my Rankable page for updates if the available service is back online. Ellis_Vincere."

The people with me earlier are more willing to listen to me than those that joined in when I was gone. Those are the people I strongarm with [Master's Hand]. Eventually, most of the people disperse. I told the healers they could rest in my building if they wanted to check on the patients.

"Mr. Vincere. A word?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I have my orders, Mr. Vincere."

"What happened to 'letting me do what I want'? I'm not getting detained by you guys."

"You are misquoting my superior officer. Do you wish for a meeting?"

"I'm tempted. I have my questions."

"If you drop by the station - to talk to my superior - before regrouping with your 'people,' then the enforcers won't bother you during your 'rescue' efforts."

"Is that a threat?"

"I'm not elaborating further."

"If you aren't going to elaborate on that, do you mind elaborating on why you shot a healer of all people?"

"...I need to write an incident report before I can make comments."

"Whatever. I'm fucking off."

The closer I get to the branch office, the more enforcers I see. They don't touch me, but they are definitely doing their jobs.

Actual rioters, people who are agitators - unlike my group - are causing problems. A group of people tried to rob a bank and failed spectacularly. It's not like that thing is filled with money after the credit shift.

There are actual brawls in the streets, and enforcers arrest or shoot people, whatever is more convenient.

A greased-up man wearing only underpants is beating someone with his baseball bat. A lone enforcer tried to stop him and got beaten up with said baseball bat. When more enforcers join the scene, the man runs away, dodging bullets.

"I can see why the enforcers were testy when spotting our group now."

A seven-man team leaps out of an alleyway and tries to ambush some guy casually walking down the street. In response to this sudden encounter, the man flicks his hand, and the seven-man team instantly gets engulfed in flames and drops to the ground as lumps of charcoal. They no longer resemble anything human.

My tamed beasts, Val, and I finally arrive at the branch office. Master Giles and the Dean are waiting for us outside like they said they would. A single mean-looking guard is standing in front of the door.

"Disciple."

"Ah, Ellis. I see you brought your sister Val with you. That won't be an issue, right Master Tamer Giles?"

Master Giles shrugs. He turns to the guard. "Move aside young man. We have business to attend to."

The guard doesn't hesitate to open the door and step inside, allowing us entry. He's just there to dissuade the crazy people from charging a building full of 'enforcers.'

"Hello, how can I help-"

Master Giles and Dean Albert completely ignore the poor receptionist and head straight toward an office at the back of the building.

The Dean knocks on the door, but Master Giles opens it without pause. The name plaque doesn't escape me.

[Head of Protection Harry Blackwood]

Blackwood? Like General Harlan Blackwood, leader of the enforcers, who is directly related to a member of the first party Blackwood? Neat.

A lithe man wearing a simple suit and tie sits behind a cluttered desk. Ebony magical accessories litter his body ranging from bracelets and rings to tie clips. Black hair, black irises, and huge eyebrows that are neatly trimmed frame his symmetrical face.

"Who let you in here?"

"Harry! You remember me, right? We collaborated together-" The Dean gets cut off mid-sentence.

"I am terribly busy. Leave me to my work."

Master Giles calmly said, "Unfortunately, your work will be here waiting for you. We need your teleportation logs to see where my disciple's mother went. One of your people took her somewhere. We must know where."

The Blackwood looks unfazed. "If we let anyone who barges in here asking for confidential information, then I might as well start selling state secrets and allowing those anarchists outside to have their way with whatever they want in here."

I'm starting to get visibly frustrated. Before I could blow a gasket, Val snuck into the conversation.

"Can you just confirm if our mother did get teleported? Or if she's in a safe place?"

"Little girl, I'm-"

"So when a Master Tamer and a Dean of the most prestigious institute in the country come to ask for a favor, suddenly mister product of nepotism can't break protocol. Fuck, dude."

"...Making a baseless claim like that can be considered slander. Unlike my General father, I don't wish to abuse the systems in place for personal gain. Coercion, threats, bribes. There is nothing that can keep me from breaking my personal code."

"Listen, dude. I think I'd start getting violent before I'm able to beg. This isn't a threat but a forewarning that I'm barely hanging on by a thread. You can't tell me where my fucking mother is because of some personal code? Or are you saying you won't help us because we barged into your office?"

"Ellis, I'm just as pissed off as you are, but you should calm down."

I can barely register Val's words.

"Ellis? Ellis Vincere? Aren't you the guy that sued the Ken family and won? Civil case of the century?"

"I don't see how that's relevant unless you're pissed on behalf of a fellow great family."

"Pissed on behalf? Excluding the vulgarity, that is the opposite of how I feel about the great families. More specifically, the Ken family. A bunch of no-good, law-breaking, pompous, power-hungry idiots. Their family name isn't even 'Ken.'

Keith 'Ken' Kerth is the name of the sword master of the First Party. They should be the Kerth family, but no. They wanted to be named 'something cooler,' so they stole their founder's epithet and ran with it."

"..."

"Those people have the highest average civilian death count per member out of any other great families. Their founder, the original 'Ken,' was a pacifist. He didn't draw his blade unless necessary and never out of personal gain. Here are his kin, bathing in glory misunderstood, misinterpreting passed down sword arts, and being general cancer on society. Keith would kill himself with his blade if he saw what his legacy has turned into."

I'm too confused to say anything, but Master Giles has my back. He clears his throat and simply says, "About the logs?"

"Sure. Whatever." After rifling through some paperwork, he pulls out a file with obviously magical enchantments on it. The beige folder is inscribed with colorful runic messages.

He flips through a few pages before looking back up at us. I don't know what he's doing.

Val speaks up and says, "Her name is Lydia Caddel. She's being protected because of something. I think it's because of us being representatives of humanity."

I notice the Dean's mouth, "Death Cult," at the head, and he seems to realize something. He continues flipping through the pages before nonchalantly saying, "Lydia Caddel. Teleported five seconds after midnight. The current location is unknown. Teleport location was an agency-sponsored hospital in the heart of the capital."

"Why is the current location unknown?"

"The most likely answer is that the hospital staff have not logged her in their system/that information has not reached us. Either they don't know who she is, or the systems are ongoing major repairs."

"Where the fuck is this hospital?"

"It's the only hospital in the heart of the capital. It's not hard to miss. It's where the great families or other prevalent figures go if their personal healers aren't up to snuff. It's not a hospital open to the public, but they still take in emergency patients or special cases when available."

I immediately leave the room and head straight out of the building. I look around before heading to where I think the center is. Master Giles and Val trail behind me and stop me from going further.

"Disciple, I'll lead you to the hospital and get you through the doors. Dean Albert is returning to his institute as he is no longer needed."

"Don't try to ditch me. We're going together, and you can't stop that."

The three of us ride on Duchess' back straight towards the heart of the capital. This seems to be the only place untouched by the cataclysmic earthquake. I can spot massive estates far off in the distance, each one correlating to a different one of the great families.

Most great families are based in different cities, but that doesn't mean they don't have a place in the capital. I also see guild houses, businesses, and various government buildings.

A building of pure white stands out as spotlights shine on giant pink letters [Hospital of the Saint]. It's massive and is several floors tall. I notice emergency vehicles coming in and out of the premises.

After landing, Master Giles flashes an ID. It's similar to a government-issued identity card, but it's purple and has the words "Master Tamer" on it.

The nurse at the counter is very professional and asks what she can do to help.

"A woman was teleported here seconds after midnight with a guard. Do you know where she is? Red hair. Middle-aged but doesn't look like it. About this tall."

"Sorry sir, I can't just-"

Before this entire speech can happen again, a man wearing a doctor's coat interrupts the nurse.

"Excuse me, how can I help you guys?"

The man looks young and has shockingly pink hair contrasting his white clothing. Tall and handsome. Unfortunately handsome, might I add. He's on the verge of entering the uncanny valley with his good looks. The nurse stutters as he buts in, perhaps due to being nervous about hierarchy rather than unprofessional swooning.

The doctor raises an eyebrow at Val before looking at Master Giles and finally at me.

"Excuse me, sir, we have a dress code. Unless it's an emergency, you can't come here like that."

"..."

I'm still shirtless. Blood from getting shot in the head mixed with concrete dust is caked on my body. I'm still scarred up from my dragon fight.

I look like I lost a fight to a woodchipper and lived to tell the tale.

"Excuse me, doctor, can you help us find our mother? She teleported here seconds after midnight?"

The doctor ignores Val's question and approaches me further with bright eyes. He goes to grab my wrist, and I'm not fast enough to dodge. His grasp is like iron. I can't move as he looks me up and down.

"Hey, how are you alive? Your life force is the worst I've seen in a living person. But it's still so terribly vibrant. I'd love to see if I can fix you."

Am I willing to sacrifice my body if it helps find my mother? Yeah, probably.

"Sure. After you lead us to where Lydia Caddel is."

"Yeah, yeah. Top floor. Third room on the left. Feel free to drop by my office on your way back down." He looks me up and down one last time and drops my wrist.

The doctor walks away after winking at the nurse. Master Giles quietly stands there, so I turn to look at him since he's the reason we are even here.

"Disciple, I believe you just met a member of the First Party."

"Huh?"

"Saint Valentine. The owner of this hospital and the undisputed best healer humanity birthed. Additionally, I believe the top floor is reserved for those related to Saint Valentine."

"What?"