Hajime, pondering the heavy revelations from Akion's memories, was still in a state of disarray. The crimson moon hung dazzling and low in the sky, its subtle crimson glow meeting his gaze precisely. His reminiscing and contemplating had brought him no peace as he appraised the night sky. There was a lot on Hajime's mind. His thoughts were only more startled when the clock struck midnight. Resolving to gather his thoughts properly before proceeding with his plans to find the truth, he leapt off the clock tower, his Reaper mask perfectly clung to his face as he vanished into the shadows.
At the Inn, Hajime reunited with Elisa, who had caught wind of his actions. She knew that something must have happened for Hajime to veer off the course of his revenge plan so suddenly. She was not judgmental, not reprimanding, she simply cradled her beloved in her arms leaning over his shoulder. With a loving look in her eyes, she inquired of their next course of action. Hajime pondered, deciding it would be best if they retreated for now. The new family he had was much more important than revenge. He had to ensure that they were safe. Elisa was satisfied with his answer, and decided to go ahead of him and rendezvous at the garden.
Hajime had one last thing to do in the imperial capital before heading to the garden.
In the Third District:
Clad in his finest suit, Hajime stood at the receptionist's counter, leaving the young female receptionist in a daze. In her eyes, Hajime was as dashing as a prince, causing her to gaze ever so longingly into his crimson eyes. She escorted him to Mr. Alfonse's study, introducing him as the adventurer, Mr. Reaper.
"Aahh! Mr. Reaper, welcome! Have a seat! There's much to discuss, I've recently been made aware of a lot of information that may greatly benefit your cause. That is, if you're interested!".
The excited expression on Alfonse's face made Hajime's words feel heavy for him to spill. He sulked slightly, looking at Alfonse in his Reaper mask.
"I'm afraid our objectives have run into a blockade. I will be attending to an urgent issue far from the imperial capital soon and it would be difficult to make it in time to retrieve the tears of time, even with your aid".
"Oh, I see".
Alfonse showed understanding, although his disappointment was palpable. Hajime was also disappointed.
"It's a shame, I had gotten some useful information too. A relative of one of my salesmen caught wind of the duke of house Floriene asking about the flower. According to the relative who is a maiden of house Floriene, the duke expressed a desire to find worthy mercenary guilds to plan an expedition for the flower".
Hajime was awe struck. What did his uncle want with the tears of time? Did it have anything to do with the dead prince? What was he planning?
Hajime's conviction was suddenly reignited. He knew that if he sat and sulked about being lost, this same monster of a family member would destroy everything he loved.
He showed disinterest in Alfonse's words, just to seem aloof.
Thanking Alfonse, he excused himself from his artifacts parler.
In the vampire garden;
Elisa was seated among the red chrysanthemums, playing with the grey fang cub. Beside her, the beast girl was seated calmly, eating a piece of bread in her frilly pink dress. Elisa welcomed Hajime with a smile, warming his heart easing his mind.
Lilith casually appeared beside Hajime, nudging him in the side as punishment for leaving for so long.
Hajime invited them to the meeting room, wanting to discuss the next course of action. In the meeting room, Hajime presented all the information he had gathered so far, expressing his shock at the recent events. He asked for their council on what to do next.
"Hajime, I believe we need to get closer to your mother's family without drawing attention. However, it's imperative that we avoid your uncle for the time being. Although this expedition is indeed suspicious in nature, we mustn't forget that his son killed you once".
Elisa expressed her worry, gently critiquing the flaws in his plan.
"You forget that both of you are practically immortal now?!!"
Lilith countered. She saw no wrong in Hajime's plan. Silk had an idea. Before she reunited with Lilith, she had gone on many travels. She had heard of a mercenary guild run by a famous mercenary. They were known as the rising dragon guild. They were well known throughout the empire. According to Silk, it was most likely that they would be part of this expedition.
Hajime had heard of this guild in his days as a common thief. He knew how they were based in Elisa home domain, in Vale. Hajime decided to join the mercenary guild as a cover for gathering information.
Elisa was still heavily disagreeing with the plan. She excused herself, walking out of the meeting room with a foul expression. Hajime was worried, dismissing the meeting and running after his beloved. In the garden, under the blazing sunlight, Elisa was lost in thought. She had watched her love die once and done nothing. The danger Hajime put himself in for her held much weight in her heart. She feared losing him, right when she had gotten him back. Hajime approached from behind her, wiping her tears with his finger as he pulled her close. To him, all that mattered was her smile at that point. He consoled her, promising to be safe without a doubt. Elisa offered to accompany Hajime. However, even he was not sure of his safety in the upcoming expedition.
He promised to return without fail and in the meantime, his every attention was hers. They shared a passionate kiss, sealing the promise of hearts.