A few days later, everyone had recovered from their exhaustion and wounds. However, until Professor Reiner was convinced they were good enough to move freely, he had forbidden both Arsh and Bera from training. Arsh's leg and Bera's shoulder had been in pretty bad shape, but after his treatment, they were completely fine. Still, they had no choice but to obey his orders. Now, both of them seemed perfectly healthy, as if nothing had happened.
After spending those few days doing nothing but resting and taking short walks, Arsh was bored out of his mind. So, when Mes offered to show him around the city, he was excited. He'd never had a chance to explore Tirsit since he arrived. He had only seen it through the window of a carriage. Mes also thought it would be a good way for both of them to relax.
But just as they were about to leave, Walter saw them. He threw his arm over Arsh's shoulder.
"If you want to explore this city, you should follow me, not Mes. He rarely lifts his head from books long enough to even leave the library." he said with a grin.
They walked together along Tirsit's famous streets and tasted the city's local foods. But Arsh thought they were too bland and tasteless.
'Are these the foods of the most powerful country in the world…? In our little village, we have better food,' he thought.
Although he didn't enjoy many of the things he ate, the desserts were good. He especially loved the one they called crème caramel. They also bought Arsh a new outfit to replace his torn clothes. After spending the day like this, as evening fell, Mes suggested heading back. However, Walter was not willing to return.
He took them to a place with dim lighting, filled with men and women. They were all dancing and singing. The strong smell of alcohol and the smoke from cigarettes made it hard to breathe.
"Did you bring us to a tavern?" Arsh asked in astonishment.
"A tavern?… Please, this is a music hall," Walter said with a laugh.
"I should remind you, Walter. Arsh and I are not of legal age yet," Mes said.
"Hmm… is that a problem?"
"Of course it is," Mes said helplessly.
"Mes, you're underestimating me. When you're with me, such small details are not a problem," Walter said, pushing them both inside before they could even protest.
...
Past midnight, they finally managed to convince Walter to head back. Past midnight, they finally managed to convince Walter to head back. If they hadn't insisted, it felt as though they would have stayed there until morning.
All night, they had just sat quietly in a corner, watching people shouting, dancing, and singing. Neither of them knew what they were supposed to do in such an environment; besides, they were both far too shy to talk to women—unlike Walter, who seemed to dance with almost every woman in the hall. Even when a couple of women approached them to dance, they both refused with flushed faces.
"I don't even know how to dance... please, let's just get out of here," he told Walter a few times. But it was in vain.
Throughout the night, they tried to take a few sips of the drinks Walter bought for them, but neither of them liked the burning sensation in their throats. This was only the second time Arsh had ever tried alcohol. The first time was from the flask Will had thrown him just to quench his thirst. Because of that, Arsh still hated the way it burned his throat.
In the end, tired of their constant complaining, Walter finally agreed to head back.
When they returned, Bera was waiting for them at the entrance.
"Why do you smell like that? Walter… where did you take them?" he asked angrily. But Walter, who had been walking right behind them a moment ago, had already vanished.
"Walter insisted on showing us the city today," Mes said.
"Why did you follow him? Didn't you know where he'd take you? I spend my life cleaning up after him," Bera replied.
He looked angry, but without saying anything further, they all went inside together. Then, without even glancing back at them, he headed straight for the stairs.
"I was waiting for you, Arsh. Tomorrow, we're going out to do some research."
"We're going to find the guards?" Arsh shouted after him.
"Yes. But remember, they might recognize you, so we need to hide your face," Bera said. Then, without another word, he disappeared into his room.
"He's going to scold Walter later..." Mes whispered after him.
…
The first person that came to Arsh's mind was the captain of the guards. Even though he did not know the man's name, his face was vivid in his memory—the man looking down into the well with a rifle aimed at him. Although he wasn't completely certain, Arsh believed that he was the one who had killed his father. And even if it wasn't him, it didn't matter. All of them would meet their end by his hand.
Following the golden threads, they arrived first in the city center and then in front of a massive, historic building. It was surrounded by high walls, and guard units were stationed in the towers around its garden.
There was no chance of getting inside in daylight.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Bera asked.
Arsh gave a nod.
"This is the parliament," Bera said. It was obvious that he didn't expect to find their target here either. But Arsh was certain he wasn't mistaken. The golden threads extended straight into the building. After waiting near the gates for a while, Arsh felt his target getting closer.
"He's about to come out," Arsh whispered.
Soon, the guards in the front garden opened the gates, and two carriages came out.
"Let's follow them for now," Bera said.
They followed from a distance in another carriage, with Arsh leading the way. Five minutes later, the carriages stopped in front of a restaurant. As soon as they stopped, the door of the carriage in the back opened. A tall, bearded man with no other distinguishing features stepped out. Then, he helped the man with the cane get out of the carriage.
Arsh recognized the first person who stepped out instantly. It hadn't even been a month since he last saw him. Then, he looked at the person getting out of the front carriage. He recognized him too.
Arsh and Bera passed them and got out of their carriage a little further ahead.
"Which one is he?" Bera asked.
"The one to the right of the man with the cane, and the one behind him."
Arsh felt an urge to cut off the heads of the people ahead.
Bera sensed what Arsh was feeling and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him toward the opposite side of the street.
"Arsh, be calm. Not like this. This might be more complicated than you think. For now, let's go back."
A few people coming out of the restaurant politely escorted the man with the cane up the stairs. The man Arsh had been following, along with another guard, accompanied him inside. The remaining four guards stayed behind, waiting at the restaurant entrance.
As they walked past the front of the restaurant, Arsh pulled his hat low over his face, while Bera walked on his left to shield him from view.
"Look at the guards on the right side of the door," Arsh whispered just before they passed by.
Once they were a safe distance away, Bera asked, "So, both of them were with Millway?"
"Yes"
"This isn't good. Things are going to get complicated," Bera whispered.
When he first came here, he still had doubts about killing these people. He was uneasy about whether he was truly capable of it—whether he could actually go through with it—yet he had still decided to try. But now he realized something about himself that he hadn't known before. If Bera hadn't been there, he could have killed those people on the spot without a second thought.
But he wasn't carrying a weapon. And even if he had made a move in front of so many people, he was certain Bera would have stopped him. He wasn't as strong as Bera was. Juan had also mentioned that one or two of the guards might have siuni. Most likely, if anyone there had siuni, it was the man he was following—the captain of the guard.
He needed to grow stronger. He was not strong enough yet.
As they entered a crowded street, Arsh asked the question that had been bothering him. They were far enough away now.
"What did you mean earlier, when you said the situation might be more complicated?"
"Did you see the man with the cane? The one they were guarding?"
Arsh had seen him, but he hadn't paid much attention. He shook his head.
"That was Thomas Hulston," Bera said with a serious expression.
But Arsh had no idea who he was talking about.
'Is he someone I should know?' he thought, as they kept walking toward their next target.