On his way back to Fanis. He spend some of his time completing the spare mission for precaution if he need proof that he's really passing the border for a mission and not getting involved in any politics.
"Alright...this should be all. I'm lucky there's no time limit for this pest control task."
With a bag full of longroach tails, he's ready to return report it to the nearby guild in Fanis.
"Haec animalia...me inquietant." Fiend said in his head, slightly uneasy by the sight around them.
"Understandable.Never thought I'd see a cockroach with a tail." He replied casually while carrying the huge sack containing fifty severed tails.
"...Cur ambulas?" It asked as Nein taking walk instead of flying.
"It's still broad daylight. We can't just swinging around and spreading rumors." He said that while he's blurring through the dense forest.
Evening comes and he's waiting for the receptionist to check on the authenticity of the severed tails.
"Very well, fifty longroach tails confirmed. Here's your payment sir." The receptionist slides the bag of silver to him with a polite smile.
"Appreciated it."
The evening light felt lot more comfortable now that he doesn't have anything to do until tomorrow. He take a short walk around the streets, listening to hustle and bustle around him while searching for an inn.
"Your room is on the second floor sir. Here's the key and thank you for choosing our inn. Should we bring the food to your room?" The owner said with a friendly smile.
"...Yes please, and thank you."
Click
The room's small, just enough one person to move around. He's seated on the edge of bed. He remain still for a while, wondering about the hospitality he gets, which is weird.
"Say, Fiend...do you think I received many good response lately? Do I have something on my face?" He said with wonder as he went to the mirror.
"Res bona est, nonne?"
It replied as Nein checking on his reflection. Nothing particularly changed from him, the scar, the sharp edges of his face still there.
"Sniff, sniff... Wait... Sniff sniff... Fiend? Are you still there?"
"Sum."
"Then why do I smell like... nothing?"
The realization hits him and made him immediately use his power. It still works, the smoke seeping through his fingertips, curling in the air before he stop it.
"I think I know why now. Can you check on it Fiend? There's probably something happened that caused this."
There's no more sound in his mind, meaning it already doing it.
"Does it really my scent that makes people wary? It's not that bad...right?"
Knock knock
"Sir! Your food's here!" A kid's voice coming from the other side of the door.
"Ah, yeah. You can enter."
The door open as the boy entering with the tray of foods.
"Where should I place this sir?"
"The nightstand."
The boy nods and set the tray on the nightstand next to the bed.
"Well then, have a good night sir."
"...You too."
Click.
The room goes silent, he remain standing on his spot. It's rare for him to see a kid doesn't immediately cry when he looked at them. And he finally realized it's not the way he looked at them was wrong.
"It's the smell, right?" He said in disbelief.
The next day, after he leaves the inn. He learned that the bone that Fiend consume AI actually neutralize the acrid smell of blood in the smoke. Making him smell less like a burning corpse and more like a grilled beef.
"Let's see... I'll need two more days until I reach Patio...hm?" He stopped on his track after a girl standing infront of him.
He tries to take another lane but she keep getting in the way. It make him confused and try to thinking what is this about.
The girl reaching for her bag and taking out a rather familiar object, it was a pen. The one he lost before.
"Ah, you're the girl from the forest. Wait...what are you doing here alone?" He asks before kneeling down.
The girl's face brighten up immediately after seeing him still remember about her. Then with a small caught, she fix her posture and bow down elegantly.
"I'm haven't said my thanks to you properly for saving me back then. I'm Cloe Winterbell, the daughter of the owner of Winterbell merchant group. I'd like to invite you for audience for the behalf of my family."
The word came out so smoothly, it's not what he expected coming from a little girl and it impressed him. And he had no choice but to return the favor.
"I'd like to, but I afraid I had to refuse the invitation. Our encounter is unlikely a good one." He explain, noticing the disappointed look on her face.
"I-I already explain everything to father about that. That you're not the bad guy and...and...I promise to be on your side to explain it again." She's persistent, not giving him an easy escape.
This is so sudden, he had thought of seeing her again, but not so soon. He take his time considering it.
"Yet again, may I know your reason here? I believe you're not alone? Where's your parents or rather, where's your guardian?" He asked while looking around the place.
"Ah, I'm here because father need to attend a business proposal, he brought me along with him so I can learn things or two. For where my guardian is...well, she's probably watching over me somewhere else." She explain with a playful smile.
Hearing her words he finally able to relax at the mysterious presence around him who's been watching over them.
"But still, I'm a rather busybody, I'm glad to see you again but I need to go back home shortly."
"T-then how about I hire you?"
The implications made him flinched, for her to say that means she knows him being a mercenary. He can sense the guardian readying herself after seeing his reaction.
"You can't just do that milady. There's procedure to hire a man's sword. Besides, I need the-" his words stopped by what he saw infront of him.
"Where did you..."
It was a contract containing Elias signature. The stamp and all were authentic. It's a escort mission, made without his approval.
"Ah, and the lady told me to sent her regards." She said before handing him a small piece of paper.
"Sorry for the suddenness of this Nein. But you don't need to came back almost immediately. It's not like there's a lot to do here anyway so enjoy your free time." The letter said along with Elias name at the bottom.
He turn his eyes to the contract in his hand again then at the letter before landing on Cloe. He sigh in defeat and straighten up before nodding.
"Very well, since things has gone to this. I shall escort you back, lady Cloe. Please call me Nein."
"Yes. Please lead the way, sir Nein."
And with that, they take their time wandering around the town before finally reached the manor of Winterbell. With someone already waiting for him.
He had heard the name before. A merchant group who sell variety of products from the cold and isolated place, Algor. A place surrounded by cold mountain range up South. And Winterbell is from that place.
And the one standing before him now is the owner of it, Ruffen Winterbell. A man who singlehandedly establish this group to it's current state.
"I'm honored to meet you again, Nein Winter." He said as he approach him. His voice carries authority despite the friendly smile.
"The pleasure is mine sir. Yet I suppose there's no longer misunderstanding between us." Nein make it subtle that he knows about the hidden danger around him.
Ruffen can't help but amused by it. He has appointed his most trained knight and post them surrounding the manor simply to test about what he saw in his file. And he happy with the results.
"Haha, indeed. My daughter already explain everything to me. Which is why, I personally thank you for saving her, Nein."
All the hiding knights already dismissed by a silent gesture, except for one. The way Ruffen treating him implies that he already know about him. And it makes things easier.
"I'm simply doing what I must." Nein replied politely.
Ruffen shift his attention to Cloe and call her to him with hand gesture.
"There's actually a lot I want to discuss with you, but for now, shall we get in?" He said with a friendly smile as Cloe standing beside him.
"And Lyca. You can get back now." He added to the shadow where the guardian's at.
The guardian slowly walking away from the dismissal.
"Shall we?"
"It's my pleasure." He answered before falling into a step behind the merchant.
As usual, he keep his mind occupied with anything but the present. Ignoring the luxury around him and just walking along the corridor with casual grace.
"Ubi sumus?" Fiend suddenly said. Asking about where they are right now.
"A sudden mission, we're still in Fanis and we're going for a dinner. How's your sleep?" Nein speaking with it through his mind.
"Rursus dormiam."
"... alright then, goodnight." He said as Fiend decided to go back to sleep again.
"Say, Nein." The merchant voice snap him back from his thoughts.
"Yes?"
"You're a rather peculiar individual. I'm used with people trying to impress or striking a deal, yet what I get from you is silence. Not like I hate it though, but could you try to say something? Because the silence is deafening." He explain briefly, looking at him over his shoulder.
"Well, I don't have anything to share. Besides, words is not my forte. So please bear with me." He answered casually, which makes Ruffen chuckles.
As they reach the dining room, the grand interior immediately greet him. The expensive furniture and variety of meals impressed him.
"Now, be my guest and take a seat." Ruffen said as he went to his chair along with Cloe.
Nein pick the chair near the merchant so they can talk comfortably while also providing enough space. Cloe's sitting opposite him.
"So, how should I address you sir? Because I need a proper way to call you beside calling you "sir"." Nein start conversationally.
"Call me Winterbell. That's how people called me."
"Alright then, sir Winterbell. If you may, could you tell me the details about the contract?" He said as he slide the paper on the table.
"Yes, it's an escort mission made for my daughter. I need you to protect her as I deal with my business."
"Until?"
"Until I dealt with it."
"...I need numbers, sir Winterbell."
"...Four months. I'll need you to take care of her for four months until I finish my business."
There's a long silence between them as Nein processing the information. Four months of babysitting already troubling his mind. Added by the odd way to make the contract, he can't help but feel uneasy.
"We could talk about it later. For now, let's enjoy our food before it gets cold. Shall we?" Ruffen suggest with a friendly smile that feels off.
And with that, Nein decided to put aside the problem and eat with them.
Later, after walking Cloe to her bedroom, both of them were going toward Ruffen's study to talk. And after a long minutes of walking, they finally inside.
"What's you're plotting?." Nein start the moment they're inside. The polite and friendly mask no more.
"Nothing, I simply worried that the same incident could happen again. And I happen to recognize the pen you dropped. It's from someone I know from Patio. So I went to investigate and here we are now." Ruffen explain casually, confident nothing will happen as long as he hold his ground.
"Heh, I'd believe that if you're not trying to drug me earlier."
The revelation made Ruffen flinched.
"Watch your mouth. How dare you-"
His words died in his throat as he see how Nein remade the substance from the tip of his fingertips and form a small pill out of it before throwing it onto the floor.
"I'll give you time to explain before I act recklessly, Winterbell." Nein warns.