A few minutes later, the knights, still moving around the training hall, watched with curiosity as the new Sub-division discussed with their Head-Captain in the lounge.
"Hell no," Dom said with a dead serious look on his face.
Anthony raised a brow from his comfortable-looking chair. "Seriously? I thought you were always up for a job," He said.
"I know…" Dom replied as he leaned into the couch with a heavy sigh. "... but we have a party coming up, and I already planned for us to go on break before then."
Anthony turned to Dae, standing beside the couch on Dom's right side. "We've been doing jobs non-stop these past couple of months. A rest doesn't sound bad now," Dae commented with a shrug.
Lucy, nibbling on some snacks beside Zoe on another couch, nodded in agreement.
"I've saved up enough for the party and still have enough left over to keep us good for three weeks. We don't really need the cash now either," Dom added as he sat up. "We're ready for whatever messed-up reprimands they want to give out."
Anthony smiled. "That's the thing…" He said, "… there's so much backlash if you refuse this one that it's actually insane."
Dom raised a brow. "Seriously?"
"A probation period of six months," Roy said, drawing their attention as he listed them: "… Withdrawn pay and mission assignments during those months, extra guard duties, a formal reprimand, the list goes on…"
"Damn." Dom scoffed while Dae frowned in thought.
"Yeah." Anthony said, "Unfortunately, the order comes directly from the Council, so even I can't save you from some of those reprimands. So I recommend you do it this time. Besides, the job's not even half as bad as the ones you've taken so far... and…" His smile widened. "… It's your first international."
Dom stiffened, his eyes widening. "For real?"
Confused by Anthony's words, Lucy gave Dae a stare, which he quickly understood and explained to her, "It means we're going outside of the South-Land for this mission."
Lucy hummed, processing the new word as she munched on her snacks.
"You're so adorable," Zoe said as she rubbed Lucy's head, making her smile and wag her tail like a happy pup. "And not just any outside country…" She waved her hand dramatically. "... one of the top dogs, the North-Land."
Lucy furrowed her brows. "Isn't that where you got this?" She asked, shaking the drink in her hand. Zoe nodded, her eyes now alight with excitement, and she turned to Dom. "Can we go? Please?"
Dom rubbed his neck with a smile. "I have always wanted to see that place," He said.
Anthony chuckled at their happy smiles before noticing Dae's frown as he remained deep in thought.
"What's up, genius?" Anthony asked.
Dae snapped out of his thoughts and noticed their stares. "Just thinking… why there?"
Anthony narrowed his eyes.
"Even though we've been at peace for the past decades, I heard we still have conflicts with that nation in particular," Dae added.
A beat of silence hung over them--their smiles faded from Dae's serious observation.
"That's to be expected," Anthony said, leaning back into his chair and crossing a leg over his knee. "Even during the war, the North-land was always our number one rival."
Dom raised a curious brow. "Did something happen between us?" He asked.
Anthony shook his head. "It's more of a conflict of ideals than a grudge."
Lucy turned to Dae again, confusion written across her face.
With a sigh, Dae explained, "Ideals are what a person believes to be perfection or the gold standard. It's what someone strives to become."
"Oh. So…" Lucy paused, glancing at Dom. "… that Emperor guy you always talk about is your ideal?" She asked.
Dae nodded.
Dom immediately gave her a thumbs-up, causing her to grin with pride.
Standing by Anthony's chair, Roy stared at Lucy thoughtfully. "I'm still surprised she managed to learn and understand speech this fast," He said.
Zoe smirked as she petted Lucy's bushy tail. "Don't underestimate a determined woman in love, Roy," She said while Lucy giggled.
Anthony cleared his throat to get their attention,
"As Dae said," He said, his tone serious. "… our nations have their own ideals."
He gestured to emphasize his points.
"For the South, they value a traditional life. Scientific advancement is heavily restricted. Most technology is banned outright. Except the essentials…
"Mana cuffs. Spatial projectors. Comms. Things like that." Dae added, "Some other advanced materials do manage to filter in from other countries, but they're usually confiscated later."
Anthony nodded.
"And it's not just tech…" Zoe said, pointing to the now-empty drink container in Lucy's hand. "Food, new clothing styles, and even accessories are also screened. But since they're not exactly contradictory to the Council's ideals, they usually let those items slide."
"But," Anthony said, regaining narrative control. "... because of the intense screening, which seriously delays shipment, along with the low demand from our mostly traditional citizens themselves, those items are usually hard to get and very expensive when you do find them."
Dom looked down at the red hoodie tied around his waist. "So that's why hoodies and sneakers are always so damn expensive," He mumbled.
Dae gave him a side stare. "That's why I say they were a waste of money," He said.
Dom smirked. "But they're still cooler than our boring clothes. They're worth every credit."
"Amen to that," Zoe said as she tugged on her multi-colored sleeveless shirt.
Anthony continued, "Unlike us, the North hates the word traditional. They pour all their energy and resources into advancing their technology. The mana cuffs, barrier devices, communicators, and even the use of Rapore itself… they were all their original ideas."
"In terms of our ideals…" Dae said, his eyes narrowed. "… we're exact opposites."
Anthony nodded stiffly. "While we're still using beast-pulled carriages to move around, they have fast rapore-powered devices that can even carry them through the sky itself in seconds. It's almost stupid that we're living on the same planet,"
Dom's eyes widened in disbelief. "I thought flying carriages were just rumors." He commented.
Anthony rubbed his beard with a smirk. "I've not seen them in person, but Roy has ridden one, hasn't you?" He asked, glancing at Roy, who simply shrugged.
Now trembling with excitement, Lucy sat up and fixed her widened eyes on Dom. "Let's go! I want to ride a flying carriage!"
Dom rubbed his neck, a conflicted look on his face. "I definitely want to ride one too… but there's one thing we need to clear up first…" He gave Anthony a serious stare. "What exactly are those guys sending us to do?"
Anthony smirked at Dom, then gestured to Roy, who handed Dom a folder.
As Dom flipped through the details, Dae leaned closer to read it. "We're to escort a shipment of resources and confiscated weapons to the North's Science Division?" He mumbled, taking some documents from the folder.
Dom frowned as he flipped to the next page, his gaze falling on some pictures. "Aren't those the guns we took from those guys?" He asked, and Dae nodded in recognition of the energy weapons.
"According to the Council,..." Roy said. "... since it was your division that confiscated them, it's your responsibility to return them."
A beat of silence hung in the air after that.
Raising a brow, Anthony noticed the dark looks on all three of their faces. "What's wrong?" He asked. "It's not exactly a hard job."
"That's the problem," Dom said as he closed the folder and stared suspiciously at it. "Ever since the stunt we pulled back in the village, the Council has been bombarding us with A-class jobs on purpose to mess with us, right?"
He shook the folder to emphasize his point. "For us to suddenly take a C-class mission now… That sounds…"
"Boring." Lucy sighed with visible disappointment.
"Too easy," Dae commented, his gaze just as skeptical.
Anthony stared at them for a moment and then smiled proudly. "Glad to know we're all on the same page." He said.
He placed his hands on his knees and sat up straight.
"I've always kept an eye on all your jobs, but this one really rubs me the wrong way… especially since they heavily emphasized that your team should do it. Even though I have five other sub-divisions that are currently on standby."
"A mission so simple, yet carries that much punishment? That sounds extremely suspicious," Dae said, and Anthony nodded.
"But we looked into it…" Roy said, drawing their attention. "It's clean. As far as we know, the Council is being completely honest about the job this time."
Dom shook his head as he stared at the folder. "It can't be that easy," He mumbled in thought.
Anthony nodded. "I agree…" He said, his brows furrowed in thought.
"For a job carrying this much pressure, something is definitely wrong with it…" He suddenly smirked as an amusing thought crossed his mind. "… which is why I'm temporarily assigning your division a new member."
Dom gave Anthony a curious and confused stare.
"Because of the treaty, I can't set foot in another country," Anthony said with a sudden smirk. "Plus, I doubt you'd want me to save your ass a third time."
Dom's brow twitched, his face twisted in bitter frustration, earning a laugh from Anthony.
"So…" Dae asked, drawing Anthony's attention. "Who's joining us?"
Without saying a word, Anthony immediately stretched an arm and pushed an unsuspecting Roy forward.
"What?" Dom, Dae, and Roy himself said simultaneously, all with shocked looks.
"Since the Council's still out to get you, you need a member strong enough to tackle any problem, and someone I can trust," Anthony said, gesturing at Roy. "Roy's the perfect fit."
Roy turned to glare at Anthony. "We never discussed this," He grumbled.
"Because I just came up with the idea," Anthony chuckled.
Roy narrowed his eyes at Anthony, clearly thinking of several unpleasant things to say.
But Anthony met Roy's hostile gaze with a friendly grin. "You wouldn't disobey your Captain, would you?" He asked, the red glow in his eyes a sharp contrast to his smile.
Roy maintained his deadly gaze for a moment, then sighed in defeat and walked forward.
Dom immediately stood as Roy approached him. "Looks like we'll be working together," Roy said with a professional tone, hand raised.
"Y-yeah," Dom mumbled, taking Roy's hand, his body stiffening at the slight coldness of Roy's skin.
Roy's taller height—6'7"—his massive frame, the faintly cold aura, and the ghostly glow of his pale-white iris made Dom tense.
It wasn't just the chill.
It was the same instinctive warning he felt whenever Anthony entered a room.
The same pressure he felt from Xavier during their fight at Lupus.
Roy was hiding it well… but there was something just as monstrously dangerous beneath that calm expression.
I almost forgot, Dom thought as he released Roy's hand. Mr. Roy's a successor too… which means…
"He's on the same level as Xavier," Dae mumbled, his eyes still wide, mirroring Dom's expression.
Even Lucy stared at her hands, smirking as she saw her slightly trembling claws extend instinctively.
As Roy moved away, Anthony spoke, "As long as you have Roy, you should be fine in case anything happens… that is," He paused, narrowing his gaze at them. "…if you're taking the job."
They all turned to Dom, who frowned in thought.
"How long will it take us to get there?" Dom asked.
"By horseback," Roy answered. "… along with the caravan itself, it should take about 6 days to get to their science division located in their capital city."
"Which means almost two weeks in total," Dae said.
"Almost," Zoe said, smiling at Dom. "Your birthday's on the 16th, right?" She asked.
Dom nodded.
"Which means you'll have enough time to do your job and come back with like 2 days to spare." She added, waving a hand dismissively. "You can even use that time to explore the Capital."
"She's right," Anthony said, smiling as he rubbed his beard. "I've always wanted to see what new inventions they've created for myself, too. If not for the Treaty, I would have visited a long time ago. I don't think you should miss this opportunity."
Zoe hugged Lucy with a grin. "And since their products are way cheaper there, you can even do some shopping," She commented.
Lucy's eyes widened. "I can buy a bunch of those awesome drinks," She mumbled, drool already escaping her lips.
"That's right, lil sis," Zoe chuckled as she got up, then walked toward Dae. "And while you're there… Here's a list of things I want too." She pulled a paper from her cleavage and handed it to Dae. "I'll send you the money, okay?" She winked.
Dae sighed heavily, staring at the very long list.
"Dom. Let's go. Please. Please. Please," Lucy said, grinning.
Dom furrowed his brows, deep in thought. As much fun as this job sounded, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
He glanced at his team for confirmation--Lucy practically beamed with anticipation, while Dae shrugged.
With a sigh, Dom sat back down. "Alright. We'll do it," He said.
The two girls cheered victoriously.
Anthony nodded. "Alright, Captain. I'll tell HQ," He said, standing while Zoe gave Lucy one last squeeze before following him. Turning away, he stopped beside Roy, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm counting on you," He whispered.
Roy's eyes narrowed at Anthony's dead serious gaze--almost like a threat if something were to happen to them. He recognized that strange possessive look and nodded.
Anthony smiled, his gaze softening as he walked away with Zoe.
Roy's skeptical gaze remained on Anthony's back a moment, then shifted to Lucy's laughter.
"Thank you, thank you," Lucy mumbled, hugging Dom tightly.
"It's fine," Dom chuckled, trying to push her off.
"The North-Land's Science Division," Dae mumbled with a hand on his chin. "It's the most advanced science division in the entire Great-Land." A small smile appeared. "I'm actually looking forward to seeing it."
Lucy released Dom with a wide grin. "I'm looking forward to all the delicious treats they have," She said, wiping away drool.
Dom looked down at his worn-out sneakers. "Since things are cheaper there, I can even save some extra cash to buy more stuff," He said with a smirk. "This might actually be fun."
As the three chatted like eager children, an exaggerated sigh escaped Roy's lips.
"And now I'm a babysitter," He said, rubbing his neck before moving toward them…