"We stole it..." said Roncleus, the mysterious man, flashing an awkward grin.
"What?!?!" The trio exclaimed in unison.
"Yeesh, what's the problem?" Roncleus shrugged. "You stole it from us too, didn't you? Why's it surprising when we do it?"
"N-No we're just shocked to hear that the Mixus Family would actually steal a Quiss..." Mihikolo commented.
Eilda shot up, slamming the table. "Then who did you steal it from?! Who the hell had it before you?!"
Roncleus stared into Eilda's eyes, finding a deep resolve burning in them.
"Determined are we? But you don't need to know that right now..." He replied, his face suddenly serious.
"Please! Tell me! Who did you take it from!?" Eilda pushed.
Roncleus turned away.
"You're not ready to face them yet, you're far too weak."
With that, he continued toward the door. Eilda stood frozen, fists clenched, her face a storm of rage and defeat.
"I'm back to square one?! Even after everything?!" she cursed inwardly.
Suddenly, a curious voice piped up.
"Miss, what got you lookin' down like that?" Lequiss stood in front of her, smiling.
"N-No, it's nothing..." she replied, startled by his sudden appearance.
Eilda stared at the kid for a moment and then a spark lit in her eyes.
Her face brightens up as she starts to think."Ah... I forgot! That's right, this kid! Maybe I'm not at square one anymore! I know what I have to do now!"
All of a sudden she grabbed Lequiss by the shoulders, excitedly.
With fierce eyes, she declared, "Lequiss, right?! Let me join your journey!"
"Ow Ow! M-My shoulder!" Said Lequiss with a pained expression while tapping her hand on the shoulder that the old man had crushed earlier.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry I forgot..." She lets go of his shoulders.
"Ow, You squeeze quite hard too! You're pretty strong but not as strong as that old man!" Remarked Lequiss while caressing his shoulder.
"As I said, Lequiss, can I join yo-"
"Ahem!"
Everyone turned to Juhsa, the old man, who cleared his throat.
"We can't really afford to waste time here. I suggest all of you go upstairs, all of you follow me." He turned and walked away.
"But old man! I wanna see what that Head guy will do!" Lequiss pouted.
"No I'm sorry but you can't, It'll be too dangerous for you."
"Aw, really? But I really want-"
Before he could finish, Juhsa appeared behind him in a blink and chopped his neck with surgical precision. Lequiss collapsed unconscious into Juhsa's arms.
The three stood there sweating. None of them could react until after it was done.
"Come with me. We're not sparing any more time." Juhsa says, carrying Lequiss out
"What sheer speed!!! Is this the capability of one of the pillars of the Mixus Family?!" Eilda thought to herself
Eilda snaps back and looks at Mihikolo and Fylo both of them sweating in nervousness till Eilda ultimately decided to just follow him out the door. Fylo and Mihikolo snap back too and sees Eilda heading out, they follows along too.
They returned to the hallway and headed toward the stairs.
At the second floor, they were met with a large door bearing a sign: Library.
"Is this the Library, Sir Roncleus, was referring to earlier? I wonder what's in it." Eilda pondered.
The hallway branched into two directions. Juhsa turned right.
As they walked, Juhsa warned, "As Sir Roncleus said, do not enter the large door from earlier. If you do... Even I do not know what might happen to you."
Mihikolo and Fylo gulpped. Eilda merely nods.
At the end of the hall stood a plain door. Juhsa opened it and walked in without a word. Fylo and Mihikolo followed, but as Eilda stepped forward, she paused.
"What was that...?" Eilda confusingly asks.
She felt something as she entered the door.
"What was what? Asked Mihikolo.
She reached her hand out to check.
Then came Juhsa's voice. "I'll be leaving you three along with the kid here."
Her hand stopped and she turns around to see Juhsa laying Lequiss down on a large bed. After laying Lequiss on the bed, he sees the sword on Lequiss's hip, figured it might cause discomfort and so he grabs the sword and tried to remove it but it didn't budge.
He glanced down. Lequiss's hand was clenched tightly around the hilt. "Even when unconscious, he's still tightly gripping on to it? This must be important to him."
Juhsa stood up, giving up on removing it. As he passed Eilda near the door, he said coldly "I hope you 3 won't be doing anything stupid like escaping or specifically anything to the kid..." He walks out the door, closing it behind him.
Juhsa moved faster than before, reaching the Library in a flash.
He knocked.
"Come in." A voice of a girl answered.
He sighs and unwillingly opens the door to head in.
Inside was quite dark with just a dim blue light enshrouding the room, like the sign said it was a Library filled with books but it was disorderly, a lot of the books were not on the shelves and most of them were on the floor.
At the end of all the mess, there was a table facing the wall with some blueprint looking paper scattered all over the table and a board in front of it filled with paper sticking to it.
"As slothful as ever." Juhsa muttered.
Behind the mess, a girl with bluish-white hair leaned back in a chair, a book covering her face, her feet propped up.
Juhsa picks up two pieces of paper and begins writing on it as he approaches the table on the end of the room.
"Ahh, yes yes, I'm slothful" The girly said, lazily. "But is that really what you came to me for? To nag me?"
Juhsa stops behind the chair and puts down the paper he wrote on at the table. "As slothful as you are, you are still very clever. As you should know they have already arrived." Said Juhsa.
"So?" She replied, not moving. "What do you want me to do?"
Juhsa grumbled, annoyed. "We have to help Sir Roncleus deal with them, of course!"
The girl grabs the tip of the book on her head with her slender finger and raised the book slightly above her face and peeked at Juhsa.
"You? And Roncy? Need 'my' help? Roncy would probably be enough but with you, I doubt you'll ever need my help." She dropped the book back on her face.
Juhsa snaps. "Fine! But at least take care of the ones in that room if things ever get messy! And speaking of messy..."
Juhsa looks over the mess all over the room "Your lazy bum better clean all this mess up before Sir Roncleus sees this!" Juhsa demanded in an angry manner as he walked towards the door.
"Yes will do! Keep yourself safe! All that anger will get to you sooner or later, Juhsy!" She replies, waving at Juhsa.
Juhsa slams the door close as he exits.
Juhsa hops at incredible speed down the stairs arriving at the front door of the house, he opens the door and sees Roncleus, again sitting on the stairs. He walks towards Roncleus and stops behind him.
"Sir Roncleus, what's the situation?" He asked.
"Ah Juhsa, It's nothing much yet. They've just surrounded the whole estate." He replied calmly.
People encircled the entire estate, not moving, just waiting.
"Mhmm, so it's just you huh? Well as expected Lola didn't come"
"She said that we'll be able to handle this without her help and she's right but..." Juhsa glanced around. "They're not moving, it seems like they're waiting for something."
"No."
"Someone." Ronclues points to a figure approaching.
A man clad in gold armor, holding a spear, stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
Roncleus looks down below at him.
"Who are you and what brings you to our humble family?" Asked Roncleus with a gleeful grin.
The man glared at Roncleus "My name is Paxia! I come from the Heseo Family! And Mixus Family, you know damn well the reason why we're here!" He shouted.
Roncleus raises both his arms and shrugs while shaking his head. "I don't. I don't know the reason at all."
The man's jaw clenched in anger. "Mixus Family, stop feigning ignorance! Give us back what's ours or we'll take it by force!" He shouted.
"Ah, that! So the Heseo Family came all the way here just to get that? Hmm... But what if I were to tell you, we don't have it anymore?" Roncleus playfully replies.
"Roncleus! We won't allow any more disrespect to the Heseo Family than this! We'll give you one more chance, hand over the Quiss!" He shouted.
Roncleus chuckles. "But we really don't have it anymore."
"What...?!" The man looks surprised but is skeptical.
"You won't believe it!" He raised his hand in joy. "We found someone who has been chosen! Someone who is actually worthy and he's now wearing it! So we actually don't have it anymore!"
"..."
The man was dumbstruck.
"Ahahahahahahahahahhaha!" The silver man laughed loudly.
"This is the best one you could come up with?! At least make it believable! Your jokes are becoming more laughable by the moment! Ahahahaha!" The man laughed.
"Ahahahaha! I know right!? I'm funny as hell! But believe it or not, we really don't have your Quiss."
"You really think I'll believe that joke?" The man's happy face turns serious instantly. "The Mixus Family found someone worthy of the Quiss? Enough of your nonsense, Roncleus! Give us the Quiss or we will take it by force!"
Roncleus's tone darkened. "Well I don't care if you believe it or not but in the small chance of what I'm saying is actually true, would you, No, would the Heseo Family take the risk of violating the World Rule and incur the wrath of the World Church?"
The man froze.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Roncleus teased.
"N-No! You must be bluffing! You have to be!" The man said anxiously.
"Khahahahahaha! Am I?! Or am I not?!" Roncleus continued to tease..
The man seemed angrily embarrassed."R-Roncleus stop with the nonsense! Don't get the World Church involve in this! I know damn well, you don't have a chosen one so we're not breaking a World Rule! Can you handle the consequences of getting the World Church involve?! Can your little Family even handle our forces here?!" Shouted the silver man.
Roncleus grins "Yeah, easily..." he says in a taunting manner
"K-Kgh! Everyone charge!" Shouted the man, raising his spear.
The people surrounding the estate begin to rush toward the mansion.
"Aw, What a letdown, I wanted to end this peacefully with that. I thought he'll buy it!" Roncleus says disappointed.
Juhsa sighs "It's because you kept teasing him."
"Khahahahaha! Did I?! Oh well, anyways, can you handle the back?"
"Certainly."
"Well, then I'll handle the rest at the front and Paxia."
They leaped in opposite directions, Juhsa heads to the back of the estate and Roncleus hops down the stairs and stares at Paxia. Paxia immediately reacts and hops back allowing him to pull back his spear, readying to thrust it straight at Roncleus.
He thrust the spear straight at him but Roncleus stood still as it was about to hit his head.
*CLANK!...*
Meanwhile in the room upstairs...
Lequiss snored peacefully. Mihikolo and Fylo sitting on chairs beside the bed. Now looking at it, the room was quite well-decorated, It was almost as big as the room below.
"This... Is a nice room..." Mihikolo muttered trying to make small talk.
"Yeah... It's good, boss..."
Awkward silence.
"Eilda what the hell are you staring at that kid for?!"
Eilda stood silently at the other side of the bed, staring at Lequiss intently.
"It's nothing, don't mind it." Answered Eilda.
"Nothing?! What do you mean Nothing?! You've been acting weird all this time when this Quiss is related! Earlier too, when we were taking it from this house, you had a big smile on your face!
Mihikolo looked seriously at Eilda "Eilda... What's with you and this Quiss..?" Asked Mihikolo.
Eilda just continues to stare at Lequiss. "It's..." She pauses. "No, I'm sorry. I won't risk it, I don't wanna endanger your lives by entangling it with my goal..." Answered Eilda with a saddened serious look.
"Endanger?! What's there to worry about?! I am the great Mihikolo, what could endanger me?!" Mihikolo praising himself.
Mihikolo looked at Eilda, still with a solemn expression. "I see, so you're serious about it that much. I guess I don't have a choice then I won't pry about it anymore."
Then suddenly.
"Though... We can't allow one of us to be sad!" He declared.
"Fylo get her!" He shouts.
Fylo immediately lunged at Eilda, even hopping across Lequiss.
Eilda is surprised but easily dodges Fylo's big body. Fylo went straight to the ground and falls face first.
Eilda looked at Fylo at the ground, confused. "What are you doi-"
Eilda turns around and sees Mihikolo already in the air, coming straight at her with a straight face.
Eilda is surprised again but still easily dodges Mihikolo. Mihikolo went further than Fylo with his small body, he went straight to the wall, slams into it, and falls to the ground.
Eilda still confused, asks "What are you doing?"
Mihikolo and Fylo stands up. "O-Ow ow, that hurt quite a bit. We were trying to tickle you! We're getting rid of that sad face of yours!" Said Mihikolo.
"Tickle me?" Eilda, dumfounded.
"Yeah!" They once again leaped toward Eilda and tries to grab her but she dodges all their attempts with ease.
Eilda remembers something from the past and feels a sense of deja vu. She chuckles a bit breaking her saddened face from before. "Ahaha." While out of breath Fylo says "Ah! Hah, Boss! Hah, we did it!"
Mihikolo more out of breath than Fylo says "Yeah, Hah, we made her Hah, smile!"
Eilda looks at them, panting."Ahahahahaha" Eilda now straight up laughing.
Mihikolo and Fylo walk back to the chair and sit down still panting. "Hah, I can't believe Eilda's that fast! I couldn't even touch her or even a part of her hood!" Remarked Mihikolo.
Eilda now with a smile on her face, looks back at Lequiss. "Mihikolo..." Eilda calls out his name.
"Yeah? What?" Asked Mihikolo.
"I'm sorry but I'll have to leave your party... I'd like to join this kid's journey..." Said Eilda with a determined look on her face.
Mihikolo not fully understanding what she said responds "I see, okay."
"Wait W-W-What?!" Shockingly asked Mihikolo.
"Yes... For my goal, I will follow him..." She says staring at Lequiss filled with determination.
"H-How could you suddenly decide that on your own!" He asked angry.
Fylo follows up."Yeah, Eilda! Why are you leaving the boss!"
"Fylo, shut your mouth for a moment." Fylo immediately covers his mouth with both his hands.
"Eilda! Have you really thought this through?! Aren't you deciding about this too quickly!?" Mihikolo asked, concerned.
Eilda looks at Mihikolo with her determined gaze and confidently says "Yes, I've made up my mind. I will follow Lequiss!"
Mihikolo getting overwhelmed by Eilda's determination, tries to cover his eyes with his hands but it pierces easily pierces through and hits him.
"F-Fine! If you're that determined about it, I can't force you to stay! But what we can do is..."
"We'll also follow this kid!" He declares.
"What?! No you can't! You'll both be endangered!" She strongly opposed the idea.
"What do you mean we can't? We didn't force you to stay so you can't force us to not follow him too! And what do you mean endanger too?! You're concerned about us being in danger but not this kid?!" Retorted Mihikolo while angrily looking at Eilda
"Well... Lequiss is a chosen one and he certainly seems capable." She answered, avoiding eye contact.
"W-What?! Are you doubting our capabilities?!"
"No, I'm just saying that Lequiss appears to be stronger than both of you... By a lot..."
"What?! This kid is?! I'l have you know that -------------"
The awkward atmosphere from before has now become a more lively one.
Back at the Library, the girl, now sitting down on the chair, is reading a piece of paper.
"Juhsy... You left me such a troublesome assignment again... Well I guess it should be easy for me." She crumpled up the paper and throws it behind her.
"But to think that a chosen one would show up today, what an eventful night this is. Mhmm, Now, where should I bring them? Juhsy didn't exactly specify where and just told me to do it..."
The girl thinks a bit "Hmmm."
"Ah! That place should be decent enough, hopefully, this place would be good enough for Juhsy, or else I might get another session of nagging from him."
The girl raises her right hand and *Snaps*
All of a sudden Lequiss starts to dissipate into an unknown cubical particle. Fylo first notices him dissipating.
"W-What's happening to the kid?!" Fylo shouted.
The others immediately turn to Lequiss and see him dissipating.
Eilda reaches out but the particles slipped right through her hand.
"W-What happened to the kid?! Why is he suddenly evaporating?!" Mihikolo panicked.
Fylo points at Mihikolo "B-Boss, you too! Look at your body!" One by one the three of them also starts to dissipate into the unknown particle.
"W-Whats happeni-"All of them suddenly turned into the particle and it starts to dissipate.
Juhsa, gripping an enemy by the throat mid-fight, paused. "Hoho, rare for her to do something this quickly."
Roncleus, locked in a clash with Paxia, smirked. "Ah, they're leaving already? Hopefully, they won't get hurt!"
Back in the library the girl looked upward.
"I wish you the best of luck on your journey, O' Chosen one..."