Edmond did not have fancy or specialized exercise equipment in his apartment, so his routines mostly consisted of several types of calisthenics. Among them, even pull-ups while stretching out his legs level to his core had become habitual, something he hardly needed to think about on the daily.

  This time was different, however. Not only in the routine itself, but he also could not remember a time he had been more aware of an individual workout.

  The reason for that extra focus and strain was unnoticeable at first sight, but quite obvious for someone with the intention and means to look for it.

  “So? Any better?” Tatyana asked, slumping back on the red bean bag near the corner with an impromptu fruit smoothie on her hand.

  “… Sort of. I’ve never thought too deeply about which muscles are working at any given time, but even if actively focusing on them helps me figure that out, it’s still hard to make sure other ones aren’t interfering…”

  Before arriving, Tatyana had gone into greater detail about her alternative, higher efficiency training method. In proper words, it was something rather simple:

  “Rather than locking the prana up inside you and extracting the most potential possible, try increasing the intake for the specific area you’re training. Absorb prana only with those specific regulators, and while your other ones will be working as usual, the flow through the muscles you’re training will be greater and without extra strain. With a properly paced routine, your whole body will improve with better efficiency than normal.”

  The ease of the slightly lengthy explanation did not translate to the actual process in any way. A common analogy to starting regulator usage was learning to move one’s ears or individual toes independently, and this training method made Edmond feel like he had traveled all the way back to those days. Only now, it had to be done under the added distraction of the exercise itself.

  While there was no real pain aside from that inherent to all prana usage, and mistakes lacked the same dangerous consequences of his own method, the activity was even more delicate and difficult. Be it drawing prana into too large an area that included less relevant muscles, limiting the area too much and failing to exert the most important parts, or outright being unable to properly control specific regulators; the number of variables was much larger, and the margin of error much smaller.

  Feeling his ‘grasp’ on the ideal amount of prana slip once more, Edmond finally let out his first sigh of frustration. The way things were, he frankly could not imagine how much time it would take him to get used to such a method.

  … But this is still so much better than what I’ve been doing, isn’t it?

  Compared to the pain and fear that prevented his training from ever feeling like routine, even past one year, he could not help but feel excited for the future, no matter how difficult the present was.

  In odd contrast, a grin appeared on Edmond’s face soon after his display of irritation. His eyes closing in concentration once more, he began to gather prana in his arms, back and core, gradually resuming his training.

  When he opened his eyes again, he saw Tatyana looking up musingly. She had been watching over him for a while already, but now she placed her now empty glass aside, stood up and approached the thickly built metal bar.

  “Move over. I need room.”

  “You do?”

  Edmond did as requested even before hearing an answer, his curiosity roused.

  He was not disappointed at all once he saw Tatyana casually leap and flip forward, her legs catching onto the bar by the back of her knees. Legs flexed and her ankles crossed one over the other, he felt only brief and slight trembling on the bar as she held on securely.

  Edmond lost focus for a moment, not because of the sudden gymnastic display, but rather the glimpse he caught of the lean, defined abdomen under her shirt that had momentarily rolled up. Tatyana’s hands quickly caught the hem and held it close to her waist, smoothly enough that she likely intended on doing so from the start.

  Not that she failed to notice Edmond’s reaction in that time, proven by the dirty look she shot his way. He frantically glanced aside, cheeks warming up.

  “My bad.”

  “Whatever. I think it’s better if you look now, though.”

  “Mm?”

  Curiosity overwhelming his brief shame, Edmond turned when asked, bearing witness to a set of wonderful crunches.

  By all means, the exercise itself made for an impressive view. Tatyana’s form was next to impeccable, the lower part of her body firm, and her pace both consistent and quick. All of this even with her abnormal, upside-down hanging position that should have been straining in and of itself. Nonetheless, what drew most of Edmond’s attention was that which most people would not have noticed.

  Namely, the smooth flow of prana converging at her abdominal area, entering and exiting in fluid waves from many directions. The current was not quite as consistent as her physical effort, sometimes more jagged than wavy, with some directions noticeably weaker or stronger than others. It never stopped, however, and any difficulties beyond sweating and labored breathing were effectively masked by Tatyana as she closed her eyes.

  Frankly speaking, Edmond was entranced by the display, distracted by nothing else until Tatyana herself, somehow, upped the ante.

  Without noticing any weakening in the flow of prana toward her abdomen, Edmond became aware of a new current steadily forming. One further up, from the back at the front, toward Tatyana’s clenched legs.

  When maybe four seconds had passed, however, all of the abnormal prana flow distorted heavily. Two seconds after that, it had dissipated. Tatyana finally let her upper body relax, or rather slump, as she audibly sighed and groaned.

  “Damn it, so close!”

  Edmond felt almost offended by that frustration.

  “Negative much? You did two areas at once!”

  “I did not. I did one area, and even messed that one up by trying another.”

  It’s like she’s arrogant even in beating herself down!

  This time it was his turn to groan and sigh. Still, he could not deny her display had done more than its fair share to inspire him, and perhaps even guide his efforts more effectively.

  His eyes recovering some strength, Edmond tightened his grip on the bar and resumed his pull-ups, feeling something similar in his grasp on the surrounding prana. At the corner of his gaze, he barely saw Tatyana smirk and return to her own workout.

  “Did you learn something?”

  “Maybe. Just a little bit, but it’s enough to work from.” Edmond answered with a grin of his own.

  He did not know whether it was true, or just his swell of enthusiasm playing tricks on his mind, but based on feeling alone, he felt himself form a much smoother prana pathway.

  Only for it to be quickly disturbed by the sudden opening of a door.

  Damn it!

  “… You’re working out too?” Asked a surprised Kloel, having just exited Edmond’s room.

  “Why not? My explanation wasn’t bad, but some things work best with examples. Even better if I can take care of my own training while at it; also, you two are taking way too long.” Replied Tatyana without interrupting her crunches.

  Kloel promptly shared an amused look with Edmond, impressing him once more with her level of patience.

  “Well, good news. I think we just figured it out.”

  Anticipation took hold of Edmond immediately, so intensely that he barely noticed Tatyana’s legs letting go of the bar as she flipped back and landed on her feet, right next to Kloel.

  “‘Think’?”

  “Well, there’s a chance we messed up in some part of the process, but we did get a message.”

  Edmond was the next one to let go of the bar, before approaching, then walking right past them.

  “Then let’s check that.”

  “Right, right.” He heard Kloel say behind him, followed by the sound of her and Tatyana’s footsteps.

  Unlike their apartment, Edmond’s place had only a single door to separate his bedroom from the main area, which included both his ‘living room’ and kitchen. Through that door, another one on the other end, leading to the bathroom, was seen first. A bed to the left, and following to the other side, a closet, drawers, before ending in a medium-sized desk.

  Claude sat before it, his look wandering between the screen of the laptop laid upon the left side of the desk and a holographic display projected off a paper rune. As if confirming something, his eyes narrowed and remained on each for several seconds at a time.

  Edmond became hesitant after seeing that. Distracting him in his intense focus could be more harmful than useful, but his doubts were dispelled almost immediately…

  “Before I show you the… ‘translation’ for this, I want us to agree on something.”

  … only to be brought back right after, in a different direction. Edmond sighed and crossed his arms, giving off no real airs of compromise.

  “When you’re phrasing it like that? I’m not making any promises.”

  “… I had to try. Alright, come over.”

  Edmond hesitated at first, but promptly walked further into the room, right behind Claude with Kloel and Tatyana tagging along.

  Well, I expected more of an argument there.

  Edmond felt a little bad, thinking of how much he had put Claude through for him to resign so quickly.

  “What are we supposed to look at?”

  He heard Tatyana’s demand at his right…

  “Just wait a bit, he’s on it.”

  … And Kloel’s plea at his left, a little further behind.

  As for Claude, he had placed the paper rune on the laptop’s keyboard, its hologram now covering much of the screen. Before more questions could arise, a sorcery circle appeared and dissipated briefly on his hand, more precisely in front of his fingers, as they splayed apart.

  The component particles of white and blue light swirled and mixed like flowing water as they formed new symbols, floating in perfect parallel before the message board on the screen.

  The message was… unusual, to say the least

  “… All that, for this?”

  Tatyana scoffed, while Kloel grumbled.

  “Yeah, I don’t get it either.”

  “We think it might be another code, but we’re not sure. We might’ve made a mistake, which means starting over.”

  Even Claude said so with obvious annoyance to his tone.

  Among the four, only Edmond remained silent, as if hypnotized by the strange writing.

  εV – MGL / 1? – 2? – 3x – 4x – 5? – 6x – 7x

  After all, there was a meaningful message that reached him through the seemingly unrelated symbols. One that brought him back to that night when he faced Scar-Tail and Tatyana, the conflict that started it all.

  It was not surprising the others did not find anything in the text; after all, he was the only one who had been there. Or rather, the one who had been present for the whole event… and also not arrested and taken into custody by the police.

  “I can explain it.” Edmond announced with a slightly shaky voice.

  The way in which his three fellows turned to him, in almost perfect synchrony, would have been rather amusing if not for the circumstances. Before they could ask anything, he continued speaking while pointing at the relevant symbols.

  “That’s not an ‘E’, and that’s not a ‘V’. It’s supposed to say ‘Epsilon Five’, and if that’s the case… I think the next letters refer to ‘Magellan’, the coffee shop. The numbers are the days of the week, with check and cross marks for being there—”

  “Hold on a second!” Kloel interrupted with a hand to Edmond’s shoulder, further urging him to slow down.

  Tatyana or even Claude may have done the same had she not, their expressions showing varying levels of confusion.

  “Look, I’m not going to say you’re not making some sense at least. But that’s…”

  “There’s so many other ways to interpret it that make as much sense. We can take a little longer and figure it out after considering more options.”

  Tatyana’s words were not enough for Edmond to hesitate, however, and he reiterated with eyes that were almost glaring.

  “We can do that after confirming if I’m wrong. As things are, I’m almost sure of who wrote this, and I don’t think they have any time to waste.”

  He made no attempt, no matter how slight, to hide the sense of urgency in his voice. Meanwhile, some worry appeared in Kloel’s eyes, Tatyana glared inquisitively and Claude took it upon himself to ask.

  “Go on?”

  In Edmond’s mind, an unusually clear image had long since become present. Even in the darkness of the night, he remembered that head of red hair quite well.

  “There’s this one Thorn from the night I fought Scar-Tail. He ran off before even you arrived, so I doubt he got arrested like the others.” Edmond explained, looking at Tatyana.

  The way in which both she and Claude frowned did not please Edmond in the slightest.

  “So you’re saying the Violet Thorn sent you a coded invitation?” Claude asked.

  “That’s not it at all! Scar-Tail was about to maim this guy or worse before I jumped in. He’s not exactly in good standing with the others, so he could be asking for help.”

  “Again, you’re assuming a lot of things here.” Tatyana added. “Even if this Thorn still thinks he’s in danger, that doesn’t mean it’s a call for help. It could easily be an attempt to get favor back, by luring the enemy out. Other Thorns might have put him up to it.”

  Edmond gritted his teeth, heat welling up within him the more he heard. Rather noisily, his hand came down on the desk as he spoke again.

  “Then let’s just prepare ourselves and be cautious! I know I could be wrong, but are we really going to take that chance? A person could be in danger, and we’re just going to leave them alone!?”

  “… Edmond, this person is a complete stranger.”

  “…?”

  His eyes went wide as he heard Tatyana’s unexpected response, mouth slightly agape. She seemed about to continue speaking, but he did not think twice before interrupting her.

  “I was also a stranger to you.”

  Tatyana grimaced in dissatisfaction, this time taking a few painful seconds to reply.

  “It’s not the same situation at all. I got to know some things, even if few, about Nemesis before trying anything dangerous. Hell, this is not even the same as helping out streetgoers like those people on the forum. This guy is a criminal belonging to the Violet Thorn!”

  “Oh, so we know nothing about him and that’s why we’re going to assume he’s just a shitty person!? There are people who just fall into that life or can’t leave even if they want to! Normal people sometimes do bad things!”

  Edmond realized his mistake just a tad too late, remembering just what Tatyana had been struggling with ever since that night. For better or worse, however, their argument was such that she showed no reaction to his clumsiness, quickly and heatedly talking back.

  “Say all you want, but you won’t convince me a gangster isn’t more likely to be a piece of shit than not!”

  And just like that, all of Edmond’s concern was overshadowed by a suffocating sense of frustration.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  “So we’ll just let a possibly innocent, vulnerable person go through the worst without even checking things out!? Because of what’s more ‘likely’!?”

  “That’s enough yelling, okay?”

  In the end, it was Kloel’s surprisingly severe voice that prevented the discussion from falling into further hostility. Such a modest statement on its own would not have been enough, but she had no intention of stopping.

  “Edmond, worrying about others is one thing, but you need to remember Tanya and you are the ones in the most immediate danger.”

  Holding back a reflexive, rushed response, Edmond forced himself to close his eyes and breathe, stepping back and rubbing both hands on his face briefly.

  “I know, I know. I’m sorry… but please, we can’t just do nothing.”

  “And we won’t. Even if it’s just to gather some extra info, we should check this out.”

  The noise of a brusque step was both heard and felt as Tatyana approached Kloel, disbelief clear in her eyes.

  “Klo, are you deaf or something? I just explained why—”

  “I heard you well enough. Some points were better than others, but still… Tanya, I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”

  Edmond’s curiosity was promptly roused. Not only due to Kloel’s cryptic phrasing, but also because of the instant, visible change it had on Tatyana. Enough to briefly leave her at a loss for words.

  “… Look, as I said, it’s not really the same—”

  “It’s fine if you think that, but I disagree. No matter what the chances are, I’m not taking them when it comes to a fuck-up like that. Do I need to say more?”

  Lilac eyes did not falter, while turquoise ones seemed to lose just a tad of their belligerence the longer they clashed. But that small amount was enough, with Tatyana finally walking away and plopping down onto… Edmond’s bed in resignation.

  Kloel relaxed after seeing that, smiling as naturally as ever before looking at Claude.

  “You’ve been quiet for a while. How about you pitch in? It concerns you as much as it does us.”

  The man in question showed some brief hesitation from the sudden address, but turned and crossed his arms with more typical smoothness as he spoke back.

  “In my experience, the alternative is him sneaking out on his own.” His words felt like a club strike right to Edmond’s neck. “But this time, he’s finally letting me, and you two for that matter, help out with the issue at hand. I say we go and see if he’s right, and even if it’s some sort of ambush, I’ll be there to deal with it. If I’m being honest, I’d prefer it if they come out so I can crush them then and there.”

  His latter assertion, somehow feeling more genuine than the former, was more akin to a knife. Though of course, one person shamelessly scoffed at it.

  “Pfft! Just be sure to beg for help before Hellbound rips both your arms off. With his teeth.” Tatyana’s chuckle was beyond immodest.

  “You don’t have to fight him if you’re so scared. I’ll even bring the empty bottles.” But Claude did not miss a beat with his own reply.

  Edmond could only hope, if any ambush were to actually happen, that terrible teamwork would not be their undoing.

  It was the following day that Edmond and the others finally set off toward the coffee shop Magellan, forgoing any pending activities at the knight facility. As concerned as he was about the danger the Thorn from that night could be facing, rushing toward him immediately was likely to do more harm than good.

  Adequate preparations needed time, and both Edmond’s and Tatyana’s injuries could use as much recovery time as they could get. While not fully healed just yet, Edmond felt considerably better off that one extra night of rest, though their time had been mainly focused on planning their approach as well as any contingencies that may be necessary.

  If Edmond had read the message correctly, then today was also a good day to ‘respond’, and he had never wished to be correct as much as he did now.

  The new arrival at Magellan two hours and ten minutes into their wait, taking a seat at one of the outside tables, nearly made him pump his fist high in the air.

  “That’s him?” Tatyana asked casually from their shared position at one of the lower rooftops, facing the shop across the street.

  The reason for their choice in location was far from dramatic. The spell keeping their presence invisible, masked, or at least ‘ignore-able’ to the people around them was very powerful, supported by complex sorcery circles constructed ahead of time and applied to the surrounding buildings. But as strong as it was, it could not make a passerby ignore something outright blocking their way, meaning the start of a domino effect that would quickly weaken and unravel the spell.

  Rather than being constantly mindful of people walking and when to get out of their way, the rooftop was far more convenient. And with the spell in full force, Edmond need not hesitate to enthusiastically reply.

  “Yes. I’m positive.”

  He had only seen him from a generous distance away, with a mask on his face. But that red hair, a tad richer than Noelle’s to the extent of resembling unmixed paint, was certainly memorable. While not as striking as that unique trait, the slightly above average height, lanky build down to long and slender fingers and legs began to quickly refresh and match his memories.

  Despite a noticeable effort to hide them, the man’s obvious nervous tells convinced him further of his identity.

  “Well, I didn’t see any signs of an ambush around.”

  Claude’s sudden, nearly ‘jump-scary’ words, made his return known right after.

  “… Please let us know you got back in a less horror movie way…”

  While glad that his friend’s scouting had gone by without a hitch, Edmond was in complete agreement with Kloel’s plea.

  Holding his chest after just barely restraining an embarrassing gasp, he breathed deeply and turned to her.

  “If… if he says there’s no ambush waiting around… I guess I’ll just go change. Go ahead and have him come here.”

  “Alright.”

  Briefly seeing Edmond walk away, then waiting until Tatyana sighed and nodded in resignation, Kloel’s gaze turned serious as she looked down at Magellan and raised a hand.

  A gentle indigo color seeped around her, not fully resembling either mist or smoke but something in between. Extending in the shape of several tendrils, they quickly shot toward the coffee shop while condensing into smaller, key shapes.

  εV – MGL / 1? – 2?? – 3x – 4x – 5? – 6x – 7x

  If Edmond’s reading was correct, the message formed before the red-haired young man should have been quite simple to understand.

  Three seconds passed before he snapped out of a disbelieving daze, and five more until he settled down, at least enough for Kloel to think it was a proper time to give some directions. Still, she first turned back to both Tatyana and Claude, who had also been looking at every move and tell from the young man.

  “So?”

  “… Show him the way.” Tatyana replied approvingly, though her doubt was obvious.

  “Yes. And now us three should keep our distance, ready for anything suspicious.”

  “Mm.” Nodding at Claude’s words, Kloel brought down her hand, causing the indigo letters to drift away from the man, then clump together in the rough shape of a ‘guide’ arrow.

  By the time he had reached the street, three knight cadets had vanished, leaving only the fourth behind. One wearing a slightly different hoodie, contrasting in its quality with the raggedy armored suit below within.

  This is it.

  Edmond took a deep breath, only mildly inconvenienced by the suit’s hard mask. Lack of experience wearing it during daytime was more of an issue, with the sun producing a mildly annoying glare on the glossy, torn surface before he pulled his hood over.

  Unwilling to delay things further, he hurried to the rooftop’s left side. In between it and the neighboring art museum there was an alley, quite wider and cleaner than the stereotype. It blocked the sun just fine, though, and was a more than adequate meeting spot with the masking spell in place.

  “Holy shit!”

  Edmond’s drop from the roof’s lip still seemed too sudden considering his surroundings, causing the red-haired man to raise a terrified voice.

  “Quiet please…!” He pleaded in the most urgent way he could, while holding back his own nervousness.

  It seemed to barely register at first, with the young man stepping back and half-turning, just a second away from running away until his eyes settled on him, wide open. Mouth opening and closing awkwardly, he fitfully adopted a more casual posture.

  As casual as a person shivering uncontrollably could look, that is.

  “Is… Is it really you?”

  “… We can think of a way for me to prove it, but I don’t think there’s anyone else who made it out of the Epsilon Five incident, knowing what we know.”

  “Then how about… no, whatever. No one else should’ve understood that message, and… I don’t have the time.”

  Edmond nodded in acknowledgement, knowing how volatile a man as visibly anxious as him could be.

  “Then we can start with why you reached out to me at all.”

  “R-Right… You probably don’t have dealers and such wanting to talk often…”

  “I helped you already, didn’t I?” Edmond asserted quickly, concerned as the youth seemed to become increasingly reticent. “I know things can be complicated, so I’m not going to just ditch someone for being stuck in a tough situation. Unless you give me a reason not to, I came here to help.”

  The redhead turned to Edmond with a conflicted expression. Part expectant, part worried, with a bunch of other, less clear emotions mixed in to a smaller degree.

  It was to be expected. Even if they had one ‘favorable’ episode a few nights ago, they were still complete strangers. Apprehension was fair and reasonable, and frankly it made Edmond feel more comfortable. As if that very nervousness disproved the possibility of a double-cross more than anything else could.

  “I’m not… as innocent as you make me out to be. Honestly, if… if you don’t feel comfortable taking risks for me, that’s fine.”

  The more the man talked, however, less of that relief remained.

  “But there’s more people in danger here. I have… I-I have a sister, minding her own business and working hard. She doesn’t deserve any of this…!”

  The pain in his voice, the fear in his eyes, they were too much for Edmond to feel anything remotely positive.

  “It’s okay!” He quickly replied, trying his best to reassure the man while not stepping past his established ‘safe distance.’“It doesn’t matter who this is about. I said I’m here to help, so just tell me…”

  Edmond slowed down, more to properly listen to any responses than to sounded more clear himself.

  “… What’s ‘this’ referring to?”

  The red-haired man blinked at first, holding an arm with the other’s hand in a futile attempt to control his shivering. He breathed in and out, quickly and shallowly, then spoke.

  “The Thorns… want to attack the knight facility.”

  “What?” Edmond answered reflexively, his disbelief beyond obvious. “Like… Are they planning a kidnapping or something?”

  “No.” The man shook his head, a partly painful, partly frustrated and even angry expression on his face. “When I say attack, I’m being serious. It’s a full-on assault with all the Unmasked, as well as those of us who can make a difference when dealing with knight shit.”

  “…”

  Edmond became glad for his mask’s presence yet again. This time, he was quite sure it was hiding a very stupid, very incredulous expression.

  “You probably heard wrong.”

  “… What?”

  “I mean, couldn’t it be that they were talking about the armory only? Its defenses are solid, but it’s possible to breach them if you approach—”

  “I didn’t hear anything wrong, asshole!” The redhead replied with unexpected zeal, immediately shutting Edmond up. “Look, my sister is a cadet at the damn place so they’ve been asking me shit non-stop! That’s the only reason I even know about all this!”

  “… I’m… I’m sorry…” Edmond apologized with a heavy voice, realizing far too late that he had outright belittled the very person he was trying to help. “I’m not calling you a liar, but even with the Unmasked Thorns, an attack on the facility is just suicide! Without taking the really strong cadets into account, there’s still the instructors to deal with and all the…”

  Edmond did not stop talking because of an interruption. Rather, his words had simply ran out. After all, when thinking of the many advantages the facility held over a gang, no matter if it was one of Seyfelt’s big three, he recalled a specific blind spot. One he had been thinking about for several days now.

  “Right, the weapons! How much do you know about the stolen knight weapons?”

  “…? I don’t think we got some insane equipment if that’s what you’re asking about. But…”

  “… But?”

  The man’s eyes darted around, his arm now hugging the other rather than simply holding it. He took a deep breath, then another before continuing.

  “The people who’ve been getting us the weapons… will probably make up for all that you mentioned.”

  Suddenly and almost unbearably, fire seemed to well up inside Edmond as he heard the young man’s words. A special rage, frustration and confusion pulled at his mind from every direction, making it steadily more difficult for him to speak calmly.

  “… So you do have insiders?”

  “Maybe? It’s likely, but I don’t know for sure, but it’s likely.”

  “How don’t you know? Are they not Thorns or something? What do you even know about these people!?”

  Only looking at the redhead’s increasing, visible discomfort managed to just barely reel Edmond back in. He tried to relax with a deep breath, holding any extra questions back and placing both hands in his hoodie pockets. The feeling of smooth plastic within was not helpful, but at least the man was able to speak unimpeded again.

  “… I know they’re a group, but there’s probably not a lot of them. The bosses seem pretty chill about them as threats, and they haven’t brought that much gear each time.”

  “What about payments?”

  “That’s… the attack itself.”

  Hearing this, Edmond froze. So many more questions raced across his mind, but his inability to choose just one allowed the redhead to continue unimpeded.

  “They’re the people who came up with the whole plan, the ‘payment’ is for us. The weapons we have now were an ‘advance fee’, and a way to help with the assault. We can take anything else we want as the rest of the payment, they just want the attack to be big.”

  “… I see…”

  His words did not help any of those concerns fade away. This was likely more obvious than Edmond would have wished, judging from how the man gradually slowed down his explanation. Before long, he also settled for silence, giving way to anything Edmond wished to say.

  Finally, he took the chance.

  “… These people are willing to pay the Violet Thorn so much, letting them pretty much raid the place, only on the condition that you’ll really fuck things up?”

  “Y-Yes.”

  The man’s voice lacked breath, and Edmond knew that his tone had something to do with it. He did not think himself able to do anything about it, however.

  “That means this group would really benefit from any damage the place and the people within take, weakening them and lowering their influence. Or maybe they just want it as a distraction…? To be able to do something the Knight Corps would definitely want to stop… That’d probably be just as bad as actively hurting the people in the facility.”

  “… Sure. That’s… reasonable to think.”

  Feeling like his body had been filled with lead, Edmond took one… two deep breaths before continuing. It was extremely frustrating how little they helped.

  “But what made it too much for you, is that your sister might get caught up in the whole thing?”

  The man’s eyes, standing out for their dark, almost marine shade of blue, darted desperately aside. Fearful still, but with a more somber look. Most of all, he looked ashamed now.

  “… Y-Yes. I told you, I’m not some innocent guy, much less noble or whatever. It’s not like I enjoy people being put through the shitter, but… what made me reach out to you, take all this risk and everything else, is thinking about what might happen to her—”

  He bit his lip again. An accident, with just a small, briefly noticeable bit of blood confirming that fact. He ignored it, blinking his slightly glossy eyes repeatedly while struggling between looking at Edmond or not.

  “I know how this looks. I sell fucking Oasis, for crying out loud. I take people’s money, even if I know they’re poor and struggling, and poison them for it! That night you saved me… I was short a seventh on the boss’ cut. Know why? Wanna hear where that money went?”

  The man paced, or rather slid to his side. The sound of his shoes on the dusty pavement was grating, and prepared no one for that of his fist’s side on the wall. Edmond tried to speak up…

  “I. Smoked. It. I fucking smoked past my own stuff, and just went for what I needed to sell before I knew it!”

  … but he was too late. Another hit on the wall, rougher and drier, while a forced grin of pure panic made the redhead’s lips tremble.

  “And now I’m begging. A piece of shit like me is begging for charity! I’m not some hot shit magician or a badass knight, and I can barely look at my fucking gun. The bosses only talk to me because I know some vague shit about the place, and if I dare tell my sis then she’ll try to be a fucking hero and interfere with the whole thing!” A third hit. Fourth, fifth.

  On the sixth, he finally pulled back from the wall. The dirtied side of his hand bled quite a bit more than his lip, a thin trail slowly reaching his wrist. Either he did not notice, or he did not care, as that same hand quickly went for his face, covering his wet eyes.

  “I… I can’t…” He took a deep breath, clearly needing a strong, conscious effort to merely do that. “I can’t do shit… I don’t know what to do!”

  His hand finally went down, hanging limply by his hip. Finally, he turned, looking at Edmond head on with a gaze that seemed to shiver on its own, his deep blue eyes now painfully reddened.

  “Back then… if it was up to the boss, it would simply mean one less dealer. One asshole less ruining the streets. You… wasted your time helping me out, while not knowing anything.”

  Edmond remained silent, still. The young man’s forced smile disappeared, and with it, any last trace of visible dishonesty vanished.

  Whether it was Edmond, or even Nemesis, he did not see a loathsome peddler or an abused youth.

  “But if you still felt like doing that… Then please, anything for her…”

  All he saw, and all he cared about, was the person pleading for help. Tears of frustration, perhaps more than the horror, ran down the young man’s face before he could cover up again.

  “If not for my sister, then for the other kids. For the people just enduring a shitty job, even those instructors… Please, this time there’s surely someone… someone worth saving…”

  “…”

  Edmond waited some more. For the youth to cry his fill, to give any more info he thought important, or just vent. It was probably a little over a minute, but nothing would have changed had he waited over an hour instead.

  The man wiped his tears for a third or fourth time, both hands doing their best to salvage any traces of poise he may have had before. Every chance he got he would look at Edmond expectantly, waiting for his response. Any response, if his frantic eye movements meant anything.

  Finally, Edmond… Nemesis had enough of waiting. He nodded, and spoke up before the young man could respond.

  “Any name I can call you?”

  Before his question, Edmond had heard the redheaded youth begin to talk. But despite being interrupted, he fell silent after hearing Edmond’s words. Enough time passed that Edmond thought to pull back his request.

  “… I’m Finn.”

  He did not have to.

  Edmond did not expect him to give his real name, but even thinking of it as an alias made him smile behind his mask.

  He looked slightly up, toward Finn’s own gaze with comfort and relief.

  “Awesome. I’m so happy I helped you, Finn.”

  Edmond confessed with a familiar vigor in his heart. Just like that first read he gave to the Nemesis discussion board, but stronger, more than any strengthening sorcery he could pull off.

  On Finn’s end, he did not reply. From his awkward expression, his wobbly posture and trembling eyes, it was impossible to tell whether he was about to lash out again, or burst into more tears.

  “You’re going back on your own? With the Thorns on edge as they are?” Edmond asked, seeing Finn beginning to walk away after discussing a few extra details.

  “Yeah.” The redhead turned his face to say. “Things were a little sensitive after boss Scar-Tail was taken away, but I didn’t really have to lie, so I’m mostly good. If I stay away for too long, especially at the same spot, that might change.”

  “… Alright then. Can you please take this?” Edmond said as he brought both hands out of his pockets, only one holding something.

  While Finn showed a suspicious frown, he quickly held his out own hand and accepted the small object.

  “A burner… To call you?”

  “You’ll need a way to let me know when it all goes down, won’t you?”

  “R-Right.”

  Edmond was rather happy about the slight embarrassment Finn showed, noticing a slight tad more relaxed.

  “Shouldn’t we have a password, then?”

  He was not nearly as happy about having to be reminded of such an important thing. Trying his conscious, utmost best to not allow his voice to give away any awkwardness, he took some time thinking before replying.

  “Let’s do ‘Lunaris’, then.”

  “…? Why th… no, forget it. That’s good.”

  Pulling back a seemingly reflexive question, Finn looked at the burner phone, and then at Edmond. It went into his jeans pocket, before he nodded and resumed his walk.

  Edmond spoke up quickly and loudly. Ignoring any concerns about image for the moment, there was one more thing he had to say.

  “Not just for that!”

  “Huh?” Finn turned again, clearly not understanding from so little.

  Edmond reorganized his ideas, then explained.

  “I didn’t come here knowing about the assault. I thought you might be in danger, so even if it’s just that… Call, and I’ll go help. I promise.”

  He could have blushed by the end of such talk. It sounded less awkward in his head, more reassuring, even if it still conveyed all he wanted Finn to know.

  His reaction, his expression… were not the easiest to read.

  “… Sure. Thanks.”

  But at least they did not appear to be negative.

  Edmond looked out the alley after Finn's leave, until he exited his view. He heard approaching footsteps and dry dropping noises right after.

  “Well, seems like we weren’t being paranoid. To think some stolen weapons could mean something this big.” Kloel said with a light tone that was noticeably forced.

  “What matters is what we choose to do next. Fast.” Claude followed up, likely trying to help the whole group focus, even if a bit clumsily.

  “We obviously have to let the instructors know before anything else. They need to be on alert as soon as possible.” Tatyana added.

  “No way.” Edmond countered. “They’ll ask where we even got the info from, so they might not take us seriously, or even pursue Finn the same way they would any other Thorn.”

  Tatyana rolled her eyes with a groan but did not argue back this time. Did she know better than to contest Edmond again on the topic? Or had she changed her mind after actually hearing what Finn had to say? Either way, Edmond had nothing to complain about.

  Instead, it was Kloel who spoke next.

  “We can make up a story, but what’s most important is that everyone’s ready for whenever the Thorns try something. For all we know, the attack could be this week.”

  “… R-Right.” Edmond replied shamefully. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking things through.”

  “It’s fine.” Said Tatyana, much to his surprise. “You’re worried about a lot. We’re here to make up for anything you might miss, so don’t beat yourself over it.”

  His eyes wide with shock, it took him a second to nod back. Her words were reassuring, but also stress-inducing for surprisingly similar reasons. Still, it was preferable to their animosity from before.

  “Then… I guess our own plans for an assault are out?”

  “Seems like it.” Claude said with crossed arms. “It was one thing to face the Unmasked, and even their armed goons were pretty manageable. But those helpers they have change everything.”

  “People so confident in being able to outmaneuver the instructors… It’s scary stuff.” Kloel said without lifting her eyes from her phone. It was Edmond’s hope that she was jotting down information relevant to the recent reveals, at least.

  “It’s not even that.” Tatyana practically spat her words out, leaning her back and one foot on the wall. “If that was all, there’d still be a whole lot of room to plan around them. The problem is we don’t know shit about them!”

  Kloel slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight side-hug, but it had no noticeable effect on her obvious irritation.

  Edmond sighed. How was it that after learning so much new information, it felt like they had fallen so far behind in terms of actual progress? How did their choices feel so much harder, and the path ahead so unclear?

  At least, despite everything, Edmond could tackle what awaited them with a better state of mind. If anything, he now knew his choice of saving Finn that night had been correct.

  With how scared he is, I don’t think we can expect him to get us more information. Too risky… but maybe that’s better. If not for us, at least for him.