Despite his apparent hurry, Merlian was a bit kind and allowed Basil to say goodbye before leaving.
—Anyway, the train leaves in a few hours. —That was what Saudro said, who stepped back a bit when they had to wake Castian—. But, back to the main topic, are you sure he won't aim for my neck?
—Well, if he sees that I'm fine... he won't, I think.
Saudro alternated his gaze between Castian and Basil several times. Then, he hid behind the back of the gray-haired man. He was a bit taller than Basil, so it wasn't very effective.
—Castian will wake up.
Basil didn't pay much attention; he was busy packing some clothes into his suitcase. Earlier, Paul complained about the order to have clothes at each base, to which Basil replied, "an emergency can happen." Although deep down, he only had clothes because he liked them.
Meanwhile, Castian's eyelids opened wide. He scanned the room quickly, losing energy upon seeing Basil, who had his usual haughty expression.
—Good evening, it must have been a pleasant dream.
The big man didn't play along; he just got up with a face full of doubts. He didn't seem very willing to ask, so Basil responded.
—We're safe, at least for now. Many strange things have happened; I'll explain later.
After hearing this, Castian didn't allow himself to relax. He moved diligently until he was behind Basil. Saudro stepped back a bit, but the other man didn't care.
The door opened slowly; Kaely entered with Paul and Wiry, each in one hand. Basil looked at her with a mix of curiosity and fascination. It was a scene full of all the bizarre things surrounding the Wanderers.
She dropped the two men on the floor as if they were sacks of potatoes. She shot Basil a small look of disdain and turned to Saudro.
—Finish quickly; I'll be waiting for you with Fauste. —She left without giving them another glance. Basil looked at Saudro with a bit of curiosity.
—is she always like this?
—She's quite nice once you know her. Don't worry about her. —The depth of his voice changed in an instant—. Those sleeping in this room will wake up.
Both men slowly awakened, each affected by drowsiness. Paul had to blink a couple of times to regain consciousness.
—Boss? What is... happening... where...?
When Wiry regained lucidity, he got up energetically as if his body wasn't marked by age.
—M-Mister! Why am I here!? —He failed at trying to look calm, speaking in a loud tone and losing his posture.
—Haha, calm down. —Basil put on the most trustworthy expression possible, but it went unnoticed as he focused on two shirts—. There has been a change of plans; I'll have to leave the city. Paul, you're coming with me. Mr. Wiry, I leave the gang's management in your hands.
»I won't return for quite some time; therefore you must be careful. Concentrate as much capital as possible in the company and above all, avoid saying that I've left, especially avoid saying that Castian left.
It took some time for both to regain their senses. Paul was the first to ask.
—Boss? What are you talking about? Why are we leaving? Where? Who is that person beside you?
—Well, it's a long story; I'll explain on the way to the train.
—Sir, this is too sudden. —Wiry had regained some composure—. If you leave, Magenta Seraph will lose most of its power. With the gang war starting, I'm afraid this could be the end.
—I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done. —Basil gave him an understanding look—. For now, follow the instructions I've given you and remember to ask Sanma for support. She's in quite a bind and... —He thought for a moment about the city they were going to—. Maybe in a few days she can help us even more. Or maybe not; it will depend on my luck.
Mr. Wiry could do nothing but lament it. He withdrew with barely an educated bow and made himself scarce in the corner, barely visible to others. In that darkness, he began to think about what to do.
Now he was in trouble. The gang had gained a large amount of capital, but that had become more of a curse than a blessing. With so much money and no power to protect it, not only Gurad and Sanma would covet it; his own men would too. Fate is no ally to anyone... I understand the boss's advice but don't think I can maintain the lie for long.
—May the wisdom of the Great Hex help you.
—I will use my strength according to my desires; may the will of the Great Hex be eternal.
Basil nodded and prepared to leave. He had decided on that light blue shirt that he liked so much. There was still some space left over. He packed all essential personal hygiene items, took a bag of golden suns out of a drawer, and with a resigned expression, left the painting of the capital.
—Well, we're leaving. Pack some clothes, it's going to be a long trip.
Paul moved slowly, but was stopped by Basil, who looked at him seriously.
—Wait, one last thing. —He pointed to the violets on his desk—. Take that, we'll need some decoration.
***
As the moon fell, dreams faded away. The early risers woke up ready to work, their positions at the factory awaited them while their families bid them farewell. The morning cold welcomed them indifferently, ready to say goodbye in a few minutes when the sun decided to offer its warmth.
The station of Promise City awaited its workers, guards and cleaning assistants, all ready to endure the workday.
Meanwhile, there were some citizens who needed to leave the city early, so catching the first train was essential. Among them was a group on the outskirts that stood out for their hoods, keeping their identities hidden.
—Ah... Was there really no other color? Gray is so dull. —Basil complained about the garments and everyone ignored him. Including Castian and Paul, who seemed too shocked to pay attention to his nonsense.
He expected that reaction from Paul, but Castian surprised him. Generally, he was a serious person, rarely showing emotions. That day, Basil discovered that this unfriendly man could not withstand the strangest story ever heard. Castian's eyebrows had risen slightly, changing his usual expression to one of surprise.
—Haha, at least I got something good out of all this; to think I would see you shocked, Castian.
Paul heard him and turned to the big man with expectation but was instantly disappointed. What is he talking about? He looks the same.
Everyone's attention was caught by the sound of machinery moving and steam being expelled. The tracks created a metallic melody as the train stopped in front of them.
As passengers disembarked, others were forming a line naturally. The Merlian group also formed up, which amused Basil.
It seems that the supposed demigods need to take the train. I thought we were going to ride on the back of a rhinoceros or in the legendary ark of Picel, haha...
In fact, thinking about such an absurd situation made him realize something substantial.
How did they get a ticket? To do so requires identification among other papers. Maybe they forged them?
—Don't fall behind, boss. —Paul called Basil before entering the train. The others were already looking for their seats.
He followed with a calm posture but felt a bit sad inside. All his plans had slipped through his fingers; now he could only follow that mysterious group. He had to maintain a resigned posture while gathering information and possibly gaining his own power.
Finally seated, sleep quickly overtook him. In recent days he had stayed up quite late; his body was already crying out for rest. Moreover, the setback from Liquid Ivory didn't help him either. He let out a yawn and struggled to keep his eyes open.
—It's been a tough night; it's best if you sleep. —Saudro urged him with a considerate voice—. It will be six hours by train; I recommend you sleep well. You don't have to worry about anything; there's no safer place than this.
The albino was sitting in front of him, next to him was Paul, who did not hide the distrust on his face. Basil was next to Castian with an indifferent expression. He had positioned himself by the side of the aisle so that he could have more control in case of an enemy attack.
If that wasn't enough to feel protected, parallel to their seats were the supposed Empress Merlian and the two Disciplinary, Kaely and Fauste. Ferned and Aury were guarding them from behind and in front, respectively.
Basil looked at Saudro cautiously but shrugged after thinking about it for a while. It's important to keep my mind sharp. Right now... it's my greatest...
Little by little, his eyes began to close as he rested his head against the window. Finally, all trace of attention faded away, and he surrendered to sleep.
Being able to sleep surrounded by so many crazies, I guess that's only possible for another crazy person.
Paul did not feel comfortable surrounded by strangers with immense strength. He would have run away the moment Basil told him the story, but he knew it was too late. Knowing a secret of such magnitude, there would be no doubt that those crazies would follow him to silence him. He doubted he could hide from six Disciplinarians, and besides, he didn't want to find out.
Unlike the boss, I don't think I can sleep tonight. Will Castian be able to?
His question was answered when he saw the great man. His eyes were closed, but it was hard to tell if he was asleep; his upright posture seemed full of energy. Paul gave up and tried to sleep. These seats are very uncomfortable....
Meanwhile, Auryn was lost in her self-reflection, completely unaware of her surroundings. It wasn't her turn to watch, so she took the opportunity to rest. However, she was interrupted by the feeling of being called.
—Merly, someone is calling me. —Her lifeless eyes looked at Merlian, who responded in an ominous tone.
—Let's hope it's them.
Auryn paid no attention and focused. The feeling of being called came from afar and dug into her psyche. With deep meditation, her consciousness separated from her body and teleported to that place.
Hundreds of kilometers away from where they were, in a small town near the coastal city of Gotra, there were three men in a hotel room. One of them was deeply asleep, while the others had a piece of paper on the table with the word "Auryn" written on it.
The room was a mess. The moss on the dilapidated walls was growing at an abnormal rate, with flowers decorating its green surface. Not only that, the plant they left next to the sheet was growing rapidly, cracking the wood in the process.
—It's so annoying having to clean the room every time.... —The youngest of the two spoke; his languid voice gave a sense of melancholy.
—Tonight they tell us if the kidnapping went well or not; let's hope this gives us a new mission. This town is too monotonous. —The age of the other man was clearly marked in his attitude. Contrasting with his pale skin, his face had parts of ivory that made him look inhuman.
Auryn's consciousness found the paper and scanned the room. Then, she transferred her consciousness to that plant. The direction in which it grew changed, twisting in the air and approaching the pen next to the sheet.
Then, it dipped the pen in ink and wrote beneath her name.
Password.
Both men exchanged glances for a second and spoke in unison.
—Our will decides one thing.
Auryn stayed still for a second, reflecting on that phrase. Then, the plant wrote again.
The life of those we love.
Both men looked at this and sighed with relief. Then, the older one; Akay, asked eagerly.
—Miss Aury, has everything gone well? We already know that object is not here; we would like to know if we could come to you.
Auryn didn't pay much attention and wrote quickly.
We have him; leave as soon as possible for Caleh; we will be waiting for you there.
With nothing more to add, Auryn separated her consciousness from that plant and returned to the train. There, Merlian looked at her inquisitively.
—they will arrive in Caleh in a few days. —Auryn stopped paying attention and focused on sleeping. However, a commotion woke her up.
—Merly, it's him! Essau! In his dreams.... he's in Basil's dreams!
Saudro had jumped up while looking at Basil in terror. Everyone else stood up, ready to fight. Castian prepared to protect Basil by standing in front of him. Paul noticed that his boss had become a source of danger, so he jumped as best as he could toward the back seat.
Basil woke up from the commotion and with a sleepy expression asked.
—Did something happen? Why.... are you looking at me like that?