CHAPTER 20


    THE OUTING


    Two whole months of their precious holidays vanished in the blink of an eye! Hans, relying on intel from his goto spy Vanessa, learned that the thieves were finally about to seal the deal with the royals. Despite the efforts of the Delimira and many working as bounty hunters to reclaim stolen goods, the crucial documents everyone sought remained elusive.


    “So where is the exchange?” Hans raised his eyebrow.


    “I don’t know dear brother. The royals are not that big morons”


    Hans thought a little, “Why do I even care?” Puzzled by his own thinking, Hans sighed, saying “It looks like Kansas will come soon breathing down my neck.”


    “Unless. The royals fail to claim the prize— don’t get any ideas, dear brother.” She interrupted herself but it was too late.


    “So thats why I cared.” Hans was grinning inside. He left Vanessas troubled.


    However, he didn’t had any means to find out the agreed location of exchange. “How can I find it? Think Hans, think!” He pressed his temples but not a single idea popped but Delimira, similar to a crescent moon nowadays, showed up.


    “So you are home?” She asked surprised.


    “Yeah. How are your pervert friend.” Hans rolled his eyes to see if Delimira’s new friends followed her to mansion, but no one was behind her. He tilted his head toward her, his eyes seems to asking the same questions.


    “First, they aren’t my friends and second, I don’t know about pervert part, but you should’ve joined us Hans. It was good opportunity to measure their capability—”


    “They were thinking the same. Thats why they invited us Deli.” Hans said nonchalant.


    “So, our Hans is using head for the change—”


    “I always use my head Winters.”


    “Yeah, for head butting. So what you are up to these days. You still want to keep it as secrets—”


    “What about you? How far you progressed.” Hans asked curious.


    “Hmm..” Delimira poised thinking and answered, “I reached third circle and in Krosh spirit… I don’t wanna tell you.”


    “Acting cheeky. Hahn!” Hans mused and asked her, “So you also know that royals won the negotiation right?”


    “Yeah.” Delimira nodded in agreement, continuing, “Thats why I came back. Going against a warlord is not some sane business.”


    Hans readily agreed, attacking in the presence of Warlord was a crazy talk unless one was in the same league. The possibility of Kansas leaving him alone narrowed further after the wake up call by Delimira, but a spark also came to his mind. “I don’t have to know where is the exchange. I just need to follow the Sylvetor people since they don’t have Warlord with them, as long as I''m very careful they wont find me.”


    “So Deli, why were these Devildom people outside their natural habitat? I thought they lived inside the barrier!”


    “They were training with Knight Association members in the capital and were on their way back through Sylvetor duchy. Then the heist happened, and Sylvetors employed them to find their stolen goods.”


    “So, you were on the opposite side of Grimgar.” Hans concluded.


    “Mhm,” she nodded, adding, “That’s why I bailed out when Kansas got involved.”


    Hans thought a little and asked after deep contemplation, “Wanna rob these fools blind?”


    “I’m listening.” She leaned in, a soft smile played on her lips, her eyes sparkling with excitement. And with a gentle sweep of her hand, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, the gesture so natural and fluid it seemed to mesmerise even Hans.


    “Woah! Not this close Winters.” He pushed her gently, his face flushed and his voice startling.


    “You wanna talk about robbing royalty this openly?” Her canned eyes asking the same.


    “Who said about robbing royalty. I’m talking about those thieves. That document or whatever is still in those fools possession, right?”You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    “Yeah and they are neatly hidden, we can’t find them—”


    “Leave that to me.” Hans’s tone carried confidence and he continued, “First tell me where are the Sylvetor family stationed.”


    “East to the central market. The merchant called Moman.”


    She wasn’t even finished and Hans dragged her to his room. Shutting his door tight he brought out the map of county. “I’m not good with direction. Just point it.”


    Delimira circled a place and Hans find three towers near the location and chose the tallest one that was far outer from the city. He asked her, “Can you guess the general location of exchange?”


    “It won’t be somewhere out. They must conduct the exchange in some populated place so a fight won’t escalate. After all, if a fight occurred, the usual culprit would be royal family or Sylvetor.”


    “So they won’t leave the city. This makes it easier.” Hans opened the door sending the map in his knapbinder belt. “Come along, lets find these idiots.”


    “Didn’t I told you, they are well hidden? Even Kansas couldn’t find it.”


    “That only means one thing, Delimira Winters. They are using an artefact.” Hans pointed to his head, “I have a cheat in finding artefact. Remember, I’m Hans of Parv from a nation also known for its intricate artisan capabilities, lets go.”


    “You weren’t interested in finding Sylvetor’s stuff before. What happened?” She asked puzzled as they came down the stairs.


    “A crisis, winters. A big bad crisis.” Hans answered and ran to inform Sierra.


    After a while he returned and ran outside where Delimira was waiting for him near their ride. He quickly jumped inside and offered her a hand as he half leaned out from the carriage. They both sat and the driver rode off to the out of the city.


    Near the gates they were halted by the guards and after checking the legit papers of leaving the city. The guards asked, why are you leaving the city sire.


    “Its so tense here. We are going to border watch tower to the east Mr. Knight.”


    The guards didn’t questioned further, since this was the very excuse many had given them since the morning. The ducal house and royalty locking their fangs was bad news for residents. Their lord, currently Sierra was doing her best to manage but everyone knew a fight could break any moment.


    After passing through the gates, Hans finally took a long breather. He was out of the city and it wasn’t as if he left without any purpose. Both were gone with the excuse of training and Hans assured Sierra that even if something happens he could just use INGRESS and come back in a jiffy.


    Under normal circumstances, Sierra wouldn’t have permitted their outing, but Hans was alot stronger now, and Delimira was a third circle mage. With the tense atmosphere of the city she thought the quiet time in border watchtower would be good for kids.


    As the carriage got some distance, Hans knocked from inside. “Stop there.” He ordered to halt and when the carriage stopped, he quickly jumped out.


    The driver was startled, he quickly jumped out too. He pleaded, “Pardon me young lord, but this is middle of nowhere. I promised the lady to safely bring you to the watch tower.”


    “We will come later, you go ahead.” Hans hushed him.


    “I can’t, young lord—”


    “Take a hint old man.” Hans reached out and gently grasped Deli''s shoulder, his touch both firm and affectionate. With a warm smile lighting up his face, he leaned in slightly, his eyes shining with affection. “You understand, now.”


    The driver wanted to shout, you are only twelve you punk but couldn’t. The world of noble was far more lecherous than the commoners so he didn’t questioned and followed the order.


    “Take your hands off of me. I’ll kill you if you do it again Hans Parvert.” Delimira shrugged off his hand as something bad had touched her. It wasn’t that she was unfamiliar with Hans’s touch, but the way he acted gave her goosebumps of lifetime.


    Meanwhile Hans broke into laughter and kept laughing for a long time.


    “You done?” She asked as he slowed down.


    “Yeah, Winters. You should’ve saw your face. Ah, man, I never laughed this bad—”


    “So what’s the plan?”


    “Here.” Hans offered her a hand while she looked confused. “Take my Hand winters, we are going to fly.” He urged and pulled her close. “Hold tight.” He yelled and as her grip increased, he gently levitated gaining altitude.


    “Woah, this is fun.” She said as the mesmerising view of dusk in the city welcomed her eyes.


    “Its not the time for enjoyment Winters. Activate your Krosh arts, the one where you disappears.”


    Delimira sensed the inkling of Hans’s plan. He wanted to be hidden from every eyes at the skies. So surrounding him with dead Mana. She activated her krosh art’s mirage form while Hans commanded in an authoritative tone: SCAN


    All of his view turned in various colours. “Since they are using the artefact for hiding from Kansas. They are either imitating their surrounding or subtracting their presence with magic.” He mumbled and found several patches off lands without any colour. He marked those places in his mind but found an oddity. “Look at this bastards. Found them.” Hans grinned and slowly come down the ground.


    While most people could only discern the presence or absence of mana, but Hans had a special gift. He had the SCAN Privilege from OSIRIS, which allowed him to detect artifacts by sensing their unique mana flow.


    The empty, colorless patches were the people of Sylvetor and royalty. However, the place with constant color was an artifact trying to blend in, but since these thieves weren’t very wealthy and weren’t needed to be right now, since only a warlord capable of great senses could detect them which wasn’t present there since the Ban.


    The sun was already beneath the horizon and Hans and Delimira were just half an hour behind the carriage. He was flying with top speed but since he was carrying a heavy baggage named Delmira Winters. His speed was significantly reduced.


    “And she said, not to touch me. Now who is back hugging me, tsk!” Hans mumbled.


    “Hey, did you say something? I can''t hear a thing over this gusty wind!” Delimira shouted, leaning close to Hans’s ears.


    Hans shook his head right and left. “There is no point for you to know, Winters.” They hurried towards their carriage just as it was about to enter the Watchtower area, narrowly catching up with it before it rolled any further.


    “Now Shall we start?” He grinned looking at the thieves’ direction.


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