185 A little....banter.



From what Alver's documents were indicating, there were multiple syndicates he was interacting with, but the number out of Grav... was surprisingly low.

'Dude, you remember that. It's more surprising like a true nerd,' Blaze praised, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride. Well, that was a compliment, right?

Anyways, then comes the files I... 'borrowed.'

'Stole,' Blaze corrected me, his precision unwavering. Sometimes, his accuracy was infuriating.

Anyways, I... 'borrowed' them, and most of them were related to criminal activities in the Hestia Empire and Reva Kingdom.

'And the point is?' Blaze inquired, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

I sat down in a chair and placed a paper on the desk.

"If I were to put this information into two circles, then these two names intersect each other," I said as I drew two circles, listing a variety of names from small to big syndicates.

Then there were two names common to both papers, and if sorted by location, they appeared to be connected to Hestia right now.

'And you think it's one of these two? What if-' Blaze started to make a valid point, but I interrupted him.

"It's not like I'm making assumptions out of thin air," I replied, crumbling the paper and setting it on fire with a small ember conjured on my palm.

"Remember that tiger guy?" I leaned back in the chair.

"The one... yuck, don't make me remember all that fur," Blaze gagged as if recalling something unpleasant.

"Yeah, the one you ate on the ship. He also told us a few important things, like where he was headed next... and look what?" I paused to recall the names again.

"You remember the names he told us? I only remember his crying face and then his smug face when he believed you," Blaze commented.

Nocny Gryf and Akh Helna. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and we were slowly unraveling the web of intrigue surrounding us.

Nocny Gryf was a slave-smuggling group operating in the eastern side of Hestia, extending all the way to the northern border of Elishia Forest. As for Akh Helna, it was nothing more than a criminal organization run by two thug brothers who managed to manipulate the backhanded Aristocrats through tactics such as kidnapping.

"And the one the tiger guy was headed to was?" Blaze questioned, seeking to connect the dots.

"Nocny Gryf, the slave group," I confirmed. It appeared that Devon and his group had a deep connection with this network.

"Still, I never thought that the guide would turn out to be involved in something like this," Blaze remarked, sighing in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's unpredictable how people turn out. They may seem good on the outside, but inside, they can be something entirely different," I mused, reflecting on the complexities of human nature.

Silence settled between us for a moment.

"What?" I asked abruptly, sensing something amiss in Blaze's demeanor.

"Nothing," Blaze replied, his half-lidded gaze fixed on me with an enigmatic expression.

"Anyways, which one is... actually here then? Nocny Gryf or Akh Helna?" Blaze inquired, seeking further clarification.

"Likely to be Nocny Gryf, as they were moving the shipment they took from Elishia Forest and Reva," I replied, rising from my seat. I glanced out of the window of my dorm and noticed that it was getting dark; the sun was setting.

"Hey, most of all... are they in Solstice?" Blaze was now asking seemingly random questions.

"Yeah, of course they are. It's the second of Embera month, so that means Nocny Gryf is likely heading towards Viceburg, and they'd pass through here," I explained. In my mind, I had a growing conviction that it had to be Nocny Gryf or some other illegal trading syndicate.

"But why are we already assuming it's illegal in the first place... who knows the prince might be getting a good aphrodisiac... he's quite addicted to that stuff, right?" Blaze raised a valid point, his skepticism evident. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about Aron's involvement, making it difficult to believe it was anything innocent.

"Why Solstice? It's so... important and has the Imperial Academy, plus it's in the constant eye of court officials," Blaze questioned, pointing out the risks of conducting illegal activities in such a prominent location.

"Because people tend to forget to look behind their backs when the ones they trust are thrusting daggers into them," I explained cryptically. It was a harsh truth, but it often held.

"The same goes for the Hestia Empire's Royal Palace. Most Aristocrats are involved in these dealings, creating a two-way transaction," I continued, emphasizing the complex web of corruption and power that often fueled illegal activities in places of authority.

Knock*knock*

The sudden sound of knocking on the door caught my attention.

"Huh?" I muttered to myself, curious about the visitor.

I got up from my chair and made my way to the door. Peering through the peephole, I wasn't entirely sure who might be on the other side.

Upon seeing the familiar face on the other side, I decided to open the door, offering her a polite smile. "Mrs. Penny."

"Oh dear, dinner's ready," she informed me, glancing inside. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she continued, "Did you burn something in there?"

I chuckled and waved it off. "Hmm? Oh, nothing, just a paper," I replied nonchalantly. "I'll be down in a few minutes," I assured her as I watched her head downstairs. With that, I closed the door and prepared to head down for dinner.

I took a moment to collect my thoughts before heading down to join the others for dinner. The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, making my stomach grumble in anticipation.

As I descended the stairs and entered the dining area, I found Mrs. Penny setting the table with a spread of dishes. The dining room was cozy, with warm lighting and a pleasant ambiance.

"Good evening, Ren," Mrs. Penny greeted me with a warm smile. "Please, have a seat. Dinner is ready."

I nodded in gratitude and took a seat at the table. The other students in the dormitory were already there, chatting and enjoying the meal.

A heavy silence descended upon the room as soon as I sat down. Some of the students even moved their seats slightly away from me, creating a noticeable gap.

'Ouch, getting bullied, aren't we?poor princess.' Blaze teased, his voice echoing in my mind. I picked him up and placed him on the table, pushing a small tray with a piece of chicken leg in it toward him.

'Well, I'm not alone in this,' I replied mentally.

Blaze was stunned before the word sunk in him-

'...Damn, good thing you're under that curse, or it might get out of hand with the number of girls who'd fall for you,' Blaze sighed as he nibbled on the chicken leg.

The scrawny guy's face flushed a shade of red as he stammered, "Y-yeah, I'm talking to you. That cat of yours is on the table."

I glanced down and noticed that Blaze had indeed climbed onto the table and was leisurely nibbling on the chicken leg I had placed there for him.

I chuckled lightly and replied, "Nah," causing the guy to look at me with a mixture of confusion and exasperation.

"Huh?" The scrawny guy wore a dumbfounded expression.

"Your tone... we're not in elementary school, are we? You know what you should say before asking for something, right? Be polite..." I said, emphasizing the importance of courtesy. I then looked back at the table and picked up my fork, indicating that the conversation was over for me.

The scrawny guy appeared taken aback by my response, and a few nearby students exchanged glances, still uncertain of how to react.

With a sigh, the scrawny guy mumbled, "Can you please ask your cat to get off the table?"

I nodded with a satisfied smile. "Of course, that's much better... but nope," I replied, my serene at the end. I was fairly certain that Mrs. Penny was too busy in the kitchen to overhear our exchange.

"Wha-!" The scrawny guy clenched his teeth and abruptly rose from his seat, as though he were about to confront me. He began to utter an expletive but stopped short when I locked eyes with him.

"Jeremy... that's your name, right?" I inquired calmly. He flinched when I addressed him by name. "I'll give you a piece of advice: choose your words carefully... because they might come back to haunt you." I made it clear that I wasn't interested in escalating the situation, but I wanted him to be mindful of his tone.

'Quite merciful today, aren't we?' Blaze chimed in, amused by my approach.

Click*

Mrs. Penny emerged from the kitchen, carrying a platter of freshly baked rolls. She wore a warm smile and asked, "Is there anything else anyone needs?"

However, her pleasant expression shifted to mild concern- 

"Oh dear," Mrs. Penny exclaimed, her voice gentle but firm, "Please get that pretty pet of yours off the table... someone might get fur on their plate." She raised an eyebrow, silently urging me to comply.

"Smokeball, get off the table," I said calmly, directing my voice toward my tiny companion.

Blaze gave me a mischievous look before complying, hopping down from the table and landing gracefully on the floor.

"Happy now?" I asked the scrawny guy, raising an eyebrow.

He mumbled something incoherent and quickly returned to his meal, avoiding any further eye contact with me.

I couldn't help but chuckle internally at the minor drama, but I

also made a mental note to keep Blaze off the dining table in the future.

'Can't have students die for minor reasons,' Blaze understood.

Well I will be out tonight..... might as well get some fun.