Chapter 585: Not Murderers

"My name is Maryam Amiens," said the girl while holding out a badge of a heart. "I carry my father's orders to come here and treat the wounded by the explosions."

"You are fine to pass, but we cannot allow any outsiders past this point," frowned the Runic Guard occupying the checkpoint while staring at Oriole. "Please return to the shelter."

"What is your name?" asked Maryam with a smile. The Runic Guard did not answer, but Oriole could tell the guard felt intimidated. "This one here is the little dragon's disciple. If she heard that you labeled him an outsider, you better run for your life."

Oriole was as expressionless as a corpse, and the Runic Guard started sweating at the mention of Jumana. He had the right to be afraid because Oriole saw what that woman could do. After a few more nudges and threats, the guard allowed them inside.

"That was easier than I thought," said Oriole as they walked through the empty streets toward the inner walls. "I think he is going to report us regardless."

"Leave him be," said Maryam as the badge disappeared from her hands. "A man who allows fear to deter him prefers to throw the responsibility on someone else. Well, to be honest, very few people do not fear Jumana."

"I know one of them," smiled Oriole. Maryam glanced his way before opening her mouth, but she refrained from talking. "You can ask."

"Are you and Alexie... together?"

"...what?" Oriole stopped walking and stared at her with shock. "What do you mean by together? We are in the same guild and college."

"I meant romantically together."

"Have you lost your mind?" said Oriole too defensively. Maryam was surprised by his sharp words, and Oriole realized it was too much. "I apologize. We are just friends, so I don't know why you would ask that."

"You have been seen with other men before," said Maryam with a thoughtful expression, "and the two of you seem very close, almost inseparable. Rumors are going around of you being together."

"This always happened ever since I came out," said Oriole. "Well, I didn't choose to come out, but I was forced to do it by my perfect older brother. Since then, most guys avoided me because they feared the rumors you mentioned."

"How fragile can they be," shrugged Maryam. "And what about Alexie? Does he not know?"

"I made sure that he did after a while of our meeting. I mentioned that I had a childhood crush on a man, and he did not change. I even doubted that he might have misheard me or misunderstood what I meant, but he did not."

"Then, the two of you are not together?"

"Our bond is stronger than any romantic feelings," smiled Oriole. "I see him as the little brother I always wished to have. However, I suck at being an older brother, and this is my chance to change that."

"I am sure he would appreciate what you are doing here," she reassured him, thinking he was looking for Alexie's approval. However, Oriole knew that Arthur already appreciated him. The one who did not appreciate Oriole was Oriole himself.

The rumors bugged him, but he knew that even if Arthur heard them, he would make another joke about it. This might be the real reason that Oriole was upset about those articles. When he realized that Arthur had read them, he remembered all the friends he lost because of this.

"We all seek to replicate what we lost," said Oriole as he stared at the divine tree. "I lost having a good brother, and I want to be the brother I wish I had."

"And what did Alexie lose?"

The question brought tears to Oriole's eyes. The lights from the divine tree, which Arthur planted there, made his eyes twinkle with sadness. This city and this tree were the things Arthur worked day and night to create but in the end...

"He lost everything."

***

Julia stared at the man bolting through the sky, and the scene she witnessed on the field appeared in her head. That omnipotent powers were devastating to behold, proving that Alexie did not give empty threats.

However, she had never seen him so agitated over something. It was almost as if the ice melted from around the cold boy she once met, but she was heartbroken to see what lay underneath.

Something happened inside the ruins, and she needed to know it to understand what he was going through. Unfortunately, there was no way for the Runic Guards to allow him out or disable the space arrays, but she could convince Grandmaster Casca to help him again.

Alexie was a proud man to demand something like that from a stranger, but she was not. Grandmaster Casca admitted that Alexie was a genius of the runic path, and he could take him in as a disciple to let him out.

Julia ran into the ruins and down the stairs. She almost tripped several times on the way down, but she had no time to slow down. This was her chance to have a stronger bond than friendship or acquaintance.

As she landed on the final steps, she felt a change in the mana ahead of her. Space began to get distorted in front of the altar before a portal opened, of which a few people came out.

"I told you there would be someone," said the man raising his arms to hold the portal together. He wore a mask with a crown engraved on it, along with three more people who wore similar masks.

"A crow, a serpent, a phoenix, and an eye," muttered Julia as she stared at the group. "Those robes too... you are Mistletoe."

"A great honor to be recognized in a place so detached from the world," the man wearing the eye-engraved mask bowed slightly. "We are indeed Mistletoe, and we came here to do what we do best."

"You are thieves," said Julia with a frown as she backed away. "Are you the ones who killed the runemasters the other day?"

"We are thieves, not murderers," said the crow-engraved man before collapsing the portal. "We also perform very well in bed."

The words sank inside the hall, and the crow-man received the combined speechless glares from Julia and his friends. Julia did not know what to say, but her hand reached toward the communication device inside her robes.

A gunshot rang in the air as the serpent shot her communication device, destroying it. The bullet grazed her hand, and the impact made Julia stagger back and fall on her lower back.

"I remember you," said the eye while approaching her. "You are the one who visited Alexie a day after he found the corpses. But, then, you left with the disguised friend of his."

"How do you know Alexie?" frowned Julia while holding her bleeding hand. "Are you the ones who scared him?"

"Scared?" asked the eye with confusion as he crouched beside her. "That man does not know fear. We are not his enemies for now, but that might change. You can say that I have an interest in him."

Julia stared at the man who reached out toward her bleeding hand. Then, she watched him take out a potion, which he poured on her without hesitation. Being a runemaster, she could tell that it was a healing potion.

"What do you want from coming here?" asked Julia with a frown. "These ruins are not to be tempered with. If you dare steal anything, Runera will hunt you down."

"The world already hunts us down, sweetheart," said the man while pulling her up to stand in front of him. "We are just making sure that we can survive. But, for that, we will need your help."

"I refuse."

"If that is a definite answer, I must ask my follower to shoot your head next. A good thief leaves no witnesses."

"You are murderers, after all," smiled Julia at them. "However, you are nothing but arrogant idiots for underestimating the youngest runemaster alive."

Julia's robes fluttered, and the runic lights exploded around her as she said so. The serpent reshot his gun, but the bullet was blocked by a barrier that appeared around her. Then, as the eye jerked her hand away and retreated, Julia began to levitate.

"I am the daughter of the Vinera Family," said Julia as she stared down at them. "We specialize in domains, and the moment you allowed me to activate it, you have lost."

"I fear that is indeed what happened. I 'allowed' you to activate it because I already knew your plan," the eye man said with a smile as he raised his hand. "I also know where to strike to destroy that domain of yours."

Julia saw a bright violet light explode from his hand, forming a very thin needle that bolted toward her barrier. Her eyes snapped open when the needle passed through a weak point and struck her navel. All the runic lights disappeared as Julia fell to the ground, unable to move anymore.

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