“Take Pierre to custody. Although it’s unsettling to admit, leaving him in this submissive state is the best for now.”

Fein ordered two Vassal United Officers to haul the unresponsive Pierre inside. The two vehicles of D-7 and Frostfall were parked safely within the parking space, with their passengers exiting one by one.

“Sir, if I may ask… Are those two mercenaries?” One officer pointed to Shear and Leva, with which the latter turned around her, for it was her first time seeing the sights of Henwales. Shear noticed the officer’s finger was pointing against him, but he just shrugged it off.

Fein nodded. “We had an on-field contract. Don’t mind them.”

In a sense of respect, the two officers nodded in response, and hitched Pierre to a stretcher, carefully but swiftly bringing him to the building’s emergency section for medical procedures.

“Now that’s done… I’ll have to talk to the secretary about this…”

Sighing, Fein turned to his colleagues behind him. What caught his eye, however, was Mido, who was still groggy from the delayed exhaustion, barely keeping up and only supported by Gris on his side.

“He still needs time to rest. I should bring him to his room.” Gris suggested.

“Of course. Thank you, Gris.”

The burly man assisted Mido on one side as they slowly made steps to the entrance. If the hours-long ride from Reiss to Henwales was not enough for Mido’s body to recuperate, it was imperative that he needed more time to rest.

The others, however, were eager to hear what their captain has to say.

“Well, we’re here, everyone. Because of everything that happened yesterday, I’m sure you are all exhausted.”

“Obviously…” Enna stretched her arms.

“Hmm… Well then, I’ll do my best to make us earn that week-long break. In the meantime, you may all rest at your respective quarters…”

“But how about the contract?” Leva had a sense that they were forgotten. The job was done, but the contract was not fulfilled: the pay has not yet been given.

“I’ll have yet to inform the office about that. You see, any third-party contracts are to be reported to the office for record. I’ll only take your trust at the moment. But since our branch had some help from Frostfall with businesses in the North from the past, I’d say things will go down smoothly.”

“Hmm…” Leva raised an eyebrow.

“Since we’re already here, we have no choice but to wait.” Shear replied.

“Aha. Right!”

“I’m glad to hear that. Everyone!” Fein acknowledged. “That will be it for the day. I’ll contact you as soon as what’s to happen next. Take your hard-earned rest!”

“Understood, captain!”

Leaving a heavy, yet relaxed sigh, Fein turned and was the third to open the entrance doors among them, before Gris and Mido minutes ago.

As they packed away the Beaver’s indoors for future use, Sora noticed that Leva was confused on what to do next, only leaning against their van-sized rover painted with snow colors. Unlike the Beaver, there were some dents on its simplistic, yet sleek design, alluding to the fact that this vehicle of theirs had serviced in the long term, or has not been repaired for a long time.

Dismissing this musing, Sora approached the petite girl, as Shear was leaning on the balcony, seemingly taking sight of Henwales scenery as the sun pointed to the late morning of the day. However, he held a phone-like device on his left ear. His mouth moved; Shear was talking to someone.

The clouds lay a light overcast, but from the looks of it, it will not rain anytime soon.

“Hai, Big Bro~” Leva was the first to greet. “Aren’t you helping your team haul the goods?”

Sora groaned as he stretched his body alongside the vehicle’s hull. “Nah, I don’t have the strength to haul…”

He looked at Leva. She still had her innocent-looking face. Coupled by her ochre eyes, bonnet, and peach hair, she could easily be mistaken for that innocent visage. However, being exposed to mercenary work must have scarred her sense of morality, as Leva had no qualms in injuring or even killing others.

One’s heart might skip a beat, knowing that a childhood friend had stooped so much of her attitude. But Sora understood. He too shared the same reasons.

Sora tried to break the awkward atmosphere that enveloped them. “Say, you’re thinking about where to rest, right?”

Leva jolted, nearly blowing away her bonnet in the process, but Sora fixed it on her head in no time.

“Hai. I’m thinking about that right now! And I also want to explore, but Shear might disagree. Our boss might need us at any moment, and we have to withdraw this…” She droned on, but soon realized, and immediately retracted both of them from the conversation.

“Ah, but it’s a problem for another day~ Now, back to the problem at hand!” She clicked her arms in a gun-cocking gesture against Sora.

“Hmm… There are a lot of inns around Henwales, but I would suggest the one near to the plaza…”

He handed out details about the lay of the land, as well as landmarks in case Leva wants to walk around the city. There are maps dotted all around Henwales, but it was better to familiarize rather than memorize.

As Sora explained, Leva’s eyes glimmered with curiosity; her side in the field of battle contradicts what she acts like: a curious girl, retained from her childhood days in that orphanage.

“Right… okay!”

“And if that’s not enough…” Sora quickly grabbed a handbook, and swiftly jotted down lines of text in it. In a matter of a minute, he was done. Ripping off the paper he wrote on, Sora handed it to Leva.

“Oh~”

“It’s a list of shops for your convenience, in case you need to procure goods for yourselves.”

“Now that’s convenient.” A stoic voice loomed upon the two. Shear put his phone in a pocket and looked at the two.

“Boss seems to be in a good mood. He approved of our temporary stay here in Henwales.”

“Really!?” Leva excitedly squealed.

“…His max limit is four days. That being said, we can do anything we want within those days.”

Shear remembered something and turned to Sora’s attention.

“Sora, was it?”

“Yes.”

“I’m guessing you already know about Gris’ identity. Vassal United catalogs information, after all.”

“That he’s an ex-mercenary? Of course, we all do.”

“Well, Gris was actually one of our Boss’s trusted men, and they seemed to be good acquaintances, his presence alone made convincing the Boss a lot easier.”

“Wait…” Sora was startled. “Your Boss?”

“Mhmm!” Leva chuckled. “Sir Escher Gris is Big Boss’s… friend? Uhmm… Something like that. Ehe~”

“Nevertheless, with a member of yours being a Frostfall mercenary in the past, that smoothens things,” said Shear.

“Gris was from Frostfall, huh. That information was held back on our first briefing… Every encounter, I seem to learn more about my colleagues…” Sora chuckled.

“That’s not to be concerned of. I did not even take into account his name and appearance when we first fought against each other.”

“No, that’s okay. That big guy’s a gentleman.”

“Uhm… you two…” Leva groaned. She seemed to hold her stomach.

“I’m… getting hungry… heh~” She uttered a half-smile.

“That about does it then.” Shear nodded and extended a hand for Sora to shake, which the latter gladly accepted. “We’ll find a place to eat. You should rest, too. I would care about those baggy eyes if I were you.”

“Ah, thanks for the notice, Shear.”

Shear chuckled and guided Leva with the list Sora gave to her. It came in handy in the nick of time, he thought.

“Oi, Sora!” Someone called out to him from the entrance.

“Gris… Hey, was Mido alright?”

“For the time being… Come on, take care of those baggy eyes of yours before you pass out!”

“You too… Alright then!” Sora yelled and joined his other colleagues.

Mido slowly opened his eyes. The cold air from the conditioner wafted along his face as soon as his senses came to him. The surface his body was on was soft, cradling him back into sleep. It was not until he heard a loud buzzing sound coming from outside that he was pulled into opening his eyes again.

Stretching his body, he had a heavy sense of relief as he scanned his surroundings. Pastel walls, décor, and a large bed. He was back in Henwales, in his room, to be specific. Sparing the thought of who carried him to here as he could not remember, Mido slowly checked if his extremities were still stressed from the fight, he did that night. He flexed his joints, and almost all registered a slight pain, but he was all the more relieved that his health was okay as he glanced at the mirror. No black veins, bloodshot eyes, or any hint of symptoms of unnatural, tonal exhaustion.

Mido then remembered the consciousness, or rather, entity, that helped him overcome his limit. The Beast of Singularity. The entity that was inside him, transferred through unknown means by Firis, a supposed ‘old man’ that took care of him, memories which were now lost to himself. However, this information only came from the Beast’s context, so he had no confirmation if those circumstances really happened.

In the meantime, those thoughts were not that jarring, as the incessant buzzing of the door was more important to his physical body at the moment. He stood up, but not without trying to commune with the Beast for once, using his only means of connecting: Focusing on the image of the library.

He tried to no avail. The library was empty. Mido could only guess that using that much burst of energy also took a toll on the Beast, and it needed to rest.

He opened the bedroom doors and was greeted by the light-filled living room from the afternoon sun. Mido could not help but feel grateful that his room’s full window presented to him the gorgeous scenery every day.

Slowly trudging along the carpet still in his work suit, Mido answered the door.

“Hmm… Oh! Sorry!” The girl yelped, covering her mouth with one hand.

“Wiz?”

“Mido! Uhmm… I just want to tell you that captain already talked to the secretary, and she agreed! We’ll have a week-long leave!”

“Leave? Ah, yes… the one that the captain talked about. I’m glad to hear it, I sure do need some rest…”

“That’s not all! He also urged us to come to the usual restaurant later this evening. Said he’s inviting everyone to dinner. Seriously, why are everyone so lenient these days?” She pouted.

“I’m also a bit surprised… but it’ll be fine. Captain’s orders, of course.”

“Mhmm… And, I’m sorry for disturbing your rest!” Wiz half-bowed vigorously against Mido, which took him aback. “I really am!”

“No, it’s okay! Lift your head, Wiz!”

“Ah… Well, that’s it! Rest well, Mido!” She cheered.

“I will. See you later then! And… thank you.”

“Welcome~”

As Wiz happily walked through the corridor, Mido sighed and closed the door. He faced the living room again, and he had yet to acquaint himself with the room. He did all sorts of things: rummaged the cabinets, found stocks of casuals and uniforms, scanned through the television’s local channels, to which Mido did not find anything of interest.

“Ah, I might bore myself in here, but this scenery… It’s all fine.” He let his body sink on the fluffy sofa, and watched the dusk settle…

At a later time…

“Shit… I slept again…” Mido looked at the clock. The small hand advanced to four numbers, and one look at the window made it apparent that it was already nighttime.

“Come to think of it… Wiz did not tell me the exact time!” Hinting a sense of panic, he hurriedly prepared himself, grabbing the white button-up casuals and pants on the cabinet, and used his shoes for the occasion. He had much in the way, but to think that even the casual shoes that he was presented to fit perfectly on his feet were a tad uncanny.

He was not a master of wearing apparel, but he successfully made himself presentable below half an hour of grooming. Taking one last look at the room, he closed the doors, but not before securing his ID on his neck, using a card to lock the door to his room.

As he walked to the grand stairs, the usual sight of the lobby was there: busy tables and foot traffic permeated the area. As Mido neared the lobby desk, a familiar voice called him.

“Mido?”

He turned, and saw a woman with long, dark hair, wearing a beige cardigan, standing beside one of the lobby’s kiosks.

“Ah, Stera… That job’s working out for you?” He approached her.

“Uhm, I still need to adjust… But as an intern, the others are good to me!” She smiled and faced Mido. “You’re coming to the dinner, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go together! I have actually just finished my leave for today, so I’ll come!” She was enthusiastic. Something felt fulfilled on Mido’s side; For someone who felt all had been lost, Stera was livelier than ever, ever since D-7 took it upon themselves to take her in, resulting in her being an intern for the Vassal United offices.

“Right. Let’s go, then.”

“Everyone! I’ll be going!” Stera waved to her colleagues on the desk, to which they all happily respond.

The soft breeze of the night touched them as they opened the doors. Without a word, both Stera and Mido slowly descended the steps to the plaza. As they passed through buildings, it became more apparent that nighttime is the boon of the Henwales’ people: Many were drinking peacefully, going out to places, and walking paces along the smooth pavements of the mountain-city.

For Mido, Henwales was unlike any city he had come across so far. The laughter, foot traffic, and overall mood of the people who live here made him feel secured.

After a few more minutes of walking, and they eventually landed their feet just outside the restaurant D-7 frequented on: Mountain Spices.

“Here we are… Uh, Stera?” He turned to her and saw Stera vigorously rubbing her shoulders.

“It’s cold…” She shuddered. “But I’ll manage… Don’t worry!” Stera let out a warm smile, ironic of the breeze that’s wearing her out.

Mido pushed the restaurant’s glass entrance doors. The door handle was cold, unsurprisingly, but smooth to the touch. It took him little effort to swing the door open, and the mixture of aroma from the kitchen and the food that was served to the place’s patrons swept across his face and nostrils along with the door’s motion. Accompanied by laughter and neat-mannered patrons, Mido cleared his throat and walked past their tables, being careful with his steps as to not disturb those who were eating. A waitress suited in the typical black and white apparel lent him a hand to escort him to the upper floor, to which Mido declined politely. He already knew where his colleagues were.

“The usual, huh…”

He slowly ascended the polished, wooden stairs. With every step upwards, Mido heard voices from behind the door that drowned out the noise from below. Fixing up the collar of his white casuals for the last time, He pushed it open.

“Look who’s here!”

“Hmm… Good sleep, Mido?”

“Stera! Take a seat!”

Everyone greeted them with pints of expensive-looking wine. He looked at each of their heads in clockwise order around the long table: Fein, Enna, Gen, Gris, Sora, Wiz, an unoccupied chair, Leva, and Shear.

He half-expected for the two mercenaries to come, but he could only guess that the contract the captain talked about between them was already discussed and fulfilled during his rest.

“Alright! Now that everyone’s here…” Fein stood up and cleared his throat. Everyone waited in anticipation.

“Let’s eat!”

“Aww, what the hell?” Enna groaned.

“And I thought he’s going to give a speech…” Gris laughed.

“Let’s clear our mind off of problems for the moment, okay? This week-long break must not be wasted, after all.”

“You have a good point, captain…” Wiz smiled as Mido took the seat beside her. Stera sat on the only vacant chair left across Gen.

“Aha!” Gris exclaimed, being the first to dig in the sumptuous meal just in front of everybody. “Liven up your bodies for once!”

That seemed to be the signal for everyone to take portions themselves. On one side of the table, Gen and Enna were frivolous in eating. On the other side, however, the two mercenaries were timid, only taking small portions each time.

“Leva, eat up!” Sora said as he munched on a steak.

“Ehh, Sora… I’m not that big of an eater, y’know~” She moaned, but her voice hinted that she really wanted to eat, she was just shy to do so in front of so many people.

Shear was the first to dip his utensils on the food, and he put it inside his mouth, tasting every bit of flavor condensed within that spoonful.

It took him a while to register the taste in his tongue. “Hmm… It’s delicious. Try it.” He nudged Leva.

“Oh—Okay. Okay, okay!” She just needed a push. Taking her first bite, she puckered her lips and blew away the heat. Once the food came to her mouth, however, Leva’s expression turned from shy into energetic.

“hahh… Ahh! It’s delicious! It is!” She hopped with her buttocks on the seat like a child eating the first food she found delicious, the chair creaked with every jump.

“Alright, calm yourself. There’s enough for everyone—” Shear was about to finish, but Leva interrupted him as she dug into the food. Captivated by the aroma, and every bite was like euphoria, Leva’s mode of eating changed to rival that of Enna and Gen’s.

Meanwhile, Sora laughed at her for being so clumsy.

“Thank you for the food!!”

To digest their load, the group went for a walk around the plaza. Everyone was walking slowly; some had a bit of wine in them. People of different faces also walked by the place, either just passing to their respective destinations, or staying at the benches to take in a warm atmosphere.

“Look! It’s glowing again!” Wiz pointed to the lunar wisteria tree.

“A glowing tree…” Shear pondered. “It uses the moon’s light as a bizarre form of nutrition, disposing of the excess energy as that ethereal glow… Fascinating.” He talked to himself as if he was familiar with it.

“Hey, hey. What’s this?” Leva pointed to hanged items inside a shop. A grandmother shopkeeper invited her, to which Sora reacted.

“Captain. I’ll accompany Leva for a while.”

“Go ahead.”

“Thanks!”

He hurriedly went to fetch Leva, and help her while he was at it. As the others were viewing the tree, Fein was invited by Gris on a small bench not far from the others.

“Captain. It’s been a long time since a peaceful night came to us, right?”

Fein nodded. “a truly peaceful night, indeed. Many times, I’d still have my head stuck in a mountain of paperwork… This is a refreshing start.”

“Frostfall kids are here too. Can’t believe an old friend of mine contacted me. Heh, even Shear managed to find out it was me. The hair change did make the scar much more visible.”

Fein chuckled. “The ‘Midas of Frostfall,’ one that can use his wealth to augment weaponry. You two synergize by a mile ahead of others. I wonder: why quit?”

“I’ve gotten sick of his face! That’s all.” Gris jested. “But in all manner of seriousness, I’m just tired of doing mercenary work. Being affiliated to no one except your employed contract. Then, I heard a promising man opened another Apprehension Group, right here in Henwales! For a noble’s son, though, I have to say: I would not expect one to lead such a group in this mountain-city.”

“Political gambits are not my style. It’s best to help directly than just talking about it, with no guarantees of that actual help happening. Sure, my family and I are far apart now, but something in this isolation made me feel… liberated. No chains to pull me down. Just myself, and my colleagues.”

Gris chuckled and patted Fein on the shoulder. “Ah, seems like I talked too much. Well, captain! Your service indeed put into others hope and purpose. These people look forward to more ventures after this…”

“Indeed…”

“…Mido is the most recent one. I mean, we all saw the tragedy that fell on his town. And yet, his ability seems to transcend even the ones I know so far, rivaling even those Void Vassals by firepower alone.”

“He rivals the sun… or something familiar like that…” Fein stated.

“Hmm… He’s a mysterious man, but he’s capable of good reason. We’ll teach him in the long run, captain. Wiz has even started on it already, although she might only feel the longing for it…”

“Yes. We’ve already witnessed his potential; it is truly up to him on how to use it.”

“Agreed.” Gris slowly stood up and stretched his arms. “Ahh! Well, that small talk seemed to fully dissolve the food. Thanks, Fein!”

“Hm, that was a good talk, Gris.”

“Yeah. Let’s enjoy this night for what it’s worth!” Gris gently slapped Fein on his shoulder.

The night blanketed much of the region, but not Henwales. Its warm lights stood like a tree adorned with lanterns. It was a beacon of sorts, but not an imposing one. Beneath those lights walked people who basked in it, sharing the same optimistic feeling.

D-7 had the same relationship. A group who works hand-in-hand to ‘correct’ rogue Vassals, and other compulsory threats that loom over their part of Alto. A responsibility, transferred through mere groups, who then carry it out using any means necessary. Ruthlessness cannot be avoided; one needs to fight fire with fire in Alto, and yet, no one would bat an eye.

It is for a good cause, of course.

However, the calming notions call for a balance through the chaos.

As it roamed and dusted the now-lit library of tonal abilities that is the Codex, the Beast of Singularity sensed a threat looming not on the green seas of Henwales, but a distant, neighboring country.

‘A serpent rises from the sands, ready to feast on the tones of men. No songs could calm its slithers, no guns can stop its fangs baring on flesh and soul. With every mile, its tremors vibrate. With every bite, towns fall.’

Its hisses called to the Codex.

And it’s about time, after decades of sleeping over the war, it sensed the surface’s calming whispers…

And it was certain, that the apex of peace annoyed it the most.