***

“Hey, can we raid a dungeon already?” Ayano tirelessly mentions as she hangs her head low.

Ryzeu explained for the hundredth time. “We can’t, we have to patrol the city streets today, it’s our duty as Gold-ranked Adventurers.”

Walking behind them was Lynessa who giggled, “Is this how it’s always like between the two of them?”

“Uh-hmm,” Ayane nodded as she took a bite into a crêpe.

“It’s nice to finally have you with us, I've been wanting to ask. What made you want to become an adventurer in the first place? Since you’re from a noble family and all.” Ryzeu added.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to experience and learn new things. I’m tired of being inside my home all day and getting protected by others. I don’t want to sit down and look pretty to get married like my mother eventually.”

Ryzeu became embarrassed as a random thought of him and Lynessa getting married popped into his head and replied, “I-I see.”

During their patrol, a commotion was heard at the end of the nearby street, and a lot of civilians had gathered together.

“Oh, a fight, let’s go!” Ayano excitedly mentioned and rushed over to look.

“Let’s go.” Followed up Ryzeu as he sighed.

They all rushed over and noticed a Royal Guard who had finished shouting and proceeded to hammer in a nail to stick a poster to the news board.

Ayano rubbed her hands together in excitement. “Ooo, a wanted poster. I wonder who the unlucky person is this time!"

“You seem to be right. It looks like it’s from the Royal Palace as well.”

The Crimson Hunters made their way through the crowd to look at the wanted poster. They all read the sign simultaneously, and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Kibo was a criminal and not just any ordinary criminal he became the Kingdom’s Most Wanted with the highest reward they ever saw.

“I knew it! I knew it. I never trusted him from the start. See what did I tell you guys!” Ayano carelessly mentioned. She turned to look towards the others, and her smile quickly faded away as she noticed their sad and confused expressions.

Ryzeu became angry and forced his way to the royal guard. He grabbed his collar and dragged him in close.

“Who issued this wanted poster? On what basis are these crimes true!” Ryzeu demanded.

“How dare yo-”

The royal guard cut himself off as he noticed the Gold-ranked badge on Ryzeu’s shoulder.

“I-I-I’m sorry brave adventurer, please forgive my rudeness-”

“Hurry up!”

“Y-yes, this wanted poster was authorised by the King.”

Ryzeu became shocked as his eyes widened, he released his grip and backed away from the guard.

‘Impossible! Kibo, a wanted criminal? Wasn’t he just a villager? He is weak and didn’t know anything. He even got himself hurt in a Goblin Dungeon! Was it all an act? One of his crimes is espionage, was he trying to get information on us? N-No that’s not right, he looked innocent and genuinely wanted to learn.’ Ryzeu thought with conflicted emotions and placed his palm on his head as he began to get a headache.

He continued to speculate, ‘we have only known him for less than a week. It could be he was only acting. It makes more sense than missing a new summoner within our Kingdom since they are so desperately needed. Did he come here from one of the neighbouring nations?’

He clenched his fists in anger as he furrowed his brows until he remembered Ayane and panicked. He quickly turned back and walked towards her to notice a blank expression on her face.

“Ayane, there was nothing we could have done.”

She quickly shut her eyes and pressed her hands against her ears, not wanting to know more.

“Ayane, this is difficult for all of us, but there was no way we could have known. We had only known him for such a few da-”

“Shut up!” Ayane faltered as her blank expression had faded into disbelief.

From behind the crowd, a guard rushed over as he repeatedly shouted, “are the Crimson Hunters here? Are the Crimson Hunters here!”

“Yes, we are here!” Ryzeu shouted back.

The guard quickly made his way to Ryzeu and informed him that they found Kibo, and they needed their assistance in capturing him.

Filled with anger at how Kibo lied to them and how upset Ayane is, Ryzeu and the rest of his team followed the guard to the location.

***

Kibo placed his thumb and index finger between his chin as he began to think. ‘I don’t know where to even begin. Guards surround me. Crimson Hunters seem to be on the defensive and Lynessa is with them. Does this have something to do with her? No that can’t be right, I had already everything cleared up with them already, and they even paid back their debts. I doubt she is the type to lie to take revenge on me for teasing her. That’s taking it too far.’

Kibo then remembered something Ryzeu said a few days ago.

“We have four members… and we recruited a new member not too long ago. However, she has been busy to join us on any missions.”

‘What the hell, the new member was Lynessa? Well, that explains why she is here. But why am I surrounded?’ Kibo continued to ponder.

In that time Ryzeu had grabbed the poster from Ayane’s hands. Wrapped it around a wooden stick and threw it towards Kibo.

“Hmm, I wonder what this says?”

He bent down and picked up the makeshift scroll. He unwrapped the paper around the stick and read it.

Kibo slightly panicked as he saw his face on the poster. ‘Well fuck... there is no doubt about it the people who wanted me dead crossed over.' He thought.

“Kibo, if you know what’s good for you, quietly surrender yourself, and we promise we won’t hurt you.” Ryzeu proposed.

‘The decision I make now could change my fate completely. If I go with them, I’m most likely going to end up in prison. I’m not strong enough to break out of a heavily guarded Palace just yet, so waiting for my death in there isn’t a good idea.’

He furrowed his brows and continued to speculate, ‘My best option is to run away from this city, but it’s way too early. I still needed more summons, and the capital city has a lot of dungeons outside their walls. For fuck’s sake, I can’t believe it had to end this way. I didn’t expect them to take this route to flush me out. The assassins are smarter than I thought.’

“We have given you enough time for you to decide, so what do you choose?”

After thinking about it he came to the best conclusion for this moment and smirked.

“Hey Lynessa, it has been a long time, is everything good?”

She became surprised by a question which came out of nowhere and stuttered, “ye-yeah everything is fine...”

“Well that’s good, and Ayane do you believe I could do such things?”

Kibo noticed her saddened expression change a bit and pressed forward.

“Ayane for the few days together we have known each other, do I look like the person who will kill anyone? Why would I need to go spy on other countries! I even hurt myself in a weak goblin dungeon! Are you going to believe everything they say? I’m even new to the city. How did they know who I am that quickly?” Kibo pleaded.

He noticed she became more fidgety as she was unsure who to believe. ‘Perfect, even though I’m twisting the truth a little, it’s still true I haven’t killed any human. The crime for murder was exaggerated; it should have been closer to aggravated assault if anything.’ Kibo remembered.

He shook his head in disappointment and quickly regathered his composure as he saw Ayane as his only lifeline to getting out of here.

“Ayan-”

“Silence! I heard enough from you, you piece of shit. Stop trying to hide behind my sister! I never trusted you from the start!”

Ayano lifted her bow as she pointed it towards Kibo, and he quickly called out Zana in front of him. It startled the guards momentarily as they were reassured by their leader to stand their ground.

“Zana make sure to run 300 meters away from me and the castle walls.” He quietly mentioned. Zana bowed her head and leapt over him.

The guards started to chuckle, thinking the summon got scared and ran off.

“Ayane, please believe me. I would never hurt you or anyone so much that you could die from it. Were you taking care of me all night that day a lie?”

She became embarrassed after hearing those words. Lynessa also flushed red imagining what could have happened that night.

“Kibo, you’re dead! Stop twisting the truth! She was only healing you!”

Seeing this momentary opportunity as everyone dropped their guard slightly, he quickly shouted, “Ayane if you believe even a little in me then hold your friends back for me for a short while!”

The guards charged towards Kibo, and just before they could reach him, he had activated his skill ‘Leap’. He skidded to a halt 100 ft away and saw the guards still chasing after him.

‘I can get away from the guards using leap, but not Ryzeu and Ayano. I don’t have the time to stay anymore. He looked towards Ayane for the final time and brightly smiled as he placed her trust in her.

Ayane thought, ‘For the few days I have known him, he looked like an innocent person who didn’t know much about the city and how adventuring worked. I spoke with many people in my travels, and I can tell when someone is lying and he wasn’t. But it’s also true I don’t know anything about his past. It’s plausible he could have done some bad things.’

She continued. ‘But the crimes the Royal Palace is charging him with seem to be over the top. ‘Espionage? Treason? If Kibo were here to spy, then he would have been trying to get into the Royal barracks. Since he is a summoner, it would have been easier for him to do so. Something is not adding up here, and at times I can’t help but look after him a little. He reminds me of my childhood friend…’

“You won’t be getting away from me!” Ryzeu threatened. Just before Ryzeu could activate his skill which could increase his speed, Ayane had jumped in front of him and her sister.

“Take any step past me, and I will stop you!”

Ryzeu looked on with disbelief. “Ayane! Why are you helping a wanted criminal!

He added, “have your feelings grown that much for him in such a short amount of time!”

“Ayane, don’t be stupid; he is just using you to escape!” her sister tried to explain.

“I don’t care, just stand still!” She insisted and stood her ground with her bow raised.

They both became agitated as they saw Kibo escaping and they could not do anything about it.

“I can’t believe you sided with a stranger you only knew for a few days over your team. I’m disappointed in you. After this, you will be coming with us to the Royal barracks for aiding a wanted criminal” Ryzeu explained with a defeated expression.

Kibo leapt 11 more times, and on his final leap, he landed near Zana.

“Ayane I will not forget this favour you have given me today.”

He got on Zana’s back, and they raced away from the Capital City.