The quiet footfalls of three pairs of feet could be heard amidst the sound of crickets and flying birds, as they traversed the soil, dirt and grass that was west of Hanus Sols Castle.
Felix took the lead in front of Michael and Scott, leading the two of them somewhere which could apparently serve as a hint to where the Bandit King's lair was.
However, in actuality, he had only the slightest clue where one of the Bandit Kings would be. This raised the question, with how many self-proclaimed "Bandit Kings" there truly were, scattered across the lands with no end to their ceaseless arrogance and insolence, who knew if he was truly leading them to the right place?
Yet, even still, such a question didn't concern any one of the three of them, and so Michael raised a question to Scott:
"By the way, if you don't mind me asking… what's your name?"
"…What?" Scott replied, his face comforting in confusion, "You don't know my name?"
Michael made an odd face in reply, which seemed to alert Scott as to what he was doing. And, being as bored out of his mind as he was, he complied.
"…Wait… now that I think about it, I don't know your name either!"
"…Seriously? I told you my name quite a while ago!"
Scott shrugged. He tried to rack his memories but found merely dust.
"I guess I just forgot. You know how hazy my memory is."
Michael told him his name. In exchange, Scott told him his name back.
"Wait, but are you sure I didn't tell you my name instead? I'm pretty sure I remember telling you…"
Michael shook his head. "Unlike you, my memory's pretty good. And, I don't think there's a single instance of when I said your name before."
"What about with Father Morn?"
"Nope."
"Really?"
Michael nodded.
"…Are you guys serious?" Felix asked, looking behind at the two of them, "I've heard you guys state each other's names at least twenty times before this conversation."
Michael snickered. "We know, we're joking. We're only just extremely bored since you decided not to tell us anything about where we're going so far from the comfort of the city. Or, I know I am, at least."
Felix scratched his chin before turning his head back forward.
"You two are more childish than even I would expect…" He spoke, before grinning, "Honestly, I think us three would pair great as a trio!"
"…Really? I mean, Scott's around eighteen or nineteen, and I'm three years younger than him. You look like you're more than ten years younger than both of us."
Felix scowled at that.
"I'm around your age! Anyway, I do really think that we three would work well together! I'm fast and sneaky, you're a cool, sword-wielding guy, and he's…" Before Felix finished his sentence, he suddenly remembered something else he wanted to say, or rather, ask:
"…By the way, how did you end up getting that Arcane Mark?"
Scott shrugged.
"Like how all other people with a Mark get it, I guess?"
"So, you mean, an Old World God glanced upon you?" Michael asked.
"…Maybe. Truth be told, I have no idea..."
Suddenly, Michael's eyes widened in realisation. He had forgotten that Scott had a Boon. A sign of "God's Grace" from birth, which also meant that he carried a natural affinity to a divine element of one of the Gods, in this case, Hisbiril.
But, he felt no need to mention it at that moment, especially with another person listening in.
"…Anyway, I wonder if you can become one of the Saints or something. Actually no, even getting acquainted with a "Sacred"* is enough for me."
"…Sacred?" Scott asked as they walked past a large pile of stones and wood that somewhat shared the visage of an old well.
"I'll tell you about it later, but for now..."
The three of them looked around and were met with the sight of an abandoned village. By this time, it was fourteen minutes to ten, so the ambience of the gloaming nightfall only further enhanced the quietness.
Michael's mouth hung ajar in slight shock.
"So, you're telling me that a hint of a Bandit King's location is around the ruins of an old village?"
"Well, I didn't say it was going to be somewhere nice, did I?" Felix replied, "Come on!"
The three of them quickly sped through the village, and eventually found themselves around another deserted well, devoid of any kind of water.
"…He's gonna make us jump down, isn't he?" Scott muttered.
"Hehe. It's deep, but I'm sure we can handle it, right guys?" Felix said as he stared into its deep darkness. Following that, he perfectly dived into it in a single try, and there was no sound even as he supposedly landed.
"…"
They both glanced at each other and resolved to follow Felix's lead moments afterwards. Michael jumped in first, and then Scott, who felt the wind brush up tightly against him as he dived into the well's small hole.
But surprisingly, the well didn't stop at a reasonable depth, and kept on going on and on, and it was at this point that Michael started to shriek in terror, yelling:
"Bats! Bats!"
"Stop being such a coward!" Scott yelled, frustrated, but also secretly terrified.
And then, they landed. In a small pool of water, hidden underground in a cave, littered with bats flying around and all sorts of critters.
"…Ouch…" Scott groaned, "I'm gonna be feeling this forever..."
"Haha, you guys are wimps!" Felix giggled, "Anyway, this is one of the places which most bandits call, the "Meeting Point". I'm sure one of the bandit leaders around here knows the location of a local Bandit King."
"…Urgh… I've decided, after we help you with this, you're staying with us until you fully repay the favour you'll owe us…" Michael said, clawing his way onto the stone ground.
Meanwhile, Scott was still in the pool of water. However, he stared up.
"Uh… guys…? Guys…?!"
"What?"
"I think… something's coming!—"
He saw the glistening of a blade enter his peripheral view, not long before a person with excited, slithery blue eyes followed down. Scott ducked down into the water, but the other two watched carefully, as someone hovered a few feet above the water, floating on his broadsword.
What the most interesting, and honestly, the most frightening thing noticed about this man at first glance, was what was on his neck. A hidden symbol, that grew more visible due to the splash of water that touched both him and his suit.
An ensemble of roses and musical notes form the small wings of a beautiful being. The Arcane Mark of the Old World God, Mythril, the Mother Goddess, the embodiment of music, beauty and meaning.
"…" The strange, red-haired man stood with folded arms and glanced at the two of them, but quickly lost plenty of interest.
Until he noticed "traces".
"…I am "Passion". A "romantic" from beyond the Black Salt Sea. Someone searching for a worthy "gift". And, it seems you two have walked with the perfect gift for my lady."
"So, I dare ask the question, where is he?"
Felix stared at him blankly, the symbol on his neck going unnoticed for him.
"Uh… what?"
"I… er, I don't understand either," Michael replied, staring at the symbol with wary eyes, "…What do you mean by gift?"
"…Hm. You do not understand my words? Simpletons!" He proclaimed.
"…But yet, it appears to be so that he is not here with you two currently."
"I shall come back for my gift eventually. Do not stand in my way when that time comes."
They both nodded awkwardly, Michael much more cautiously than Felix and the red-haired man left soon afterwards, using his blade as leverage to quickly dash out of the well.
Seconds later, Scott rose from the pool of water, almost choking on his own breath.
"…Uh… do you know what just happened?" Michael asked.
"Ack… yeah, I saw him from underneath the water… and I felt something really dangerous from that person. It was like, my body, my soul even, was forewarning me not to rise from the water until he was completely gone."
"How? Why?" Felix asked.
"I… I don't know," Scott responded, with his hand on his head, "…It was almost as if… he was going to kill me the instant he saw me."