Killian's lips twitched.
What was the correlation between the human-rabbit and Juda's problem? If karma, they should all face it.
I did nearly die though.
And Evelyn got affected by my bat.
But those are random coincidences.
"Apart from the worms, we had searched for rabbits as we expected in the training but we only saw a few. Nothing weird." He answered.
There's no way to act like meeting the rabbits never happened since the WLog calculated those points.
Evelyn backed him up by adding, "What type of anomaly would show up in an E-Rank realm?"
That was a curious question thrown back to George. He laughed, waving dismissively.
"It wouldn't make sense, right? Forget about it."
Killian narrowed his eyes at George as he walked away. Then why did you bring it up?
George spoke to the medical wardens who reported Juda's condition to him.
Evelyn turned to Killian, and back to their leader. The situation had diffused too suddenly for her comfort. She turned back to Killian.
"Didn't you ask your sister for the Ache Aid? It might've helped him a bit."
"Oh." Killian felt like it was his fault, even if she didn't blame him. "I went to check, but she wasn't there."
George, overhearing them, took out one from his pocket. "This isn't what he needs. They said rest. That training takes a long toll on newbies. We can start our mission when you are all in better shape."
So he still has a heart to move the mission?
Evelyn nodded, holding her left arm around the right one. Killian noticed, and became quiet again.
"The girl will be okay. Just make sure they all know not to touch the bat."
"I know that." He folded his arms.
"I will let you sulk then."
Killian frowned. He felt the Void move away from his consciousness, as if giving him space.
You are being dramatic. I didn't blame you for this. It's just an accident.
"The next mission can start tomorrow since Juda is still bed-ridden." George said as Evelyn walked out. He turned back to Killian, who was lost in thought.
He snapped his fingers in front of Killian's face. "You will return to your sister's place, right? Quara Dominic?"
Killian stepped away from him. It seems everyone can tell just by looking at my face. "She said to show her my badge." He gave a random reason.
"Aww, aren't you an adorable younger brother? She's a nice older sister, isn't she?"
George received a glare as his response. He chuckled softly and stepped back.
"Let me walk you to the B-Rank offices then. I want to ask you about some things."
There it is.
It's better he speaks directly, instead of being weird and throwing awkward compliments.
Killian walked out with him.
"During the training, your path had three Direwolves. Did you kill them all?"
Killian nodded once.
"Evelyn's had one. Juda's had two. But they are all the same strength. I hoped you had gotten Evelyn's because it is resistant to fire. It would've been better training for you."
"So the three I got were easier for me?"
"Not quite, just better suited to your element. They are resistant to the Wind Element but weak to fire. For Evelyn, she would've struggled with three of them."
She could've died, dumbass!
I nearly did even with my 'advantage'!
"I see." Killian said calmly. "It sounds like a suitable handicap. So what exactly are you getting at?"
George smiled. "You were the Top Scorer this year, and as you've seen, of all time. I wanted to know how many skills you've accumulated already. We have high expectations of you."
"Who's we?" The Top Dogs? The Rulers? Killian didn't want their attention, but with his current stats, that might be inevitable.
"And what type of expectations do they have of me?" Did they also know he was an anomaly?
George raised a brow. He stopped moving and kept a hand on his hip. "Are those important? Shouldn't you be excited by someone's expectations of you?"
There was a tinge of familiar condescension in those words that Killian couldn't ignore. Not even if he knew where they stemmed from.
"I am no longer a Null. Or a D-Rank Trainee." Killian said clearly. "I also adapt fast so my mentality has completely changed with my new status."
George scoffed softly, and continued moving. "That is a fancy way to say you're now proud. I can't say you shouldn't be, since we are both Wardens."
That was why being a Warden was everyone's dream. One's arrogance was excused as long as they had the power to back it up.
Killian followed, adding, "If their expectations of me don't match my planned goals, then they'd have to find another person to farm expectations from."
"I spoke out of line." George blurted.
"They don't have expectations for any special reason. Just that you are a late bloomer who's doing really well, so naturally, you'd get attention."
"If that's all there is, then I'd keep doing well and expect their quiet support." Killian stopped in front of the elevator going to the B-Rank offices.
"That is fair." George nodded.
"Last thing, did you want to give up during the training? I noticed you touched the device but there was no signal. It was around the same moment that Juda fainted so I got distracted."
Killian hesitated. The device was only supposed to alert him when crushed. Why did a touch send him a signal?
"Oh, I had a hard time, but I handled it." He paused. "Were you worried? Did you come to check on me?"
He only asked because he wanted to know if he saw anything. George nodded.
Killian's shoulders tensed, but no expression broke out of his face.
"It seems your fire cast unnatural shadows, Killian."
With the change of his tone, I feel like this was the main reason he walked me here.
"It does." He said flatly, pressing buttons on the elevator. "It's good for sneak attacks. Opponents rarely see it coming."
The elevator chimed open and Killian calmly walked in. George still had a faint smile on his face.
"If that's all, I'll leave. Thank you for walking me."
"It's nothing. I want to get to know you better, Killian." George back-walked. "Also, pay a visit to Juda when you have time, okay?"
Killian wondered why he mentioned it but he agreed. "I will." The elevator closed. Killian rested his back on the wall, breathing out in relief.
It was suffocating being under the gaze of an A-Rank while hiding that he was an anomaly.
He couldn't tell how much George knew, and if he knew so much, why he hadn't exposed him.
"You work with shadows. They aren't easy to discover."
"Yet he did."
"Because you hid them under Fire. Fire creates light. The light exposed the shadows."
Did that mean the Void never liked his feint?
The elevator chimed open. Killian slowly ran his hands through his hair, then ruffled them roughly.
This is frustrating. That George guy is frustrating. See, I need to learn to use the Fire Element.
"I already told you. Increase the capacity to 30%."
"Ah right, after that training, there should've been an increase. I don't know why the WLog doesn't alert me for training's—"
"Are you stepping out?"
Killian froze, but his eyes narrowed slightly when their eyes locked.
Fuck this!
He was still in the elevator, while roughening his hair and speaking to himself aloud like a madman.
And the one who met him in this act was none other than him— the one person he didn't want to see.
He looked up, staring into a familiar pair of red eyes. Almost like the ones he saw in his mirror every morning.
But colder.
As if the world didn't drop gifts at his feet.
"Keith."