—Mister.. Calestro?"
Upon hearing the Noble's words, The young man's body was shook to the very core.
"..!"
Seeing Calestro stunned, the corners of the Noble's lips rose up into a subtle smirk before he heaved a sigh and spoke once more.
"Oh..! Apologies..! I got too familliar with you..! I still haven't stated my name..!"
"..What..how does he..— Sweat began to proliferate on Calestro's face as he sustained a downcasted gaze, trying his hardest to suppress the nervousness that was gripping his heart like a vice.
"Let's start again shall we." - The noble smirked, sending a twisted feeling unto the young man's stomach.
—know my name..?" - Calestro gazed up, locking eyes with the individual in front of him, eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"Sanum Bal Osidal The First!"
[Sanum Bal Osidal I]
"Head of Azulunu Corps, and also.. the Lord of this land! Azulunu!"
- He extended out both arms, unto the air, as if revealing the most climactic moment of a presentation.
"..Azu..lunu..?" - Cale muttered, attempting to familliarize himself with the word.
"Yes. The Town behind the walls! Its Lord and also proclaimed by the citizens to be its one and only; Saviour!"
He proclaimed proudly, causing the one leaning against the wall to open an eye and steal a glance at the noble, while the one beside the iron gate broke his downcasted gaze after hearing the statement, and tilted his view towards the direction, eyes slightly squinted.
"...Fancy."
"Surely you're amazed? "
- Sanum raised his chin slightly above the air with a satisfied smile.
"Figures. I am amazing after all."
While Calestro watched with an expression consisting the combination of, confusion, frustration, anger, and an emotion that urged him to pummel this man but can't quite exactly name.
"..I swear..I'm gonna—"
*THUMP!!*
Calestro flinched again, bringing him out from the comfort of his own thoughts.
"Anyway! Enough staring at me! I came here to discuss business! Not be ogled at!"
- Sanum, in an overexaggerated manner began to hug himself, a faint blush colouring his cheeks.
"??? " — Cale's face distorted upon seeing such a scene.
*THUMP!*
"!!! "
— Sanum once again slammed his fist on the wooden table, causing yet another jolt of panic to shoot up Calestro's spine.
"Damn it! Stop that for god's sakes!"
*Twirl..* *Ka-chack*
Sanum began to twist the wind-up key on the toy teddy bear's back before placing it on the table again, allowing the key to spin but nothing to happen, aside from the faint sound of grinding of machinery to proliferate.
"See. Ever since you went unconscious, a few.. hours ago I had; My top craftsmen and blacksmiths beginning to grind the cogs of their brains just figuring out how this works, and what was their answer?
We.. We don't know anything about this sire.. We never seen it before.
Interesting isn't it?"
— Sanum leaned in, a small grin on his face.
"..You gathered a bunch of professionals just to examine a toy? Do you really want something to play with that much?"
— Calestro replied.
"Oh please. If I wanted something to play with, the.. people chained in the preceding rooms before yours would suffice, and who knows? If you keep up this smart guy act of yours, you might even become the seventh!
Therefore,
Don't
Even
Think
Of
Insulting
Me.
Got it?"
- With individual stresses on each of the words, Sanum leaned in bit by bit, the grin slowly devolving into a solemn clench of lip.
"This man. Is quite the handful."
— Calestro maintained the steadfast lock of his eyes on Sanum's glare, not faltering for even a single second.
"What do you even need my technology for?"
Sanum's lips bursted into a soft smile.
"What else? To Improve this town and its inhabitants that I love so much..!"
— The emphasis on his words caused the other two individuals' fingers to twitch a little.
"Sounds Noble." - Calestro scoffed. "But what's in it for me?"
"A negotiator..! Okay, you get the right to; roam freely again. How's that?"
"Declined."
"...This is annoying.." - Calestro thought to himself.
"..Are there even any escape routes here?"
- He subtly took another round of gazes at the surroundings.
"..ey.."
"Iron gate? blocked by the..is that.. the guy from earlier today? The one with scrolls?"
"..he..y.."
- A hint of surprise surfaces on him, but was quickly dismissed.
"Looking around, there doesn't seem to be any openings aside from the iron gate." - Calestro released a sigh, "this will be a bit of a challenge.."
"hey..."
"Should I.. fight? Aren't these two behind me already skilled on their own? Moreover.." - Calestro's gaze landed on the frozen, fully-armoured individual that stood ever-so-silently beside the noble. "I'm no oracle.. but I can tell that; this guy is a monster on his own right.."
— He gazed upon the gray-coloured armour covering the tall individual from head to toe. The visible wear and tear on his plates that resembled hundreds of cuts from dozens of different monsters and animals that knew of the sheer power resting beneath those covers.
"Forget the two, even if I fight only this guy..
I would lose on the spot.." - Calestro heaved an exhale.
"Guess I gotta—"
*THUMP!!!!!*
The Noble's arm, filled with pulsating veins slammed down hard on the wooden table in front of them two, sending a sound that made Calestro flinch and exit his thoughts while the other three apart from him and the noble, showed no signs of surprise at all.
As Calestro looked up to see Sanum, he took notice of a small vein throbbing above his forehead.
"Listen you; It especially irks me when people try ignore my requests. You are above my land now so you better show some respect or else you'll go below it.
You either tell me what this thing is, or you'll spend the rest of your life here. Understood..!?"
- Sanum bored holes through the young man's skull with his widened eye glare, only for it to be sustained by a non-shaken Calestro.
"Go to Hell."
- In a solemn, non-reactive almost eerily calm manner, the young man replied. Eyes empty as if he was currently just strolling through a garden.
Hearing such a remark, a large vein on Sanum's forehead began to visibly pulsate as he gritted his teeth. "You..!!"
- He raised his hand above the air, causing Calestro to firmly shut his eyes and brace himself for what was about to unfold, as well as the two individuals behind to take notice.
*Fwip!*
Sanum's hand that remained for a moment on the air quickly accelerated towards the cheek of Calestro.
"Please wait a second. Mister Osidal." - The man previously leaning on the wall spoke up, now standing upright.
Sanum's hand halted just a few millimeters away from Calestro's pale cheek, the voice causing him to slowly open his eyes.
"What is this about now..
Ignaras?"
- Ignaras, whom was the tall man with broad shoulders and a slicked-back hair secured a non-faltering gaze on Sanum's eerily calm irises.
"You want to go through what that bastard; Hamilvan did as well?"
- Sanum remarked, causing Ignaras'es fingers to subtly twitch.
"Article Seven of Azulunu Corps. An accused individual may not be subjected to any forms of physical questioning until proven guilty with verifiable evidence." - Ignaras solemnly declared.
Without a flinch, Sanum responded. "So what you little bastard? I'm the one who enacted that law, I can twist it however the fuck I want."
"Unbefitting that of a Saviour Sir. This man," - Ignaras replied, eyes pointing at the slouched Calestro.
"Have already associated himself with a few of our corpsmen, namely; Miss Foryan and a new recruit, based on our sources. To subject him to any form of physical force even in secrecy will not be beneficial to you in any way at all."
"..Ho? And how is that? You muscle-minded fuck?" - Sanum broke from his lean towards Calestro and stood upright, attention now fully focused on Ignaras.
"You cannot detain him here, adhering to Article Six. That would be tantamount to illegal detention, Miss Foryan and the others would take notice, and thus might use your actions as a form of evidence against you."
".." - Sanum smirked. "Ratting out your fellow commanders, I see?"
"I am simply..concerned about your well-being Sir. You are our saviour after all and we don't want any form of dirt associated with your name."
"Then. Take care of Miss Foryan and that new bitch for me." - The corner of Sanum's lips stretching even further.
"That Sir. Is something unfortunately even I cannot do, as I possess no authority for such an act."
"Figures.. You're just a second bastard after all.." - Sanum sighed, causing Ignaras'es eyes to squint a little.
"If it was Hamilvan.." - The noble scoffed.
"Anyway.. You're correct." - Sanum shrugged, heaving yet another sigh.
"Excellent work, using nice-sounding words to alleviate my annoyance."
- Sanum smiled wickedly, causing a small chill to molest the spine of Ignaras.
"..I was just simply stating the truth."
- Ignaras shuffled, straightening his posture.
"...Whatever, I'm done here, it's way too hot." - Sanum flapped his palm against himself.
"I entrust extracting valuable info from this.. bastard to the two of you."
"..You can count on us Sire.." - Ignaras shot Calestro a glare. "We will make sure this bastard sings."
Sanum yawned before walking towards the Iron gate,
"Out of the way, Bakzeu."
where Bakzeu, willingly stepped out of the way allowing the Noble to pass through followed by the fully-armoured individual just a few inches behind him, though before leaving.
"..." - The tall, probably even taller than Ignaras fully armoured person paused to stare at Ignaras'es eyes. Causing a soft chilly air, almost heaved by death itself to spread throughout Ignaras' spine. A sweat slid down Ignaras' cheek as he attempted to remain unshaken, Bakzeu, despite being outside of the line of fire, found himself to be gulping a saliva, feeling the air thicken.
"..."
After a few more seconds of staring, the helmet obscuring the knight's vision. finally turned around and exited the chamber, causing Bakzeu to heave a sigh and slouch his shoulders.
"That..was quite the interaction."
- Bakzeu whispered, looking beside at the still, Ignaras.
"Iggy? What's up?"
Then his eyes widened, seeing Ignaras'es face devoid of any colour, eyes resembling that of a dead fish without a single sparkle of light, hands trembling as if cold, and legs shaking, trying its hardest to accomodate a straightened standstill.
"I..Iggy..!!"
Bakzeu rushed to his aid, nudging his frozen stature a little.
"S-stay with me..!"
————
"he..." - Ignaras muttered, voice trembling.
"he..?"
"he..help me sit down please.. I can't move."
- Ignaras whispered, voice now coarse almost muffled.
Hearing Ignaras' request, Bakzeu's worried expression turned into one of determination.
"O-okay..! " - Before he lifted up his hands and hovered them over Ignaras' stomach and the other on his upper back.
"I..I will start now..!"
"no..no..Bakzeu.." - With a barely-audible voice, and eyes diverting towards Bakzeu, a small line of tear exuded out from Ignaras' eyelid. "..don't.."
"Push..!"
- Bakzeu pushed his hand that was hovering above Ignaras' stomach inward, and the other hand over his back downwards, slouching his posture and causing a loud;
*CRACK!!*
"..who..whoops..!"
"AHHSJDJDIEIFNFHHHHHHGHHHGGHGHGHDHXHSJDHXJDEUHHHEJEEIXBDNEEIFJ!!!!!!!!"
————
"..."
As the air slowly began to thin once more, the pressure however remained as high as ever now that a serious Ignaras and a furrowed-brow Bakzeu stood in front of Calestro. Eyes maintaining a cold, solemn gaze. Both of Bakzeu's hands remained rested atop the table while both of Ignaras'es hands were resting atop his lower back.
"Name..?" - Bakzeu inquired first, which met Calestro's unresponsive silence. Head staring down at the table, avoiding eye contact.
"Bakzeu C. Owanal. Third Division Commander. And This right here is..."
- Ignaras unloaded a sigh.
"..Ignaras M. Glovana. Second Division Commander.."
"..." - After a long, unpierced silence. "..Calestro An Sletzch." - The young man replied, eyes still focused on the table below.
"At least you have the courtesy to speak."
- Ignaras scoffed.
"..Again.. if this is about the technology or whatever.. let it go." - Calestro muttered before raising his head upwards to face the two of them.
"I don't intend on speaking about it."
Ignaras paused, studying his expression.
"..An Sletzch." - Bakzeu muttered.
"..What sounds familliar?"
"..No. Probably? I.. don't know."
"Rare for someone who takes pride on breezing through Academia books in a single day." - Ignaras scoffed.
"No-no.. this is different, I've read through hundreds of books right? I am able to identify connections when they arise but.."
- Bakzeu tapped his chin.
"This was the only time I know there is one, but cannot identify.. weird."
Ignaras released another scoff.
"..An Sletzch sounds like a southern surname.. so maybe that's what? Weren't you from the south?"
"..." - Bakzeu shrugged. "I guess."
"Anyway, enough about surnames."
— Ignaras leaned in, voice dropping into a low-whisper.
"Who are you really?"
- He asked, eyes widening, as if boring through a deep hole into Calestro's skull.
"I asked a dozen of my intelligence-gathering officers to look into your background. The Three individuals that were with you? Identified."
"even the horses!" - Bakzeu whispered.
"But you..? None. Ghost. Shadow. Clean. As if you spontaneously materialized out of thin air and decided to start living... who- ... no, What in the hell are you really?"
- Calestro remained unresponsive.
"I've heard about cases like this before. Apparently.. those who possess an unnaturally clean record, almost too clean, either are;
One, An Illegal immigrant, in other words a criminal.
Two, Someone with a past they're trying to run, or hide away from."
- Ignaras kept his blazing gaze on the young man's head.
"So from the two, which one are you?"
"..."
- After a moment of silence, Ignaras heaved a sigh and added.
"Answer me. If I add either of the labels to you.. You will technically be a criminal in that sense, and will be subjected to some experiences that you don't wanna go through. So spare yourself some compassion and at least squeak out an answer."
"...I." - Calestro responded.
"..I am.."
"Neither of those.. things." - With ragged breathing, he locked eyes with Ignaras, whom reciprocated the intensity of his gaze.
"..."
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ignaras heaved a sigh.
"He's innocent."
"If you say so." - Bakzeu scoffed.
"Untie him, Bakzeu."
- Bakzeu then moved to behind Calestro, a small smile present on his lips as he began to work through the knots binding his arms on the crusty chair.
"wha..what..?" - Confused with widened eyes, though not resisting, Calestro gazed up at Ignaras, eyes filled to the brim with confusion.
"Interrogation's over. You're innocent."
- Ignaras declared, shoulders slouching as if a load has been lifted off his shoulders.
"..That.. quick..?"
"You sound like you don't wanna be free." - Bakzeu uttered.
"I do. But why? Why free me? Aren't I subjected to questioning?"
"You've been questioned already, and I don't see that we have anything to gain by repeating the last several minutes."
"Have mercy on us two, it is scorching hot in here." - Bakzeu finally finished, allowing Calestro's arms to roam freely on the air again.
"Tha..thank you. I guess."
"..." - Ignaras stole a glance at his gratitude before sighing.
"Thank Miss Aosomus The Second, instead of us, she's the one who ordered it."
"..Who's that..? Aosomus The Second..?"
"What..? You don't know Miss Aosomus? A Young Countess of the Empire she is."
"..sorry, but I really don't know, I don't remember seeing a beautiful girl robed in an extravagant dress here.." - Calestro remarked, causing Ignaras to sigh.
"She's the little girl you came here with, you buffoon."
————