Chapter 137: DOWNTOWN: PART 1

Evelyn decided to get some fresh air and enjoy the scenery of the business district of the Emsworth duchy. It's been a while and more or less, she also needed to inspect her new store.

Gab offers Evelyn to be her escort in her little journey to the town while Chrisfold, Gil and Cassandra stay in the mansion with their own things that they also need to do.

Clack… clack… clack…

It's been a while since Gab found out or more like noticed that Evelyn returned and also attended the party as a female knight of his cousin.

Inside the carriage, Gab sat across Evelyn and his golden eyes focused on the girl that in the last four years has grown to become a fine lady that bachelorres will surely surround her with if she ever takes that black mask off.

'She became more beautiful…' he thought.

He slowly watches her little movements with warm eyes. She wears a simple beige dress but her aura can attract attention, and with the mask on, she simply looks so mysterious and… gorgeous.

Gab felt happiness, now that despite the time that they haven't seen each other, destiny allowed them to meet again.

Evelyn leaned in her arms as she looked outside the carriage window when she felt his stares, she moved her head a little and there, Evelyn and Gab made eye contact.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?" she asked as she was curious to the meaning in his eyes.

"Nothing…"

Gab smiled with his teeth showing. It was a blissful smile and with the sun rays shining and illuminating his red hair and face, Evelyn thought that she saw the past. 

When they are still at the mansion as master and servant. The young boy before became a man and Evelyn is happy that 

However, now, Gab has his title and is a noble.

'We have switched places… but I prefer this.' she thought. Evelyn then heard his now manly voice.

"I just thought about the past… when we were young, and I was still your aide." 

Gab sighs and Evelyn just looks at him as she waits for what he's about to say.

"... and when I learned that you were trapped in that fire, I thought that I would lose the person who saved me."

She quietly listened to him, she knew that she had things that she needed to be sorry for.

"...still I'm glad that for the past years you're fine and you also achieved things that you also wished for. I'm sorry that I wasn't by your side when I promised that I'll be your ally." Gab continued.

Evelyn looked at him in the eye. He didn't need to be sorry for the things that Evelyn decided to do.

"Gab, you don't need to apologize for something that I, myself selfishly decided. And besides, you're right, I'm glad everything turned out fine for the both of us." Evelyn replied. 

After their small talk, they fell into silence and enjoyed each other's company. Just like what they used to do.

***

Cabel looked at his watch, it was past noon and he was waiting for that one person he contacted days ago. He's waiting at a restaurant in the downtown of the Emsworth where they decided to meet. He also rented the whole place because he hated people staring at him.

Especially, he usually isn't the type to seek someone's help or he himself will wait for the person but he was hasty to meet him.

Creaaaakk! 

The door opened and a not so middle aged man appeared with his slit back black hair, fitted black pants and his casual white long sleeves with a cape tied around his neck.

Cabel watched the man who smiled at him and he bowed.

"It's been a while, Master Erick."

"It really has been a while… How have you been, my student? Or should I say, Duke Cabel?"

"Sigh… just sit down."

"Tsk. Just because you become the Duke, you can't just command me like that."

"I have important things to do, master Erick."

"Sure…"

"Why am I seeing Adelyn in your attitude? Tsk!" Erick mumbled.

Cabel's ear twitch. 'Did he just say Adelyn?' he thought.

Erick is Cabel's master in sword since he picked up swordsmanship and ever since then his master has influenced him to build his own guild, and that resulted in establishing the Night Guild.

And after he retired, he also built a similar guild in the Kingdom of Perpiru and is named Monterio Guild… He's Evelyn's boss, to put it simply.

"So, what do you want with me when you contact me while I'm busy?"

"I won't take your time, I want to let your guild find someone's background…"

Erick smiles.

"That's surprising… is the Night Guild having difficulty nowadays that you need my help?"

Cabel ignored his taunting and just tossed a rolled paper on the table. Erick clicked his tongue seeing his student's not so cute attitude.

"Oh…"

Erick exclaimed and he glanced at Cabel while he was still looking at the unrolled paper with the information of the person Cabel wants to investigate as well as a portrait describing the person.

The guild master and an S-rank adventurer retiree from the Perspiru Kingdom raised one of his brows and folded the white paper.

He leaned his back on the chair and looked at his students' crimson eyes.

"Why do you need this person's information?"

"Do I need to tell you that?"

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, yes! I need to know why…" Erick replied to his student's question.

Cabel sighs.

He knew that it wouldn't be easy because he found out that the person that he wanted to be investigated is one of Erick's employees.

"The woman in the picture resembles someone that I've been looking for so long, but one of my knights saw her face under the mask and told me that she had a scar that almost swallowed half of her face…"

Erick silently listens to Cabel's information about Adelyn, the "Princess" of his guild. He knit his brows the further he listened to Cabel's explanation.

"And, she showed up in the banquet as that Prince Silvester knight. Besides,my shadow knights can only see her tracks in the Perspiru Kingdom and it just stops there. It seems impossible if you think about how my knight works."

His master, Erick, chuckled after he explained.

Cabel's brows narrowed but he waited for his master to calm down. He's getting annoyed but he knew he needed his patience right now.

"Hahaha! Haaaa"

Erick laughed and sigh.

"...I can't help you with this." He points at Adelyn's portrait.

"What? If it's money I can give you as long as you gave me the information…"

"It's a tempting offer but I can't…"

"Is it because she's one of your A-rank-"

"It's not about that… I can't help you because I also can't dig up her origins but I have a theory which I will also not share with you because I'm afraid of our guild's princess." Erick smiles like he can't help it.

Seeing that his students are digging up about the A-rank adventurer Adelyn's background means that she is either the lady that he's been searching far and wide, or he felt fascinated because of her aura. Just like he was when he first saw Adelyn.

Cabel's forehead lines were showing because he can't believe what he is hearing.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Cabel couldn't help but grit his teeth as he filtered his words that he was saying to his master, he didn't want to show his other self.

"Even if you stare at me like that, I don't have the information you need, all I knew is that she came from a destroyed village where Adelyn and her brother as well as another girl were the ones to survive."

Erick can't help but shake his head as he saw Cabel's dagger-like stares. He gave the alibi that Adelyn also gave to him and didn't tell about the information that her first appearance is from the border of Levingstone Kingdom.

'This is payback for the attitude, my dear disciple…' he thought.

The guild master chuckled and turned his head to the window where he saw a familiar silhouette and a black mask that was covering half of her face.

'Ohhh… what a coincidence, she's here… and with the commander of Bahalkii Kingdom?' Erick inwardly exclaimed and was baffled by her companion. He then continued.

'I'll pass this chance to you…'

He then turned around to the Duke of Sigrid Estate and smiled at him.

"Don't be so angry with me… how about this, why don't you find it by yourself?" Erick then pointed to the window and Cabel's eyes followed.

Cabel's crimson eyes went wide as he saw the lady knight that been bugging his mind since the day he saw her at the palace.

"Wait… Isn't that Commander Gabriel?"

He didn't wait for his master's answer and immediately stood in his seat and walked to the door.

"I wonder what my disciple will find out?" Erick chuckled and sipped the wine that he didn't bother to touch a while ago.