Chapter 126 - To Be Mad!

Even though he searched a lot for Alan, he wasn't able to find him.

Kairen looked at the list of names of the people who took shelter at the teleportation center that were later rescued by the agents.

But Alan's name wasn't there.

He wasn't on the dead people's list either. 

Kairen thought he might have used the teleportation circle while the surrounding was in chaos to go back home. However, the teleportation circles weren't used at all at that time.

'Did he just run away?'

No one would notice if a man sneaked out of the teleportation center in the middle of that chaos.

BAMM

"Stop daydreaming!"

Captain Neal's shout made kairen snap out of his thoughts. He hurriedly shook his head after seeing the woman's annoyed face and opened his mouth.

"I wasn't daydreaming!"

Captain Neal frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"Then you could tell me what was I talking about?"

"Uh..."

Kairen averted his gaze and looked down. 

"Um... You said that spells were a combination of some smaller things... Symbols. And... symbols are in fact a combination of codes... something like a cipher, that each has different meaning and shape based on their definition. And they combine with each other to create spells."

"And then?"

"A-and... That someone first created them..."

"Sigh."

Captain Neal sighed and shook her head. 

"Listen carefully."

"Yes, capt- master."

Captain Neal shook her head one more time and continued to teach.

"The symbols were first created by emperor Reynold. No one knows how they were created and what they are made of. As I told you, they are a combination of codes, a cipher. Only he himself knows the meaning behind those codes and the way the symbols are created, but he taught everyone how to use those symbols by connecting them together."

Kairen nodded his head. 

Captain Neal took a sip of her coffee and continued.

"Each one of the symbols has its own meaning and function. Spells are a combination of symbols that are arranged in a way to produce the best possible outcome. Only by knowing the exact meaning behind each symbol can one change the function of a spell."

Captain Neal stopped talking and took out a book from her bag and placed it in front of Kairen.

"...??"

"All of the symbols and their meanings are explained in it. You must've studied it at the academy, but you don't know about them... I guess it is right that most of the cadets don't pay much attention to theory... Anyway, read and memorize them all."

Kairen looked down at the book. It was a thick book that probably had more than 800 pages.

"...."

"Our next meeting will be after you've finished reading them all."

Kairen kept looking at the book. 

After he was finished reading the book?

How long would that take?

"Do you mean a few years later?"

"Pardon?"

The captain tapped on the book with her finger. She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice.

"Two weeks. You will finish the whole thing in two weeks, got it?"

"...."

Kairen lowered his head even more. 

His master was scary.

How was he going to disagree with her?

Seeing that, captain Neal got up from her seat.

"Then, see you later."

"...."

She said that and left the cafeteria.

Kairen picked up the book and looked at its contents.

'Wow! I understand nothing!'

. . . . . 

"What is that you are reading?"

Kairen answered Kain with a nonchalant voice without taking his eyes off of the book.

"Studying."

Kain raised his eyebrows and slightly smiled.

"Why are you studying all of a sudden?"

Kairen didn't answer him.

"Why is your face like that? Do you have any problems understanding it? Is it that hard? Maybe I could help you?"

Kairen didn't answer again.

"Umm... Do you want to eat some apples?"

Kain shoved a plate full of sliced apples to Kairen.

"...."

Kairen didn't take his eyes off of the book.

Not getting any answers back, Kain lowered his head and leaned back with a gloomy face. He wiggled with his fingers for a few moments before hesitantly opening his mouth.

"You know, you didn't really have to come to the hospital. I was treated by the healers and will get discharged tomorrow anyway, I don't need anyone to be by my side this night."

He peeked at Kairen and continued.

"You have been working all day. Just go home and rest-"

"Can you shut up?"

"Y-yes."

Kain flinched, closed his mouth, and stared at the air.

Flip Flip Flip Flip

The only sound that filled the room was the sound of the pages turning.

Kain kept his mouth shut and looked out of the window. He peeked at Kairen from time to time, trying his best not to say anything.

But he couldn't hold himself much.

The atmosphere was just too heavy and cold.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Me? Mad? No."

Kairen turned the page.

"You are!"

Kain moved a little bit closer to Kairen.

"Do you still think what I did was wrong? Didn't you also go out to fight with monsters? Isn't that the same as what I did? I also heard that you did some crazy stuff? You even badmouthed me in front of my kid! Ariyan went around calling everyone gutless for a whole day! Shouldn't I be the one who has to be mad? Hey! What did I do wrong?"

This time, Kairen raised his head and angrily glared at Kain.

"Come on! Why are you so mad?"

BAM

The book in Kairen's hands was closed with a loud voice. Kairen kept glaring at the person on the hospital bed.

Kain looked between the book and his brother and gulped, nervously waiting for Kairen's answer.

And Kairen was searching for an answer in his head.

'Why am I mad?'

He didn't know.

He was just mad.

Should someone have a reason for being mad? 

Can't you just be mad because you are mad?

Kairen didn't think he would be able to abandon all those people and run away if he was in Kain's situation. 

He would at least try to protect them, if not fight the monsters head-on.

Then why did he say all those things to Kain?

Why did he tell him to run away? 

Still, he didn't think what he told was wrong.

It was okay for Kairen to fight monsters, but not Kain!

He still believed that what Kain did was stupid.

And Kairen was mad at him.

Because he was mad.

He was simply angry.

Only seeing Kain wrapped up in bandages and lying unconscious made him annoyed.

Too annoyed that he wanted to beat the shit out of him.

Well, he wouldn't probably be able to do that as Kain had a stronger body, but anyway, couldn't he just wish that?

He even got annoyed again after remembering that scene.

"Stupid!"

That was the only thing that he could say.

Kain smiled slightly after hearing that.

"I get it I get it."

Kain moved back a little bit.

"Of course! Anyone would get worried about their brother!"

"What?"

Kain smiled even more and lay down on the bed.

"No need to be embarrassed Lil' bro! I completely get it!"

Ignoring Kairen's furious eyes, he playfully waved his hand.

"Imma sleep now! You have to take a rest as well, my cute Lil' brother!"

"Shut up!"

"Hehe! Good night!"

"Tch!"

Kairen threw the book on the table while cursing Kain inwardly.

. . . . . .

He sat there without moving. Not making a sound at all and not even moving a finger. 

He had to stay hidden if he didn't want to get captured.

After making sure that nobody could see him, he leaned a little bit and peeked through the small hole.

The first thing that he saw was a teenage girl excitedly running while waving a piece of paper in her hand and shouting.

"HEEEEYY! We have a new job!"

The girl stood in front of a man who was reading a newspaper while sitting on a bench.

The man raised his head and looked at the girl, however, he couldn't see the man's face as his face was completely hidden.

And they talked. 

He, who was peeking through the hole, couldn't hear them clearly as they were talking, and not shouting. 

The teenager and the man talked for a bit before the teenager sat down near the man and peeked at the newspaper.

And some time passed like that.

He felt tired. 

How long did he have to sit there and peek through a tiny hole?

Just when he was wondering if he had to go and find another hole, he saw a bunch of people approaching the two people who were busy reading the newspaper.

They stood in front of them and said some things that it was still hard to hear.

And then, the one who seemed to be the group's leader took out a dagger.

'Oh, what? Are they bullying those two?'

He moved a bit closer to the hole.

Finally, the man whose face was covered stood up from his seat while the teenager moved away and stood back.

"Arrogant fool!"

The man holding the dagger shouted those words and rushed towards the other person.

SHHHH

It was at that moment.

He heard a strange sound.

He could see it clearly. 

The soil on the spot where the people were standing moved. It moved up and gathered in one place.

It was almost as if the soil was taking shape.

And then, there was a spear on the man's hand.

The next second, the person who was wielding a dagger was sent back flying.

"...."

"...."

"...."

The person who was hit by the spear fell to the ground a few meters away and didn't move at all.

The people looked at each other in silence. 

The man moved his spear, pointing at the fainted person and saying something.

The others hurriedly grabbed the unconscious man and dragged him away.

SHHH

The spear on the man's hand turned to soil. But he still stood there without moving.

"WOW! That was awesome!"

He could hear the teenager's words as she was yelling loudly, too excited to keep quiet.

However, the man still stood there without moving.

The man slowly raised his head and looked up. He looked up and stared at a spot.

'...!!'

The man was staring at him.

SHHHH

He could hear the sound of the soil moving again. The soil all around him was shaking.

'What?'

Just when he wanted to move back, the movements of the soil stopped all of a sudden.

And the man sat down on the bench again and picked up his newspaper.

'What was that? A threat?'

He thought for a moment before deciding to find another spot for himself. 

These people weren't the ones that he was after anyway.