"Sir, the meeting will start in half an hour."
The assistant said that as she put down some papers on the president's desk. She locked her fingers while standing in front of her boss.
"The others are all gathered. They are waiting for you."
The president put down his glasses on the desk.
"I see."
He massaged his eyes with two fingers as he nodded his head.
"I'll be right there."
The assistant smiled and turned around.
"Then, I'll call the escorts, sir. Please wait just a moment."
The president shook his head.
"There is no need to for that."
He got up from his seat and collected the papers before him.
"But sir, you can't just go by yourself."
"It's okay. I've always worked like this anyway."
The man walked towards the door, while his assistant followed behind him.
"This is a special situation, sir. Please do as the commander had told you and tolerate this for a few more days!"
The two of them left the office and walked along the long hallway.
"I don't like a bunch of people sticking to my side all the time. With so many of those agents guarding outside, I'm sure not even Philomns can pass through them and attack me in the meeting."
The president walked down the stairs as he waved his hand towards his assistant to dismiss her.
"But sir, the commander was not only worried about the Philomns but also about other possible dangers as well. You also know that."
The man halted for a moment after hearing her words.
"Sigh!"
He sighed and shook his head.
"Alright."
He resumed walking while waving his hand once again.
"Tell them to be here in five minutes."
"Yes, sir!"
The assistant smiled after seeing the president finally giving up and hurriedly rushed somewhere.
A few minutes later, she, alongside a group of agents, was walking behind the president.
"Stand outside the door."
The president said while looking at a man's face. The man, the team leader of unit 6, lowered his head with a serious face.
"I apologize if I may sound rude, sir, but I was ordered to follow you everywhere you go even if you don't want it."
"I said it's fine."
"I can't just let you be alone with the representatives of that country."
The president frowned slightly while staring at the team leader's eyes.
"Please refer to our neighboring country with respect."
"...."
The team leader of unit 6 closed and opened his eyes.
"I apologize. Still, I can't let you go alone."
The president took a deep breath before nodding his head.
"I understand. Follow me. Stand in front of the door and don't do anything else."
"Yes, sir."
After looking at the agents' faces one by one, the president finally grabbed the door's handle and opened the door.
"Hello everyone."
He smiled at the men and women who were waiting for him inside the room and walked towards his seat.
Tap Tap Tap Tap
Tap Tap Tap Tap
As he did, a group of agents also stepped inside and scattered all over the room. The agents all stood beside the walls and near the door. With a cold gaze, they stared at the air while standing firm just as they were ordered to.
A displeased look was visible on the faces of the ones who were sitting inside the room. They looked at the agents with slightly annoyed expressions and followed them by their eyes.
Slam
The eyes of the people inside the room fell on the man who entered the last and closed the door. The team leader of unit 6 gave them all a cold look. A look that didn't seem friendly no matter how you thought about it.
"Then let's..."
The president who was about to start the meeting closed his mouth upon seeing the team leader who walked and stood right behind him.
"...."
"...."
He sent a sideways glance to the man, which was completely ignored by him.
'I should have a talk with that commander.'
The president noted that in his mind. He sighed once again before turning towards the other again.
"Then, let's begin the meeting."
. . . . . .
-Wait
That was a word. A word that was written by soil. A word in a language he hadn't seen in a long time.
For a moment, Kairen forgot what he was doing. He froze in his place, staring at the soil with a blank face. For a moment, he even felt his mind go blank.
"Kairen?"
Sensing the sudden change of atmosphere around Kairen, Rai lightly tapped his shoulder.
"What did you want to say just now?"
Rai looked at Kairen's face with a puzzled look. Seeing his slightly shaking gaze locked on somewhere, Rai turned towards the spot where Kairen was staring at.
"What is wrong...?"
Shhhhh
But there was nothing. Just some dust scattering on the wind.
"....."
Kairen looked at the soil that had momentarily taken the shape of a word get scattered by the breeze.
"Ah!"
A gasp subconsciously left his mouth.
'He is from Earth...'
Why was he so surprised? He already knew that the soil dude was probably from Earth.
Even if he knew, he didn't expect such a thing.
'What does he mean by 'wait'? What does he want to do now?'
Kairen raised his head and looked at Rai.
'Let's do as he says for now...'
Kairen wanted to talk to that man.
"Oh that. Nevermind. I just thought that... the reporters and the other guys seem heated all of a sudden. That might be dangerous for the prince."
Rai looked at Kairen with a doubtful gaze. He glanced at the place where Kairen had been staring at once again before looking at the prince.
"Yes. They sure look angry."
He nodded his head.
"But I can feel them somehow..."
While saying that, Rai moved his hand a little bit.
Swoshhh
A week and gentle breeze of air swept through the area. It was weak but strong enough to push the angry people a little bit back. Even if they were not pushed back, the sudden wind made them come back to their senses a little bit.
"What?"
"Huh? What happened just now?"
"What was that?"
"Did you also see it?"
"A wind pushed me back!"
The startled people looked around in shock. A wind pressure had suddenly pushed them back when they were in the middle of a heated discussion so it was natural that they would be dumbfounded for a few seconds.
Team leader Dains also raised an eye brown and turned to Rai. He then nodded his head with a satisfied expression.
Seeing him, Rai patted Kairen's shoulder.
"Good work!"
He then turned around and walked to the other side.
"...."
Kairen stared at Rai's back.
'What? Really?'
He looked at his surroundings with a blank face. The angry voices seemed to have vanished and the argument had quietened down a little bit.
'They took my bullshit seriously again...'
And Rai even said 'Good work!' while patting Kairen's shoulder.
"...."
'Anyway!'
Kairen shook his head and looked down.
'Mr. soil dude, what am I supposed to do now?'
Shhhh
As if reading his mind, the soil under his feet started to move again. The soil once again took shape and turned into letters and then words.
-Somewhere
Shhhh Shhhh
-Quiet
Kairen tilted his head.
'Yes?'
Shhhh
The words vanished and reappeared again.
Shhhh Shhhh Shhhh
-I need
Shhh Shhh
-To tell
Shhh Shhh
-You
Shhh Shhh
The words appeared and disappeared so fast that Kairen had to keep his gaze on the ground not to miss anything.
-Something
Shhh Shhh
-Important
The words disappeared again. No other words were written after that no matter how much Kairen stared at the soil.
Even though the words had disappeared, the soil continued to shake as if urging Kairen to do something.
Kairen looked at the people around him.
'But I have to protect the prince...'
How could he get to somewhere quiet in such a situation?
Tap
A hand tapped Kairen's back, making his shoulders move up from surprise.
"Brat!"
His shoulder moved up even more after hearing the ominous whisper of a grandpa.
"What did he say?"
Kairen turned his head to look at Alan with a robotic movement.
"Pardon?"
"I asked what that soil brat said?"
"...."
"Don't look at me like that!"
Alan moved his gaze and looked at the others. His face was hidden under a mask but Kairen was sure that a smile was forming on his lips.
"Do you really think no one saw those letters?"
"...."
The man's gaze turned back to Kairen.
"That's right. Nobody did!"
"...."
The wider Alan's smile got, the more Kairen got chills on his back.
"Because I made it so that anyone who saw them, wouldn't see them the next time!"
"Ah!"
He was manipulating time so that nobody would notice the letters?
Kairen suddenly got goosebumps.
'This man is scary!'
Seeing the look of understanding and at the same time, fear in Kairen's eyes made Alan's smile get wider. Kairen was really grateful that he couldn't see the full smile thanks to the mask.
"So? What did he say?"
Kairen shook his head.
"Nothing."
"...Brat-"
"No really! He didn't say much! He just said that he would talk to me if I went somewhere quieter and that it was important."
Shhhh Shhhh Shhhh
The soil under his feet was shaking even more as if the man was in a hurry.
'Wait! I should find a way to get out of here!'
Shhhh Shhhh
Pat Pat
Alan nodded, patted Kairen's shoulder, and glanced at the crown.
"I see! So, let's get a little bit away from this crowd!"