Chapter 298 - Crusaders

"Now what to do…"

"Mercury?"

"Oh I just spotted the person that I used to travel with, we split up after a disagreement…"

Julia frowned slightly before she asked

"What disagreement?"

"She didn't believe my story, I don't really blame her though… That's why I am slightly concerned at how hagged she looks"

"Ah… Well then go after her, I'll be here waiting for your return, though your beer won't, don't worry I'll drink it for you~"

Mercury sighed before he gave Julia a quick kiss then he stood up and walked out onto the street and looked in the direction that Molly had walked, then he tapped the ground with his cane a few times

'What does her footsteps sound like again..? Oh right, light like a service worker'

Mercury nodded and walked down the street with slightly hurried steps, after turning once he saw her back and called out

"Molly"

Molly looked around for the one that had called out to her but when she saw Mercury she 

widened her eyes slightly before she made a very particular face

'Ah… The infamous 'resting birch face'... How is this an important memory?'

As Mercury contemplated the meaning of 'unnecessary memories' Molly spoke out in a snappy tone

"What?"

Mercury looked at her for a moment before he sighed and shook his head as he asked

"Nothing I just saw you, wanted to know how you were doing"

"Well I am fine, no thanks to you"

Mercury tapped his cane a few times before he spoke

"Your right fibular has cracks on it"

"My what?"

"Your… Lower leg bone, been in a fight?"

"That's none of your business!"

Molly's outburst caught the attention of a few bystanders that looked over, Mercury sighed again before he spoke

"I would recommend resting for a few days before you make it worse… Well then take care"

Mercury turned around and walked away, after he turned the corner Molly muttered

"How did he even know that..?"

Mercury returned to the restaurant and sat down next to Julia that asked

"How did it go?"

"Fine, well she's injured slightly but… Yeah anyway, left me any of that beer?"

"Already ordered you another glass~"

"Thanks, dear"

Mercury woke up the next day, he stretched his arm out but he didn't feel Julia beside him, so he opened his eyes and looked around, soon he found a note on the bed stand and tried to read it before he facepalmed

"Oh right… I can't read"

Mercury sighed before he decided to get dressed, then he drank some water from the jug on the nightstand and sat back down on the bed before he began massaging his injured leg, then he simply waited for a bit before he started to get worried and grabbed his cane as he stood up and walked out of the inn room, then once he was out on the street he tapped his cane into the ground a few times sending out pules of… Some sort of energy which he believed to be mana and soon a map formed in his head as the energy spread out and resonated with the people walking on the streets showing him a still image of the people around him, the ones close to him he could see their bone structure while the ones further away he could only see their outline, still it served to find Julia as he had memorized her bone structure, outline, and footstep pattern

'She's on the next street over… Talking to someone...'

Mercury walked over while refreshing the pings a few times just to be sure before he walked over and stood right behind her and spoke out

"Boo"

Julia didn't jump like he had hoped she simply turned her head a showed him a smile before she turned back to the person she was speaking with

"---And for the last time, don't call me that, I don't work there anymore"

"Yes judicator Julia"

Mercury looked at the person she was speaking to, it was a person from the temple, she bowed to Julia before she turned around and walked back into the temple, Mercury asked

"I am guessing you don't want me to ask?"

"...Yeah, don't worry though I'll tell you about it sometime"

"Sure, then let's get something to eat?"

"Hehe… Don't worry I got us breakfast already"

Julia held up a brown paper bag with a smile on her face before she spoke

"Let's eat back at the inn"

"Sure"

After eating the two of them checked out of the inn and continued walking east, what they didn't notice however was the same person Julia had spoken to from the temple watching them leave from the top of the walls before she walked back to the temple and into a room deep underground, there sat a crystal ball which she then injected with mana before she spoke

"Judicator Julia Helia Juliantia has just left Hosenes, heading east on foot"

After a few moments, a voice sounded out from the crystal ball

"Received, Judicator Julia Helia Augustus has just left Hosenes, heading east on foot… Sending crusaders to pick her up"

Then the priestess sighed before she stood up, it had been a coincidence that she spotted Julia, nevertheless, she was duty-bound to report her location to the temple

"May the 33 watch over her…"

"Man I missed trees"

"Hmm..? Oh, you're just talking nonsense again…"

Mercury was currently hugging a tree next to the campsite where the two of them had pitched up for the night, Julia had just returned from placing the alarm stones, Mercury didn't quite know how they worked but they apparently alerted them if someone moved too close to them

"Let's eat… Stop hugging that tree already…"

"What, are you jealous?"

"...A bit~"

Mercury stopped hugging the tree and walked over and sat down next to the campfire, for a bit the two of them sat and looked into the flame before Julia started talking

"You know the thing that happened in the city this morning right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, that was---"

*DING DING DING*

Julia grabbed her crossbow as the alarm sounded out, but a moment later something big and white passed overhead before it slowed down and landed in the clearing a bit away from the campfire, Mercury was about to tap his cane when Julia grabbed his hand and spoke

"Don't"

Mercury paused and looked over at Julia and saw a great amount of worry in her eyes, Mercury looked back at the thing that had landed, at first glance it looked like a carriage, only without the coachman seat and wheels

"What's that Julia?"

Julia squeezed Mercury's hand and spoke quickly

"I don't have a lot of time, these people will take me, come find me in Ode, the east-most city on this continent, and don't attack them, no matter what they do"

Mercury looked confused but still nodded before he looked towards the 'carriage' again, just in time for the door to open, as it did Julia freed her hand from Mercury, picked up her backpack, and stepped forwards, from inside the carriage two people stepped out, both were clad in white armor and wore helmets, one of them seemed to be a woman from the shape of her armor, she took off her helmet and revealed her beautiful face, oddly enough her pupils were white too, she stood still for a moment before a gem embedded on her armor glowed then she showed a bright smile and kneeled down

"Judicator Julia Helia Augustus, we are here to receive you"

Julia nodded before she walked towards the 'carriage' as she spoke in a cold tone

"Jey, let's leave at once

The person still wearing the helmet kneeled down and spoke

"Yes, Judicator"

Then he stood up again and looked past Julia at Mercury and asked

"Who's he?"

Julia paused and looked back at Mercury and spoke

"An adventure I hired"

"I see… Just an adventure huh… Then do you mind?"

Julia showed an awful look before she spoke with a trembling voice

"No… Do as you wish"

The man let out a laugh that sounded slightly sinister and walked towards the campfire, passing Julia that walked into the 'carriage' and sat down, meanwhile outside the man in the white armor drew a sword from his hip, it was a work of art rather than a sword as he spoke

"Well I would say sorry but this is the best part of the job kid"

Mercury narrowed his eyes as he asked

"What part is the best part?"

Mercury looked at the helmet of the man and could vaguely see his pupils contracting as he disappeared from view, the next thing Mercury felt was the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he tried to dodge, however, he was too slow as a sword stabbed into his heart and out of his chest, his vision blurred before the sword was pulled out and felt himself grow weak as he collapsed onto the ground as the warmth drained out of him he turned oh so cold....