Chapter 106 - The Night Before

"Do you have anything important to tell the rookies about the mission, Kai?"

The Serpent Summoner asked him.

"About what?"

"The mission, smart ass."

"Oh, right, the mission…"

Yin and Gavin moved in closer to the Dragon in an attempt to listen closely to what he had to say about the mission.

"Nah. Not really."

Both of them had already expected to be disappointed but not at this level.

But knowing Kai, they should not have expected anything serious at all.

"I was just joking! Of course, I have some stuff I'd like to debrief you guys about, but that can wait for tomorrow. It would be unfair to your three other teammates that I would only disclose this information to you guys this early, right?" His red eyes locked on to the uncooked food brought by Zach.

"Don't tell me you did not eat yet…"

Yin said to the S Rank Fire Slayer.

"What a coincidence, Yin! I actually haven't eaten dinner, thank you for asking and inviting me to munch down with you guys, I really appreciate it!"

Gavin stood up from his seat.

"Hold it right there. Go buy more food. This won't be enough for four of us. Because, as you know, I only planned for three normal people. Not for three people plus one glutton."

Gavin just could not stop burning the Fire Slayer.

"Take it easy, man…"

"Yin, you should go with him outside."

Zach demanded the white haired Slayer to accompany Kai to buy some more food outside.

"Why should it be me? Aren't you his pupil?"

Zach did not respond.

Yin just complied with it, but not without grumbling some things under his breath.

The bright lights of the city shone outside.

"How's your training been, Yin?"

Kai asked.

"I-It's been alright."

Kai Xin pat Yin's head and ruined his worn down hairstyle.

"Hey, trust in yourself, alright? I know that you're stronger than you let on."

He said to the young rookie.

"Just how much do you know about my powers, Kai?"

Yin went straight for the question.

"There are appropriate times and settings where you could ask me that, but trust that I will not wait for you to ask. I will just tell you when I deem that it is so."

Kai said.

"You've got my back tomorrow, right?"

Kai asked with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. I do."

"Good. That's all that matters. Whatever goes on in the battlefield, whether it is by our own strengths or not, always remember to have your comrade's back."

Kai said as he smacked Yin's back far harder than he should have.

"Oh! Look! Someone's still selling raw pork over there!"

The Dragon ran towards the person selling it and left Yin trying to rub his back, mending the pain from his smack.

"Would it really have killed you to hold back on that one?" Yin asked while coughing.

Meanwhile Zach was sharpening his scythe at the room.

"Do you want to listen to an old story of mine, Zachary?"

Gavin asked the rookie.

"Sure, what is it about, Gavin?"

"It is about the first time I ever got deployed to a conquest."

Zach placed his scythe on the ground and began facing the Serpent Summoner.

This was a story which he was definitely keen to listen to.

"I was deployed with Kai Xin, Luken, Ignis,and Vale. The latter you probably have not met yet or do not know about."

"V-Vale, sir?"

"Yes. Vale Ashford. Her name is not really mentioned that much in the newspapers as she prefers secrecy and privacy above anything else. Here is a fun fact, actually. When Luken was requested to step up to the role of Commander, Vale was actually the one who was the other choice of the Emperor. So, the whole race for the role of the Commander thingy was torn between Vale and Luken. I digress, anyway, back to my story…"

Gavin closed the window as the cold night wind was far too chilly for his comfort.

"All I could summon back then was a shitty skeletal warrior. Well, it was more than enough since we were fighting C Rank monsters anyway, but one time, my Anima focus was disrupted, causing my summoned skeletal warrior to disintegrate. It was really bad timing since a Rock Golem had just shown itself and started hurling rocks at me."

"What happened next?"

Zach asked as he leaned in.

"Don't get me wrong, I killed the most monsters next to Luken, it was just a freak accident, really. An unfortunate loss of focus in that moment which would have ended up in my death. If not for the quick decision of our squad's leader." Gavin played around with his grimoire, fidgeting it around. "He showed up and immediately blew the airborne rocks out of the air, the guy saved me."

"W-Who was he?"

"You probably do not know him, he is long dead now. He was a talented A Rank Slayer who made the most out of his talents and role. Not a day goes by that I do not thank him for saving me."

"I-I see."

Zach faced down, disheartened by just how easy it is to die in the frontlines.

For months to weeks, you train your ass off, your affinity, your weapon-handling, everything. Only to end up as a statistic in the papers back home as a part of the casualty in a conquest.

At least that was what the rookie was thinking about.

"My point is, Zach. Is that you should not be expected to do everything in a battle. You are a smart kid, use your brain and keep your wits about you, remember, you still have Yin to watch over."

Zachary sighed.

"I will keep that in mind, Gavin."

Zach went back to sharpening his weapon once more.

But the fact that the person who saved the rookie Gavin Khalil is now six feet underground is just something that sent existential dread down Zach's mind.

"Just how expendable are we?"

He thought to himself.

"You have not told your mother you are a Slayer, right?"

Gavin asked.

"No, no I have not."

"What better way to announce it than your first conquest being a success, am I right?"

Zach smiled. "You're right. That would be the best way to show her I am already capable of making decisions for myself. I do not need to be coddled around like a baby. Plus, I have the Red King to settle a score against."

Gavin's eyebrows raised up.

"You're still hung up on that, huh? Hm. I am not one to judge, but remember, don't do things out of impulse or in a rush. Know your strengths, know your limits."

Zach took mental notes of whatever Gavin was telling him.

After a few minutes, Yin and Kai finally got back.

Kai had to come inside through the window once again to avoid having Gavin pay the penalty of overloading the room with an extra person.

Zachary smirked. "Good work you two, how should I cook these, then?"

Kai squinted at Zach, seemingly judging his whole soul down to its core.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Err. I believe you would not be the one to cook them, Zach."

Gavin said.

"Stand aside, young rookie. Allow me to show you how it is done!"

Kai said proudly.

Yin saw just how frustrated Zach was, he wanted to show off his flame control, after all.

"Why don't we have Zach show us what he's got?"

Yin said.

"Finally. The first time you have said something decent ever since I joined the Six Blades. It is never too late, Yin, I am proud of you."

Zach was happy for Yin's recommendation but still managed to sneak in an insult here and there.

Gavin was far too amazed to even call him out on it.

The Serpent Summoner just nodded.

"Damn. That was a good one. I've really got to use that on Luken one of these days."

He thought to himself.

Kai handed out a single potato to Zach.

Which might seem strange in any other circumstance.

"Cook it with your blue flames, then."

Kai grinned.

"Do not mind me if I do."

Zach accepted the potato and immediately began 'cooking' it in the palm of his hands.

In about two seconds, the potato was already burnt.

"That, my student, does not look edible at all."

Kai said while trying to hold back his laughter.

"I am going to have to agree with Kai on this one, Zach, I would not subject myself to eating that thing."

The Serpent Summoner said.

Yin was far too busy trying to hold his laughter back.

"This is how you do it."

Kai took out another potato and focused.

He placed it on the same area Zach did, on the palm of his hands.

A quick flare of fire was seen. 

It only lasted for a split second.

But it was more than enough.. The smell of baked potatoes filled the room and reminded everyone that they have not in fact eaten dinner yet, and it is almost eleven o'clock.