Chapter 526: Planning

"So, let me get this straight…" The old man sighed as he listened through the last scouting party's tale and request. As soon as he noticed their return and the sparkle in the blond little girl's eyes he already knew that he was in for some headache.

As he listened to their report about some great 'treasure' they found shining through the distance to the northeast, he couldn't even think of how to respond. Don was massaging his temples as he listened to the girls.

"Yes!" Lily replied enthusiastically. "We should set out as soon as possible, and march towards the northeast. After all, our goal is to collect treasures, right? We can't waste time in this empty desert all the time!" 

"But it was you and your team that was adamant in staying for a few days, lest the boy, Aiden would arrive late." As Don was trying to fight the aching, his aide, the Crone exclaimed with a frustrated face. His arms were thrown up in the air, he couldn't understand what made the two girls most worried about the young man change so much.

Just listening to their outlandish and -as well as childish- tale, it was obvious that it was just a lie they made up along their short survey of the area. Though it was a far-fetched story they claimed, which he and the captain found pretty hard to accept, it was also clear there was something incredibly important towards the direction they wanted to set out. 

So important in fact that they were willing to leave the boy behind? 

'No, there must be something else…' Crone denied that thought almost instantly. The boy was like their family, their brother. Somewhat similar to how they looked up to their Captain in the Corps. Could they leave their Captain behind if there were some treasure laying in the distance? The answer was simple: No. Even if it were a godly item, a Divine Artifact even, he was certain that no one in the corps would be willing to trade it for their Captain's safety. This notion, this connection, he was certain was the same for these youngsters as well.

Still, if that was the case, there had to be something else in play here… Crone was thinking, pondering hard, yet, he couldn't find an acceptable answer in the end. The only thought he had was even more outlandish, so much more bizarre, in fact, that he couldn't even voice it.

"Be honest girls…" Captain Don's tired sigh broke Crone's thought process and brought him back to reality. He turned to look at his cap, as he spoke whilst rubbing the creases on his forehead. "What are you looking to find in that area?"

Don asked, taking a little pause to measure the girl's reactions. After a moment, he continued. "It's him, isn't it? The boy is somewhere to the far north, northeast?" Seeing how Lily's face twitched at his words, he smiled, finally heaving a sigh as he untangled their childish exclaims.

"Sigh… There's no need to lie girls. I am already old, I know there are times when it's best not to pry into other's secrets. Are you guys certain that he is here, in this world with us and even more, somewhere in that direction? "He said pointing towards the horizon, where the girls came from.

Taking a moment to process the captain's words, eventually, the girls gathered their courage and hesitantly nodded whilst fiddling with their fingers. "Y-yes…" Lily muttered, Galina, keeping silent, averting her gaze to the ground. 

Though she seemed shy as well, in reality, she was pretty occupied at the moment, she was talking, explaining to her brothers the situation through their shared mental connection.

'Are you sure you are okay, little Galina? Just let us know, and once the Young Master gets back, we will get to you!' Gob cried in a worried voice. If he could, he would have rushed to her aid the moment they felt her worry. Unfortunately, without the Young Master, they were still unable to traverse to and fro from Haven. Only the Young Master could conjure the [Gateway] that they could traverse. 

Although, in theory, the other one in the ziggurat may be capable of creating the same, as she was their master's master… She was still behind closed doors and would not accept any guests. Whatever she was doing in there, they were prohibited to visit her.

"Don't worry, I am fine. Besides…" Galina spoke with a soft giggle, contrary to her worried state and shy, embarrassed look on the outside. "Your ugly mug would scare the others, they would think you are some sort of monster and beat you!" 

"Y-you cheeky little…" Gob was taken aback by her sister's words, unable to come up with any response.

"Okay, okay… calm down you two…" Their teacher and elder's soothing, deep voice resounded in the channel in the next moment, calming the two firecrackers. 

"Galina, are you sure you and the young master are fine out there? What happened to him, do you know? Why did he suddenly fall… unconscious?" He asked out, though trying to sound calm and collected, a hint of worry could still be heard in the back of his tone. 

"W-well…" Galina sighed, hesitating on how she should begin explaining everything that happened. In the end, she decided to be honest and not hold back anything. "So…"

…

Though she took a long time explaining, on the outside barely a minute have passed, the two girls were still listening to the Captain about the next plans. 

"I understand that you are all worried about him. But from what we have seen, he is more than capable of protecting himself. No matter what sort of trouble he lands in, I'm fairly certain that young master would find a way through." The old man said, with a growing, compassionate smile slowly stretching across his gruff face.

"Still… we are not a family that would leave one of its own in the mirky swamp." Captain added after a moment enjoying the growing worry in the two girls' expressions. "Let's settle down for the night and rest. Before we rush forward blindly, let's use tomorrow to explore the situation a bit more around us and then set out the next day. Does that seem okay? I know you are worried, but we still shouldn't run headfirst into the unknown. Who knows what sort of trouble lurks around us?"

He explained, turning his eyes towards the rest of the still empty camp, and added.

"After all, the others still haven't returned, we still have no idea what is actually out there."

Just as he said those words, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. Turning towards the direction he was shocked by what greeted their sight.

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