"Caius, we shouldn't rush ourselves to go to the guild, and take some time to enjoy the scene before us".
Despite the amounts of lives lost during the monster crisis, the people of Edevin were able to get themselves back on their feet and resumed their daily activities.
The monster not venturing into the city itself, saved them the expenses of having to rubuild destroyed buildings. The only ones that needed rebuilding, are the ones that caught on fire, mostly the ordinary people's home.
Retailed shops have been reopened, peddlers and merchants have resumed visitation to the city, businesses are booming, and the daily lives of the citizens have been restored.
"this is surprising. Are you sure we are still in the same town that was attacked by a monster of an unknown rank".
"the news must have been exaggerated. There is no way they would have been attacked by an unknown rank monster, and their city is still standing in one piece".
Caius and Ignatius were reluctant to believe that the city that had been attacked by a monster, is the same as the one they are currently in.
The city's structure itself showed no signs of being recently invaded, the mood and expression on everyone's faces also does not show any signs of grieving.
Getting over the deaths of people they love in two and a half month is either cruel, or that is just how shallow their love is.
"why don't we go over to that store, we can find out why the city is like this and also get ourselves some meat on a stick to feast on".
Ignatius said, pointing in the direction of a stand where meats are being roasted on a stick.
"We came here for a mission and not to eat".
"don't worry, if you have no plans of eating, I can eat it for you".
"haha, very funny buddy. Let's attend to the reasons that brought us here first before you start salivating on meat".
"what about after we do that".
Caius's response was slow as he gave himself time to think before coming up with a reply.
Surely, he knew how demanding Ignatius could be especially when it comes to the issue of meat. If Caius were to deny it the pleasure of never tasting the meat it is already drooling over, there is bound to be another spark of argument.
Knowing this, Caius decided to set Ignatius hope in expectant of the meat.
"sure, if we complete the mission early, we can always have time to come back for some meat, more than you can ever finish eating".
"yes...., meat, meat, meat".
Says Ignatius, jumping itself up on Caius's head in celebration.
***
They walked through the busy city, and eventually found their way to the guild.
Caius did this without the help of a guide to show him where the guild was located. If one did not know better, one would think that he had been here before, whereas he hasn't.
He was able to find his way to the guild by registering the energy signature of the entire city itself.
He made use of the heat signature radiating to every corners of the city to print into his own head, a map. The shortcuts, the blocked alleyways, the rathole in every building that houses rats, and many more of such things involving the city had all been registered into Caius's head in the form of a blue print.
The guild's building was especially easy for him to find due to the high fluctuations of mana surrounding it, coming specifically from the adventurers staying in.
"Ignatius, I need you to do a favor for me".
Still standing at the guild's door, Caius picked up Ignatius from his head and brought it closer to his face.
"what is it".
"you see, adventurers are not like normal people...., they can be extremely violent at times. I know this because I was once one".
"what is your point Caius".
Forming signs with its finger and hurrying Caius to get to the point.
"my point is, when we get inside the guild, can you stay silent the whole time, I mean totally silence like you do not even exist, and just leave it to me to do all the talking, is that fine with you....."
Ignatius giving Caius a very stale gaze replied him.
"sure, I can do that".
"really....."
Caius was taken aback. He expected Ignatius to put up some form of resistance to his plea. Obeying without questioning so easily isn't one of Ignatius's strong point.
"Don't worry, I get what it is you are trying to convey. You don't want me saying a word about how a monster attacked them, and they were all too powerless to stop it? Is that it".
He found himself at peace for having warned Ignatius before going in. Caius knew what Ignatius could do and couldn't. Not warning him, could have led to it spilling out what it just said in front of the adventurers, and Caius knew how riled up the adventurers can get hearing that.
"i understand where you are coming from, and I promise to not say a single word till we come back out".
Zipping it's mouth shut and away the invisible key.
"wow.....,Ignatius, are you sure you haven't been replaced by someone else".
"even I can act mature when the time calls for it. Like I told you, I am older than I look".
"i believe you. I am going to open the door now okay. And remember, silence".
Caius gently opened the door brimming with adventurers inside of it.
"hello you bunch of wimpy losers who got their asses handed to them by a single monster".
Ignatius flew away from Caius's head, floating right aboove him, it yelled out loud, with the sound carrying his voice to every corner of the room for the adventurers to hear.
"damn it Ignatius".
Caius rubbing his head in foolishness for having trusted Ignatius on remaining silent.
This is exactly why he had told it to remain silent, because he knew that Ignatius would want to tick an already tocking bomb into exploding, and the one to bear the explosion would be him.
The adventurers in anger, all launched themselves at Caius believing that he was the one who said it, as Ignatius was too tiny to be spotted without having to strain one's eye.
Caius without lifting a muscle, covered himself in a ball shaped substance made from his Aura. The adventurers were unable to get to him much less touch him with the orb protecting his body.
"i shouldn't have brought you in here".
Caius said, raising his head in the direction Ignatius is floating at.
"hey, I would not have done this if you hadn't told me to shut up".
"i told you to shut up precisely because I knew you were going to do this".
"whatever, it's your problem now and not mine".
"why you...."
Ignatius vanished out of there and left Caius alone to deal with the angry adventurers.
The orb covering Caius started to take form, shaping itself like a hand with its numbers equating to that of the adventurers. The hand picked off the adventurers one by one, and gently placing them in a state away from Caius.
"now guys, I know you are all mad and such, but I have to tell you, whatever you think I said, I did not say it. It was a tiny creature that said it".
"hey, who are you calling a tiny creature".
Ignatius who had the ability to hear its contractor from wherever it was, heard Caius referring to it as tiny, forcing it to teleport back to Caius so it could correct him on being called tiny.
"got you now".
Caius jumped up and grabbed Ignatius before it could teleport away again.
"see guys, this is who said those words and not me".
Raising Ignatius up and making its flame body light up more so the other adventurers could see him.
"ENOUGH!!!".
Came the voice from the far end of where Caius was standing.