Chapter 28: Even

"No."

Without a second thought, Ned declined Allaina's request. 

He just got out of the infirmary, and Ned wasn't at his best. So, why would he play with her? Not to mention, what kind of play did she mean?

"Kid, listen." Allaina's straight face and aura weren't enough to convince Ned. "I'm doing you a favor here, you want to know what will happen to you when you arrive at the academy?"

"No, and I don't want to know." Raising his hand, Ned gestured a simple bow. "But thanks for your concern," he said. Looking back at Toni, whose aura was half triggered, he put his hand on her shoulder and asked to leave. "Thanks, Toni, we need to go."

Retracting her aura, Toni revealed a smile. "Uh!" she nodded. 

"Hey! Do you know who I am?" Seeing the two left, Allaina couldn't hold her anger. On her eyes, someone as a peasant from an unknown island, who got lucky to pass the Selection, was ignoring her. Ignoring her,  who was sent to O'rriadt island per requested by the Queen herself. "You will pay for this!" She tsked. Seeing the two walked out the alley she had no other choice but to give up. For now. 

Allaina wasn't a direct heir to something, and also, she wasn't the daughter of the King. Her father worked for the Royal Family - for the Queen to be precise. And since Allaina showed a remarkable talent on Magic, she was recommended by the Queen to join the Griffith Academy. And for three years, she worked hard to reach the top twenty of the overall ranking of the Griffith Academy. 

With the rank alone, she was envied by other students. Some would send her flowers, chocolates, Mana Stones, and swords. Aside from magic, Allaina loved to train with swords, without her swordsmanship, she wouldn't be on the top twenty ranking list. 

But here, on an unknown island, some random kid ignored her. A kid who couldn't see how powerful her magic was. "You'll have your time," clinching the hilt of her sword, she muttered.

"Why'd you decline her offer, Ned?" Toni walked while she was trying to feel her elbow. "She was...offering us protection."

"I thought you hate nobles?"

"Yes, but her?" Toni rubbed her elbow, this was unusual for Toni, to rub her elbow means she was excited, which she didn't felt for a long time after she left her hometown. "She wasn't exactly noble."

"How can you tell?"

"Just my feeling," she said.

"Okay." Ned paused for a moment then continued walking while he tried to figure out why was no one in the town hall. It's not that I declined her, it was actually nice of her to offer us protection, but " - Ned gazed left and right, trying to look for someone whom he could ask permission to go outside - "I don't want to be indebted to anybody. And, let's just say I'm a Knight, which means, I should be the one doing the protection." Ned narrowed his eyes and showed a faint smile.

Walking down the hallway, Ned realized that the infirmary was part of the town hall. Because of the Selection, the storage room was emptied and used as a temporary healing station.

The town hall wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. It would take almost a minute of five for a person to walk from end to end of the town hall.

Ned noticed old lamps, fueled by monster oil, hanging on the wall. It would look captivating at night, for flowers of different varieties and colors were aligned together with the old lamps.

The hallway was built of stones, from top to the ground. Instead of being carried, Coco decided to walk and feel the coldness of the stone poking her paws.

The group was about to exit the town hall when a guard called them and sought their attention. It wasn't the guards brought along by Sir Edwin and his company. It was the guard of the town hall. The town hall guard was wearing better-looking hunter clothes than Ned. Aside from the metal plate on the guard's chest, which produces an irritating sound every time he walks, the rest he wore normal hunting clothes. A much better version of what Ned's wearing whenever he goes hunting.

"You two!" He cried. But just enough for the two of them to hear.

"Yes, guard sir?" Ned said. Bowing, his eyes slightly gazed at the spear the guard was holding. Their spear cost more than their armors and hunter clothes combined. Silvertip and the body were made of strong wood.

"Follow me." Knitting his eyebrows the guard locked his eyes on Ned.

Ned and Toni were confused but they are not in the place to decline. It must be something important if it was the guard that called them.

What now. Ned thought.

The group followed the guard in a room almost secluded from the rest. There, two guards stood unmoving, guarding the room.

The room wasn't grand or fancy. It was old, ornamental designs engraved on the surface of the door.

"Inside." The guard ordered.

Inside, they saw a man in his sixties, dark rings hung his eyes. Instead of his usual lofty clothing, Rastik McGreedy wore common clothing. His brown hair was uncombed, not befitting as Town Lord. One thing caught Ned's attention, his eyes. Shallow and unfocused.

McGreedy's gaze went from the door to the ceiling, and back to the parchment of paper lying on the table.

The guard slightly bowed and left the four inside the room.

Ned and Toni were seated in front of McGreedy. And Coco was resting on Tony's lap.

Ned saw McGreedy tapping his fingers on the table. His nervousness was masked by the rhythmic tapping he was doing. His gaze can't look straight to Ned, it was locked on the parchment.

A moment of silence was broke by Ned greeting the Town Lord. "Lord McGreedy, I'm—"

"Ned, I know." Stopping Ned in between, McGreedy looked at Ned. His usual smiling face was now covered with doubt and fear. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, even though it wasn't that hot. "You're a Hollow, always hunts in the Grieving Forest, living in a man-made hill. No magic but good with a sword, even bow. Yes, I know a lot about you." McGreedy's thick voice revealed familiarity.

"How...?" Ned wondered.

"No time, take this." McGreedy rolled the blank parchment and handed it to Ned.

Toni who was silent saw the parchment, and she knew what it was. A scroll. Scrolls are one-time use. They can be used to record magic spells and can be taught to others. The writings on the scroll depend on the level of the scroll, the higher the level, the longer the writings will stay. With its time duration, instead of using them to record magic spells, it was more used by spies to pass on messages. Since the scroll can only be opened by specific Mana. If someone will force open the scroll, it will automatically set itself on fire.

"Give it to Will. He knows what to do after that." McGreedy clasped his hands and started fidgeting. "Remember, only to your Master." He added.

Without asking, Ned put the scroll in his pouch that was hanged to his waist. "Will do," Ned said. "Do you have other messages?"

"Yes, tell him we're even."