Chapter 188: You Will Listen to Me

Ned squinted his eyes. Looking confused at first as his display went static snow before a burst of light filled his view and went to normalize.

The HUD shows Ned's current body status. A holographic view of his body in 3d blue kept on spinning at the bottom of his display. Mana display above-left, and energy bar stacked together.

After the fight, with Fireball and Egnious at play, his mana went down to a mere 30 points. While energy constantly rolling at full or at the lowest. Currently, after the Overclock, his energy decreased to 30%. And that was him not using the full potential of Overclock. A short boost of Overclock did the job fighting the Werecat. Without it, he might have a hard time fighting even Erarke.

Ned let Twali moved out first out the stone box. Twali agreed, and he was now in play with Ned. He instructed Ned that the team he wanted was waiting for him inside the barrack room. Ned needed time.

There's no going back, he felt alone, and he felt a throbbing sensation inside his chest. His heart was thumping, adrenaline rushing his veins in a normal manner. Ned was uncomfortable since he was given the authority to control the lives of the people under his command. His order will decide the quest's success rate. Ned reached for his chest, black leather screeching under the flat of his hand, heart thumping and all he could hear was a dub-dub in his ears. He smiled, blood rushing. He was excited.

Ned remained focus, he climbed down the stonework stairs. After he did so, the ground shook slightly and the box for viewing slowly sunk along with mechanical gears grinding at the bottom of the ground. Before he knew it, the ground went flat with a rectangular lining. Ned spun and proceeded back at the manor.

They have been waiting. Loti, Bud, along with Horn. They waited for Ned to leave the box and rushed after seeing him went for the gate of the manor.

"That was one hell of a fight, kid," Loti said. He greeted Ned first before the two. He then proceeded to tap Ned's shoulder, relentlessly.

Ned's shoulder was warmed by the old man's beating. He beamed a smile but concealed by the shadow cast by the clouds under the sun. Ned bowed instead to Horn.

"It wasn't my intention," Ned said, eyes looking at Horn. "I'm—"

"Shno," Horn said. His dialect making him soft, contrary to his wide shoulder. "I should have known better." Horn waved a hand, metal knuckles made the gesture in slow motion.

"You're a fighter, kid," Bud said. The warrior smiled and Ned threw an acute nod.

The two brutes made Loti as a twig fell from a massive tree.

After a small talk, Ned went on to leave the sparring ground. The guards gave Ned an admired look after then he waved to him to proceed inside.

It was always different from the inside. Like a small town, the manor bustled with hunters took over by time. Questing here and there, ranking, forming a party, retrieving supplies, returning quests for prizes.

Ned turned a narrow right, evading eyes from the hunters. There, beside Mond's room was the barrack's quarter. Two guards stood side-by-side the door compact with metal casing, hinged against the wooden wall. Above the door was a sign with spear and blade crossing with one another.

"And you are?" Said one of the guards. Halting Ned with a spear slanted across him.

Ned replied, "I am here to meet the team."

The second guard said, "The team?"

The guards looked at each other, then nodded and laughed. Yellow and brown teeth didn't gleam under the white light attached to the ceiling.

The first guard said, "Since when did Hallowguard and Twisted Tooth accepted a rawbone kid as a Companion?"

The second guard said, "Well, this is a surprise. Kid, listen here." He leaned closer to Ned, breath stunk early in the morning, maybe they haven't left their post yet. "Nice try, you're the first for today, but it won't work, kid. We're here to make sure they don't get disturbed. So shoo, kid. Find another team."

Ned sighed, he gets it. Who would expect that an employer was a fourteen-year-old kid out of nowhere?

And I don't want to make another mess, Ned thought, shaking his head. Guess I'll have to wait for Twali.

"But wait," said the second guard. A sneer plastered all over his face. "Since we're feeling good today, why not go and have a look inside."

"Hey," the first guard said, pulling the second guard closer to him and whispered. Metal armor clanged with each other. "What are you doing, Stic?"

"Easy, Slic," the second guard whispered. Ned wondered if they were doing it on purpose. "I had enough of this Companions bothering our best team, especially him, look at him, an outlander, doing nothing but trying to get over his head. They thought, meeting the House's one of the best teams is easy as come and go. Why not teach him a lesson and see the difference between a know a hunter and Companion."

The first guard nodded, sometimes looking at Ned, then nodded back to the second guard. And he smiled. He pulled himself and looked at Ned.

"Okay, kid," he said. "You're going in."

Ned sighed. Finally, he thought and said, "Would you believe me if I said I'm one of their Companion."

The second guard hissed and said, "Of course, of course. Hallowguard and Twisted Tooth became so low they're looking for a"—eyed Ned up and down under the gap between his helmet—"very capable Companion." He then waved and let Ned in with a glare along the way.

The door to the barrack opened, and Ned proceeds without batting an eye at the two. His eyes blank as he proceeded inside.

There, he was met by Sasani guise as Swift. She looked fresh with her new outfit. Although still black, the one she has now was imposing for a Companion. Black mask with patterns that looked like to be an engraved of a wild creature's teeth, overlapping the cheeks down to the jaw, hollow eyes. A jacket that hangs loosely down to his waist, with an oversized collar. The necklace she was proud of was well hidden inside the undergarment. Mechanical bow replaced with a new one. Steam condensed around the edges of her mask. Her breathing was forced, trying to look calm. Inside Ned knew, she was exhausted. With the mana she used up, none better knew the feeling than Ned.

"You should rest," Ned said beside Swift's ear.

"And so are you," she said. "The team's here."

"So I heard," Ned said over his shoulder. Looking at the two guards closing the door.

Inside the barrack was a long table vertically dividing the rectangular room. The walls were set with a lamp, the fire silently burning. At the far end of the room was another door, probably leading to where weapons were stored. Real weapons. Beside the door was a wooden divider stationed with a lady, she might be registering whoever entered and exited the said door.

There, sitting in an overly decorated chair were the hunters. Twelve chairs, one hunter missing at the end of the table. Standing along the wall, were six additional members, not a hunter but Companions. Ned and Swift weren't counted in their group.

These were the hunters carefully chosen by Twali and the rest was left to Ned for the final choice. He needed one raiding team. And one raiding team consisted of six party members. He needed a minimum but effective number.

All turned eyes the moment Ned entered the room. One muttered, "A Companion." And sighed, and turned away from Ned. The rest then followed and started to discuss with themselves.

"They don't seem to know," Swift said closer to Ned.

"Who could have thought?" Ned said, opening his arm as if presenting himself to Swift.

"They weren't in the battle," Swift said and nodded toward the long table. "Hallowguard and Twisted Tooth were one of the best team of Hunters in Sudden Plate Branch. You sure to control them, Ned?"

Ned nodded stiffly. Too late to go back, he thought. His eyes lingered back at the group or hunters. For some reason, one of them looked at Ned with noting eyes. Ned frowned, he looked familiar. Very familiar. "Let me talk to them," he said, looking back at Swift and spun beside her to proceed at the long table.

Three steps were all it took for Ned to be interrupted from behind.

"You," a voice rang behind Ned. The other hunters tilted their head, surprise painted their faces.

"It's you," the voice rang once again.

Ned spun around and faced where the voice was.

"You," Ned said, meeting the man's deep brown eyes. Thin eyes with thin jaws. Hair cut short and appeared to never meet a comb. Even a wet finger, perhaps. "So it's you."

"What are you doing here," said the man, without a sign of stopping. "You're not a House member you're not supposed to be here especially here with us who let you in even if you're a Companion there's no way you should be here." Eventually, he stopped and breathed through his tiny nose.

Now Ned knew why the other hunter looked familiar. It was them the first time he entered the Forgotten Pint. One of the hunters that rejected him.

"Sujiro," Ned said, meeting the man's eyes. Deep, deeper than the first day they met. "Special circumstances took me he—"

"Sujiro," said the man from behind. "You know the kid?"

"Ulysses," Sujiro said. "The kid from the Pint look."

Ned frowned, doesn't he know when to stop?

"No," Ulysses said. Thin eyebrows, pointy jaw, and stiffened neck? He spun to Sujiro back to Ned along with his body. "Never met him. You need to get back. Master Twali's coming."

"You should leave kid before Master Twali finds out about this don't mind the guards they'll have a taste of it later now go."

Ned frowned. Instead of leaving he followed Sujiro but along the way the door from behind spun open. Twali along with Bram and Arm stormed into the place.

The Hunter's stood in snappy attention with their hands clipping on both sides. Ned saw one Companion along the wall with eyes couldn't hold and looked down, hands shaking on sides.

Twali gave a thoughtful nod to Ned. Bram and Arm nodded as well, which took Sujiro's attention for a moment.

Sujiro took a step to the side letting Twali and his companion passed through. Eyes barely looking at Twali.

Swift remained at the back, trying to hide her discomfort seeing Twali without giving a bow.

Twali stopped at the head of the long table, Bram and Arm on his left. He began by nodding at the Hunters.

Hunters then took a seat, the same goes for Sujiro who sat beside Ulysses.

"We're all here," Twali said, hands folded behind his back, showing his popping chest to the crowd. The black suit remained as his signature. Twali took a moment to scan the hunters. And rested his eyes to Ned.

This took Sujiro's attention once more, he frowned.

"By all," Twali continued. "Means our employer included."

The room fell to a total silent, then a murmur occurred. Hunters looking at each other completely lost.

"Ned," Twali said, nodding to Ned and waved a hand to approach the group of hunters.

Ned walked, no sign of backing out. He stopped beside Twali. "Twali," Ned said nodding to the servant and went his gaze back to the hunters. Ned savors the moment as he looked at Sujiro's mouth making an O shape. "Yes," he added, "I am your employer and you will listen to me."