"Cade.... it's midnight. Where are you going ?" said Nera with sleepy tone and while still using pajamas, Nera came out from her room and approach her master.
"Ah, Nera. Did I disturb your sleep ?" ask him back while in prepare to hunt the killer.
"That's..... not what I mean."
Cade stopped his movement, he turn his head and stare at Nera's eye gently. Surprised, he saw the long face of Nera's while she still sleepy. She hold her arm tight and hard as she want to hurt herself, crooked eyebrows, biting her lips, she also clouded in anger but half asleep. Seeing that face of hers, Cade can't do a thing except to smile and let her be honest with herself. He just can't turn down that determination of hers, especially when that person hold back drowsiness.
"I..... know it too. Let me help you to execute him for good." ask her to give permission.
Cade exhale his breath, he then smile and turn his head back to do his preparation. "You are my servant. Yet, I am not force you to be the one. I want you to just follow your heart. Think about what is right for you."
"Cade, is that ?"
"Yes, do whatever you--."
In a flash of light, Nera run while took off her clothes along the way to her room. Knowing that this might be happen, Cade sighing in disappoint since she also made ruckus while doing so. He then collect her clothing and tidy them up and place them in one spot.
"Just wait, we will find you."
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
The city at night, the place where people came around looking for an amusement after their hardworking days. The city is not asleep at weekdays, thousand of people still strolling around in search of everlasting peace, a perfect place for someone in the dark who plot for the rebellion.
Though that's what normally a troublemakers would think. The one we need to hunt down is an higher ranking villain who took hundreds of people soul in the night. The one who formerly leads the great clan and turn into despair. This weapon on my back would eventually recognized by him and works as a threat.
"Nera, let's stroll a little bit." I ask her casually.
"What ? Do we here to locate the killer ?"
"This is the strategy to locate the killer. I bet he won't stand still after seeing this firearm." I pat the weapon I stole from Mrs. Colonel.
"I see, the enemy is not the regular one I suppose."
Then, we came out from the building. Strolling together just both of us like a father who take his child into a festival after work, thus the father has worst taste for dressing his daughter a maid outfit. But, while using the full uniform in the city, exact at the entertainment district full of games and shopping center, I hope I could took people attention and make a fuss about it. A soldier on patrol, a maid accompanying him, what kind of gossip these people would spread eventually.
After thirty minutes strolling around the entertainment district, I could see people were secretly staring at both of us, whispering what they didn't want us to know about. Thus I check upon Nera if she is okay back there and yes she is. But something must be bothering her, her cheeks getting stubby and she look disappointed. So I stopped and ask her myself.
"Nera, do you want something ?"
"Not really, I just don't feel so good about this place. And I feel someone has making fun of me."
It is strange indeed. Just now, my thoughts of her half missed. This place supposed to be the most delightful place for her yet now she feel bad while standing around here. I wasn't sure that she want anything or there's really something around here but if that goes for the second option then the killer must be around and observing both of us.
"To think, we need to talk somewhere else." I suggested.
"Right. And I think, I know the right place."
Then, some time were passed. We're visiting the place where she enjoyed some ice cream from the other day. Luckily, the place is still open after this late hour but I am not so sure that there's still an ice cream left at this place. Though, I also not sure that she want an ice cream or not. So I put the colonel's weapon beside me beside the window so it could be safe and I could enjoy my table.
"One glass of carbonated tea, please." I ordered.
"For me, I want one cup of a matcha." she ordered.
"Coming right up."
Very strange, Nera doesn't choose for an ice cream which she loved. I somehow remember, Nera has matured side of her that always reside inside. Like a ghost possess her body, she completely turned into a very different person which the mature version of her. I've seen her once and it was unpleasant to see her.
"Nera, why this place ?" I ask her.
"I just suspect this place, that's all. There's a chance that the killer work or enjoying himself at this place thus we may gathered some information here."
"What makes you think like that ?"
"Coincidence, I feel someone stare at me on the other day here."
That's indeed what I remember from the other day which she stunned for a while cause there's someone staring at her. Lucky for him, I've yet encounter that man twice. But that makes the probability goes higher, I feel confident to suspect that man as my target.
"The killer showed himself in the night, at the least crowds in the area. Yet this place may became the perfect place to rest after took his victim on this night." I speculate.
Not long after, the waiter came back to us and bringing our order to the table. He then immediately left with empty tray on his hand. There's not much people coming in this place and so the space is wide between us and the other customer. But somehow, it feels so crowded in this place after I speak out my speculation.
"Cade, may I ask you some question ?" ask Nera.
"Yes."
"Are we the hunter or the hunted ?"
Seems that she feel that too but she can't said it to me before since there's so many eye witness outside. Some people outside I see, there's so many an outsider which is normal for a cub city who held the festival every night like this. But something is odd, it was so many of them unlike the first time we arrive here.
"We are the hunter, who hunt the bear by showing our fleshes." I said it clearly.
"Excuse me, one bloody mary cocktail." said the waiter who unexpectedly came back.
"Huh ? But we didn't---"
Suddenly, an arm thrusting a knife appeared from his belly targeting my eyes directly. Nera immediately grab the arm before it pierce my eyes. The eyes of the waiter is plain like a dead fish and he flinched like a marionette.
Before my eyes, a man broke the window beside me and stole the colonel's weapon. Nera immediately broke the arm she hold and threw the marionette waiter to the man who stole the weapon. Lucky for him, he dodge Nera's attack and escaped through the crowds.
"Move out !"
"I am going to track him, Cade follow me !" shout Nera.
Me and Nera immediately jumped out from the window and chase the thief who perfectly stole the weapon. But as I passed through the marionette which is still lying in the ground, it grab my leg and makes me fall on my knees. I immediately release the hand that grab my leg and suddenly losing track of Nera before my eyes.
An odd things happened again. I lose sight even to my subordinate. But not just that, it even get worse. I lose sight to everyone in the cub city and left me with me alone in this town full of glittering lightings. Seems I've fall to enemies bobby trap and the enemy I am facing tonight is the tricky witches.
"Dammit ! I let my guard down."
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
---"Always be careful, your enemy is your own race."---
That's what is she said and yes she was right. It was wise to detect the presence of a witch or a wizard since we go outside but in the end the enemies is much careful to letting his guard down. Everyone in here has the same presence as our enemies which makes me fell into the confusion. I don't know how he did it but it was a sickening one to hide your identities.
Now master has fell on the enemies trap and it was all my fault. I am the one who letting him go and yet I couldn't catch the thief until now on my own. He still around and I am keep catching him up like I am the one who's being dragged into his trap.
---"Remember though, you may not use magic in town."---
He's the one who restrict me, he's the one who limit my power, my own master protect me from this cruel world by restricting me. Yet, I am the one who can't restrict himself from any harm. I am his servant and I am the one who responsible to keep him in comfy.
At least, "Let me become the one who's in vain !"
To be continued...