27 26. New Order

Harvey jolted upright, startling Erra, who hastily retreated. As he surveyed the surroundings, he recognized only a few faces, realizing he was in an unfamiliar place. "You shouldn't move around too much, you were severely injured," Advised someone in the room.

"I take full responsibility for your predicament," Loki admitted, seated across from Harvey. "If only I had informed my associates about the Faction's recruitment process."

"Acting independently and nearly causing harm to a crucial figure, capable of defeating an Unknown alone, without permission from your superior, is a crime punishable by death," Blair declared, addressing the members of Scorpion Talon.

"I acknowledge my error, but it was a decision made under dire circumstances. If Hajun had been affiliated with the Faction and taken the Unknown core back, it would have escalated our problems," Sven clarified.

"And who do you believe was responsible for X's death?" Questioned Aurora, the second mage of New Order. "You newcomers often presume you know what you're doing."

"Newcomers?" Hiakam rose intending to confront Aurora, but Blair's stern gaze forced him to kneel.

"Enough," Commanded Zen, the leader of New Order, silencing the room.

New Order, the first party created in Winterglaides after the Great Tragedy, established the Roosevelt Guild, named in honor of a fallen comrade. Following suit, Scorpion Talon became the second group to join when Loki, a friend of Zen, decided to form a party.

This guild was conceived to counteract the actions of the Hunting Dogs, a faction that had started eliminating players and pursuing Unknowns for diverse motives. While the guild was created by Zen, due to his subsequent absences he gave the role to Loki. "They are pardoned, however, their errors have assigned them a task."

"Tch," Emirus sighed softly, sensing what was about to unfold.

"We have received intelligence that the faction is presently in Winterglaides, and we've identified two of their targets. The first is held by the masked man over there." Zen pointed at Hajun, who turned his gaze towards him.

"Remove your mask," Blair commanded, and as Harvey began to comply, he quickly negated the effect of her order.

Blair's words carried an undeniable authority, but Harvey, still testing whether his technique had fully returned, wasn't ready to easily unveil his identity.

"How?" Blair looked at him with confusion.

"Why should I listen to you?" Harvey tried to stand, but his body ached from the lingering effects of Hiakam's attacks.

"I'll kill you, that's why—" Blair started advancing towards Harvey but halted as she heard Zen's voice.

"You've been wronged by us, and while we apologize, we still need your assistance in matters concerning this world. Help us, and we'll provide you with all the information we have on the Faction." Zen leaned forward in his chair, making his proposition clear.

"How did you know about X?" Harvey inquired, sitting up and looking at Zen.

"Oh, it's true. You should know her." Zen gestured, and someone walked out.

A lady with dark hair, styled in bangs, held her notepad as she walked toward him. Harvey glanced at her, confused. Not only did he not know this person, but he didn't remember seeing anyone like this in Falusha, at least up until he heard her voice. "Stinky Adventurer, I knew you'd forget me!"

Harvey continued looking at her. That nickname was given to him by Fiera, who, if he remembered correctly, was a child with brown hair. "Fiera?"

"Seriously, and here I was making a bet with Aurora that you'd remember me immediately." Fiera smiled. "I told them some of the things that went down in Falusha."

Harvey hugged Fiera intensely, and Erra glanced at them with annoyance on her face. After he had gone back to Drake's shop and was told that he skipped town, he looked everywhere for her before eventually heading to the Slave Trade Center. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Me and old man Drake skipped town, but slightly after we were attacked and separated. I haven't seen him ever since," Fiera explained, and it all began to make sense.

"I believe you're now up to speed," Zen spoke. "I suppose it's time to tell you about the second objective— Oh, my mistake. Where are my manners? I never introduced myself or my team."

"I'm Zen, the leader of the group. I'm an attacker, and it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

Harvey observed as Zen gestured to each member of New Order. "This is Aurora, she's our party's healer." Aurora glanced at Harvey before looking away with a shrug.

"That there is Blair. I believe you've already met her. She's a hybrid attacker, and while she might come off as rude and hotheaded, she's a good person at heart."

"Of course I am, I saved his life," Blair spoke, pushing her green hair back.

"To my left is Draco'nel, he's the Berserker of our group, his strength is unmatched by most. You can rely on him in any situation."

"Nice to meet you." Draco'nel laughed as he took a swig from the jar he held. "Still, I never expected the world's greatest gamer to be so young!" Draco'nel laughed again before drowning out the laughter with another gulp of alcohol.

"And last but not least, Yosemite. While he might be quiet and rather shy, he's much stronger than he seems. Relying on him would never go wrong."

"Thanks..." Yosemite spoke softly as he looked down at his knees.

"I believe you already know Fiera. So do you have any more questions before we get into this?" Zen inquired.

Harvey wanted to ask about the other members of Scorpion Talon, but he could always do so later. "What exactly is the Faction planning, and why do you know their locations?"

Zen looked around, glancing at Fiera, who walked to his side. Fiera nodded and began talking. "While we have no concrete evidence as to what the Faction is doing, we have some theories on the matter. As for your second question, we have, or rather had, a mole in the faction's ranks. He's been snuffed out already, but before he was, he gave us this information."

"I see, what are your theories then?"

"One, the Faction might be planning to create an army, hence why they're partnering with the Azure. That was the second objective Zen hinted at earlier. Two, they might be planning to complete the game."

"Complete the game? You mean, like those two figures back in Falusha said?"

"Yes. VISIDIA is an MMORPG, and a lot of the story is made through the everyday antics of the player; however, a concrete end to the game would be the end of all the Unknowns. Hence why we think they're hunting them."

"And I killed one of the Unknowns. Now I understand why I was mistaken for a faction member," Harvey winced, clutching his ribcage as he glanced at Hiakam.

"Still, we don't have any information on those two figures back in Falusha, and we can't take their words too seriously either," Fiera explained. "All we can do now is get the cores back from the Faction."

"But before we can do that, we have to stop the Azure," Zen added, clutching both hands together.

"Why exactly?" Harvey questioned.

"The Hunting Dogs have partnered with them, which probably means—" Fiera was interrupted.

"They're going to use their captives as slaves trained to engage the Unknowns," Erra interjected, prompting Harvey to glance toward her and tightly squeeze her hand.

"Yes, it's either that or they're increasing the numbers in their ranks, and while it might prove difficult, that is why we believe they're using beast men," Fiera added.

"While some members of New Order face the Faction, I'd like you, Scorpion Talon, to confront the Azure. Wiping them off the map would be more than appreciated," Zen emphasized.

"Still, the Azure is partnered with some dangerous people. I hear the Cherry Blossom Assassin is also part of their ranks," Loki mentioned, triggering a painful memory for Erra.

"New Order might be the main party, but Scorpion Talon is just as strong. Do you not have faith in your team, Loki?" Blair inquired.

"I've seen lives get lost to that man. I was almost part of those lives," Loki muttered.

"Cool, the leader of the subset party has PTSD," Aurora remarked, leaning back in her chair. "They're doomed."

"Quiet, Aurora," Zen declared, rising from his seat with Fiera by his side. "Blair, I'm assigning you to Hajun directly. He possesses the skills we require for this war, but he still lacks crucial knowledge. It's your responsibility to impart that to him." Blair nodded, struggling to conceal her anger.

"Aurora, Yosemite, you're temporarily in charge of Scorpion Talon. Lead them into battle effectively. Fiera will assist you in tracking down the Azure," Zen continued. "Loki, you and your second-in-command will accompany me. Draco'nel, you too."

"Aye, Aye, Boss," Draco'nel responded, slamming his jar onto the table with such force that it left a dent, then rising to follow Zen and Loki.

Once the door closed, the room fell silent. Tension lingered in the air as everyone exchanged glances. Blair approached Harvey, fixing him with a stern gaze. "You'll be under my tutelage from now on. You'll follow my instructions promptly and without question. Understand?"

Harvey replied monotonously, "Yes."

"Good. Training begins tomorrow at noon. Come alone, your slave remains with Scorpion Talon," Blair ordered, then turned to leave.

"That's not happening—she stays with me," Harvey countered.

"I won't repeat myself," Blair shot back before exiting through the door. "Tomorrow at noon."