Search (Part 1 - Rooftop Garden)

[Palace of Othon, Drachma]

After clearing all the three tests of the staff selection competition, Maria was now among the 20 temporary staff selected. On her first day at work, she was working under Gabriella. She was putting some flowers in the vases on the dining table in the humungous dining hall. The dining hall was on the third floor of the palace and right next to the dining hall, there was a very big and beautiful rooftop garden. Because it was the first time for many staff present there, Gabriella was standing beside the big oval dining table to monitor them. While everyone was focused on their job, suddenly a silver-haired man, wearing a polar bear coat entered the hall and he walked out of the hall, to the rooftop garden without paying any attention to the maids working there.

It was the same person, who saved Maria and Danny at the bar from some hooligans. He was also the same person who was referred to as the King by the Prime Minister and the Marshal of Drachma, but it was quite strange that no one in the hall greeted him, not even the old staff. Because of his sudden arrival, many new staff member got distracted, but none of them had any idea about his identity. Maria on the other hand quickly recognized him, but she was unable to understand what he was doing in the palace. So, out of curiosity, she asked the other lady who was cleaning the dining table standing beside her, "Who was the man who just went by?"

The lady was an old staff member, so to answer Maria's question she stopped cleaning the table and looked at Maria. "That's Mr. Coeus, he is kind of a permanent guest in the palace. He talks very less, but he is a good-hearted man."

"I saw him at a bar, fighting some gangsters alone," Maria informed.

"I have heard he is a good fighter," The lady said and continued, "By the way, if you want to talk to him, you can go to the garden. You will find him having a view of the city…he likes to do that every day."

"Thanks, I think I should go and meet him," Maria smiled.

"I hope you don't have a crush on him. Because if you do, then you will face a ton of competition in the palace," The lady smiled back.

Maria chuckled and went to Gabriella. When Gabriella saw her, she questioned, "What happened?"

"Can I take a break for a few minutes?" Maria asked.

"Okay, but make sure to come back quickly," Gabriella replied

"Yes Ma'am," Maria assured.

Maria and Gabriella were acting as if they didn't know each other. And after getting permission from Gabriella, Maria went to the garden and searched for Coeus. The garden was not looking as lively as it could have appeared in the summers. Still, there were some bushes and thorns and winter flowers, thriving in the harsh season of sunless winter. Maria subtly moved toward the edge of the rooftop and she saw from a distance that Coeus was talking with the head of staff, Yegor Netto. Both of them were having a view of the city while talking, so Maria decided to move close to them and listen to their conversation. She hid behind a big bush wall, where she could clearly listen to the conversation. Because of the absence of sun, it was quite easy for her to stay undetected.

"Sometimes I wish you were our King. The love I see in your eyes for this city is unprecedented," Yegor said.

"I have some of my good memories in this place after all," Coeus replied.

"What exactly are the memories? If you can share with me, it might bring a smile on this old man's face," Yegor smiled.

"Don't worry Yegor, when the time comes, you will get to know far more than those memories," Coeus answered and then shouted, "AND YOU TOO GIRL, YOU CAN COME OUT NOW."

Somehow Coeus had detected Maria, even though he was looking toward the city, and when he called her, she was startled. She slowly moved out of the shadows and stood in front of Coeus and Yegor with a panicked face. Yegor was surprised to see her. "Maria!!" Yegor exclaimed and continued with narrowed brows, "What are you doing out here sneaking on us?"

"I came here to thank Mr. Coeus," Maria stuttered.

"Thank me? For what?" Coeus asked with his usual blank face.

"Did you forget saving me at the bar from the gangsters?" Maria looked at Coeus with widened eyes.

"What gangsters?" Yegor asked curiously.

Maria looked at Yegor, and explained, "After I met you that day, I went to the bar to have some drinks with my friends. There I got into trouble with some gangsters, but fortunately, Mr. Coeus was there and he fought the entire gang in that bar and left the bar before I could thank him. When I saw him passing through the dining hall, I followed him just to thank, but I found him talking to you and I didn't want to interrupt you two."

Yegor looked at Coeus and shouted with widened eyes, "You fought an entire gang!"

By the time, Coeus had also remembered his encounter with the gangsters. "Those were only petty street thugs," Coeus replied.

"And you are a superhuman," Yegor poked Coeus on the chest, but Coeus didn't react. He was not comfortable during moments like that, so he decided to leave.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go somewhere," Coeus said.

He left after saying that and no one stopped him. While he was leaving, he saw Sieglaff, the Drachmann Prime Minister, was standing at some distance outside the gate of a building, which was guarded by two Drachmann soldiers. Sieglaff then moved inside the building, and when Coeus reached near the building, he went inside as well, and none of the guards stopped him. There was a big hall inside the building which was closed from all sides and there was a staircase to the upper floor, but there was no one present in the hall. However, Coeus was not surprised by the vacant hall. He took the staircase and went to the upper floor. There was only a single door on the upper floor, and Coeus opened it and went inside.

Prime Minister Sieglaff and Marshal Clifton were standing beside the oval table present there. It was the same room where they were once reporting about the death of King Bradley to Coeus. As soon as Coeus reached closer to the table, Sieglaff and Clifton bowed their head and addressed Coeus as, "My King."

Coeus took the head chair seat, and after he sat, Sieglaff and Clifton sat as well. "How is everything progressing?" Coeus asked.

"Everything is going according to the plan. Our elite forces have been sent to the eastern as well as the western borders of Drachma. The eastern force will get into Amestris via the Great Desert and the western force will take the route through Creta," Clifton replied.

"How much time will it take them to get into Amestris?" Coeus questioned.

"Twenty to twenty-five days," Clifton answered.

"Hmmm…what about Lab C? When are they reaching Othon?" Coeus asked.

"In two days," Clifton replied.

"Few more days, to the dawn of a new era," Coeus said, which was followed by a smile of Clifton and Sieglaff.