Chapter 20

"Don't we have missions for next week?" Nash asked while lying on the floor and using Aidan's knees as a pillow.

"We don't," Yjhan answered.

"We don't have this week and next week?! So, how are we going to get money?!? Damn those heads." Nash whispered the last sentence.

"This isn't the commander's fault. It's only that the missions have already been assigned and completed by the other groups. It just so happened that there were only 14 missions available, therefore we were left without a mission," Aeries explained. He's already acclimated to it, so he understands what's going on.

"Why do missions have to be distributed sequentially when they may be distributed based on how well the squads are suited for the mission?"

"That's exactly how it works. By how well-suited the mission is to us, and as you can see, the available missions are not," Aeries explained.

"In other circumstances, the clients are the ones who choose which team would attend them," Idris said.

Nash rises and stretches her arms. "This place is boring as hell; I'm leaving. I'll be here at dinner."

She went to the nearby alleys to watch the kids play. She jumped upon the mound of boxes and peered down at the kids.

"Sister! Come play with us!" A young boy yelled. Nash pointed to herself. "Yes, you sister!"

Nash jumped down with a smile. There were only five children playing tag.

"Sister! What is your name? What are you wearing?" A girl asked, tugging on Nash's trousers.

"You can call me Nash. This is a trousers, and I am currently a member of a Squad."

"A knight?" All of the children's eyes sparkled.

"Are you one of the knights who returned earlier?" Mackie inquired.

'So they're back already?'

Nash giggled. "Nope, I'm just a new knight. Why don't you introduce yourself now that I've introduced myself?"

The kids stand in line.

"I'm Mackie," The boy who asked Nash to play with them.

"I'm Shiela," The girl who asked what Nash's name was.

"I'm Puru," a chubby kid said. His tummy almost tucked out of his shirt.

"I..I'm Trish," While introducing herself, she kept her gaze fixed on the ground.

"I'm Bret!" Nash was surprised at how loud Bret's voice was.

'So the voice I heard every afternoon was his voice.'

"Are you related to each other?" They shook their heads.

'They all look almost the same though.'

"I see. Now then, shall we play tag? I'll count to 10 so run as far as you can! 1... 2..."

...

"Wait... I'm tired," As she sat on the road, Nash took a deep breath. "Even if we're merely circling the alleys, it's still difficult to keep up with these mischievous kids!"

'Even Trish, the shy girl, was fast...'

"I think I'm getting old," she murmured as she lay on the ground, unconcerned about her white blouse.

"Sister! Come on! We're still playing" the children said, attempting to yank Nash's arm, but Nash is too sluggish to stand back.

"Give me a moment to rest. We've been playing for a long time!"

"Sister! Please! Our mothers will fetch us soon," Nash brightened up.

'Finally... I can rest!'

"The sun is setting; you should go home. It's dangerous in the alleys." She sat down.

"No! We want to play more!" Bret said in a loud voice.

"Bret!"

"Puru!"

"Trish!"

"Shiela!"

"Mackie!"

"Oh no! They're here," Trish frowned. I patted her small head.

"I promise to play with you next time I'm free," she said with a smile. "Now let's go meet you mothers, it might be dangerous for you to go back alone."

Nash holds Bret and Trish's hand while the two are holding the other's hands. They're walking in a straight line towards the entrance of the alley.

"Oh! I see you made a new friend?" Trish ran towards her mom. "Did you have fun, dear?"

"Yes!"

"Bret! You should lower down your voice! I could hear it here!"

Nash laughed.

"You must be a knight," Nash turned to face the mother who talked. "I'm Prie, Puru's mother."

"Yes, Mrs. Prie, I am currently in a squad trying to train like a knight," she smiled genuinely while talking to Prie.

"Mrs. Prie? No! Just call me Prie," Nash smiled.

"I can't do that, Mrs. Prie,"

"Then call us mothers," Prie chuckled.

"Can I? You see, I've grown attached to these kids even though they're harassing me."

Prie and the other mothers burst out laughing. They were well aware of their children's behavior. "If you insist, thank you for looking after our children."

The other mothers introduced their names too, Bret's mother is Mia, Shiela's mother is Annie, Trish's mother is Alcie, and Mackie's mother is Pidea.

Nash waved her hands goodbye as the kids walked away.

Nash stretched and breathed deeply. "At long last, I can re— who are you?" She aimed her blade at a dark area where she sensed the presence of a person.

"Nice reflex,"

She lowered her dagger after recognizing his voice.

"What brings you here?" Nash gave him a stern look.

...

"I'm back!" She entered their inn and saw Yjhan, Aeries, Idris and Kane sitting on the couch and the floor.

"Where did you go?" Aidan walked out of the kitchen with a spoon in his hand.

"Just the alleys, playing with kids."

"Change your clothes, dinner is ready," Nash nodded and went to her room to change clothes and come down after.

In the middle of dinner Nash opened up a topic. "I have something to ask."

"What is it?" Idris asked in the middle of chewing. Aeries gave him a disgusted look.

Nash put down his fork and gave them a serious look. "Do you mind if I leave for two days?"

"Why?" Yjhan asked.

"I'm going to see my family. But it's fine if I can't go."

"Okay. Since we don't have any missions you can leave for 2 days but not more than that," Nash nodded and continued to eat.

"Is there something wrong?" Aidan asked. Jaxael is staring at her, waiting for her response to Aidan's question.

Nash shook his head. "I just want to visit them, that's all."

...

She went to Barcley's diner early in the morning to meet Katherine who could help her to enter the Imperial Palace.

"The sun hasn't even risen!" Katherine said after Nash continuously shake her body to wake her up.

"Just teleport me to the Palace,"

"I'm too tired. We went to Siam Town the other time, you know. Don't you know how draining that is?"

"And put your mana in here so I could go back here," she says, handing over an empty mana stone.

"I told you I'm tired. This is abuse."

"Tsk. Then don't expect me to meet you again after this day," she stood up and began to walk away when she heard a loud stomp of feet.

"Give me that," she said, closing her eyes and concentrating on putting her teleportation mana within the mana stone. "Now come here. Where do you want to be teleported?"

"In my room,"

After mouthing a few words, Nash has been teleported to her room.

She fell asleep right away because she had been pondering about her father's abrupt order.

...

"What brings you here?"

The man dressed as a noble emerged from the shadows.

"Brother Daniel,"

"Father wants you to return home."

"But I already said I'd go home once or twice every two months, right?"

"No. He meant that you should stop being a member of the squad and return home." Nash furrowed his brows. "It's only been a month, so you're still free to leave your squad."

"What's with the sudden order?" Nash asked, irritated.

"Just do as father said. Come back home and quit being a knight. We'll be waiting for you tomorrow," he turned his back and was about to leave when he forgot something to say. "And father said that if you don't come back home, you won't know what will happen to your squad."

'Shit. What is happening?!'