NOVPUB
Chapter 123: The Quest.
Speechless. Everyone inside the bar’s second floor lost their bearings, remaining like frozen statues for an extended period of time. At one point, Victor covered his eyes with one hand and drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaling right after.
"So the little punk knows how to talk." The fat guy grinned, veins bulging on his head.
Dante stared at him for a moment then drew his brows together.
"By the way, how did you even get here?" He turned around to the door. "Pretty sure those stairs barely fit one person, and you’re, like, six or seven."
"Alright, kid, that’s enough." Victor tried to step in. "You too, Greg, no need to-"
"No no, let him talk." The fat guy raised a hand to stop the fixer. "He clearly got something to say about my weight."
[Dante, this individual is attempting to dive into-]
Before Volcan could finish, Dante’s hand flashed, and the next instant, he had his Blue Berry pointed at the fatty, once again freezing everyone in the room.
"Go ahead." His eyes narrowed into a sharp, icy-cold glare. "Try hacking me again."
[The diving attempt has been successfully blocked.] Volcan said. [Would you like me to counterattack?]
Dante maintained his silence, his eyes not leaving the land whale. He watched the smirk gradually fade from his face, which grew paler by the second.
"Um... Dante, darling?" Stepping closer, the purple-haired woman placed a hand on his shoulders, her sultry tone completely gone. "Please put down your weapon. It’s unprofessional to take aim at a colleague." She turned to the whale and fixed him with a stern glare. "And Greg, tell us we heard him wrong."
The standoff continued for a few more seconds, and Dante refused to back down. Eventually, Greg the Whale raised his hands and stepped back.
"You win, kid." He said. "Few people can catch me mid-dive, let alone block it."
He sounded like an entirely different person, as if the rant from just now never happened. Dante lowered his pistol, then returned it to his armpit holster. The tension gradually dissipated, but it didn’t vanish completely.
Victor’s shoulders slumped as he heaved a long sigh. He glanced at Dante and smiled wryly, silently asking why he had to create this mess. Dante did the same, widening his eyes as if to ask how any of this was his fault. Just then, he felt the purple-haired woman lean toward him, bringing her face close to his ear as she whispered.
"I’m so wet right now."
A shiver rolled down his spine, and he quickly distanced himself, taking shelter behind his fixer.
"This job..." Having kept his silence this entire time, the man in the blue suit voiced his disappointment. "It will be quite draining on the mind, I presume."
"That, I can guarantee." Heaving another sigh, Victor glanced in Dante’s direction then straightened his back. "I guess some introductions are in order." He gestured for the purple-haired woman. "I’m guessing you have already met Rose. She’s a weapons dealer, among other things."
The woman in question waved with a smile.
"I heard you bought that Juggernaut from my shop." She said. "Please come again at any time."
[Violet Rose...] Volcan muttered, sounding as confused as his host. [So her name is Rose, and her hair is violet...]
’Don’t tell me...’
A lightning bolt struck Dante, banishing the fog clouding his mind. He almost punched himself, not understanding how he failed to connect the dots until now.
Victor went on, turning to the fatty who had already returned to his seat. "This is Greg, better known as Shark. He’s one of the best Divers Neo-Vatra has to offer."
’Whale would be more accurate.’
Coming back to his senses just in time, Dante decided to keep that part to himself, choosing to avoid sparking another conflict. Still, he couldn’t help but look at the diver.
The name Shark did ring a bell. From what he could remember, the Diver going by it was wanted by the authorities and those looking to pay for his services. Someone like that was a Level 2 Ascended Cyborg. It suddenly made sense why he was able to escape from the law for years.
"The titan over there is Kirk. An independent merc." Vic said. "And lastly, we have Mr. Pike."
He gestured to the gentleman in the blue suit, who raised his cup and gave a courteous nod. Bringing it to his mouth, he took a small sip and swallowed, closing his eyes to savor the taste. A couple of seconds later, he opened his eyes and looked around the room, his gaze lingering on Dante for a moment before he shifted to the fixer.
"Going by the quality of the personnel you have picked, I can tell what type of mission you are entrusting to us, Victor." He spoke in an even tone. "Please begin the presentation before any other... disturbances interrupt us."
"Sorry for the delay." The fixer gave him an apologetic look, then turned to Dante. "I will begin now so take a seat."
Keeping his mouth shut, Dante walked over to the sofa he spotted in the corner of his eye. As soon as he sat, Rose plopped down right beside him. He gave her a questioning look, but she only smiled back. When he tried to put some distance between them, she scooted nearer till her hip and shoulder were pressed against him.
Victor pretended not to notice and grabbed a tablet device from a nearby table. The lights were turned off soon after he began fiddling with it, and not long after, the wall facing the seating area brightened with the light from a hidden projector. Victor stepped in front of it and faced the others, clearing his throat as he prepared to speak. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
"First of all, let me thank all of you for accepting my invitation. After studying the request entrusted to me, I have come to the conclusion that the five of you are the best contractors for the job."
Moving aside, he turned to the projection and tapped on his tablet. An image appeared on the wall, showing what seems to be a sickle resting on a soft cushion inside a glass box.
The handle was fashioned from a dark blue crystal. The intricate shapes and symbols engraved into it spoke of the artisan’s talent, but even that beautiful piece of art paled in comparison to the blade it was attached to.
The sickle’s blade was a thin crescent carved out of lustrous white jade. It appeared simple, its surface polished without a single blemish. Nevertheless, whoever looks upon it seems to be mesmerized by the ethereal curve of the enchanting blade.
On the back of the glass box, a small piece of white fabric hung on a thin pole. On it was a blue emblem that depicted a crescent moon and three bamboo sticks, along with some leaves.
"This here is the Moon Dagger. A lost treasure belonging to the Mikazuki clan, the ancient rulers of the fallen Tōseika empire." Pausing, Victor faced the five and spoke with a solemn tone. "Our job will be to retrieve this item."
A brief moment of silence followed the statement. No one said anything as they continued to stare at the beautiful blade. Eventually, Mr. Pike spoke up.
"I do remember hearing of it before." He said, gently swirling the wine in his cup. "Since we are tasked with retrieving it, may I ask where this ancient relic is being kept?"
Victor held his gaze for a moment then turned to face the projection again, tapping the screen of his tablet, causing a new image to appear. This one showed a man with light brown skin and a receding hairline surrounded by men in black suits from all sides.
"Earlier this year, the relic was auctioned at the Winter House by Giovanni Romano."
The mood instantly changed as everyone collectively frowned, and for a good reason. Even Dante recognized the name. The Romano family was one of the biggest organized crime families in the entire Radmir Union, and though in recent times they have been steering away from illegal activities and engaging in clean commerce, many know it was nothing more than a front.
"I... don’t like where this is going..." Shark said, sounding quite a bit nervous.
As if responding to that remark, Victor tapped his tablet once more and a new photo appeared. This one showed the same old man from the previous photo shaking someone’s hand with a smile that reached his eyes. The other person seemed relatively young, but the relaxed expression he wore while holding the old man’s gaze showed that he wasn’t just anyone.
"This is Klaus Stahlwölfe, heir to the throne of the Stahlwölfe conglomerate."
"Oh for fuck’s sake!" Shark exclaimed.
"Quiet." Mr. Pike said then urged Vic to continue.
"As you might already know, the young prince is set to merry one of Giovanni’s granddaughters. I will spare you the details of why it’s happening. All you need to know is that both Giovanni and Klaus share the same expensive hobby of collecting relics from dead civilizations. Giovanni has offered the Moon Dagger to Klaus as a wedding gift, which is why it’s currently kept in a display room in the young heir’s private mansion."
"You got to be fucking kidding me!"
