438 Chapter 438: Stowaways (1/2)
”What are you kids doing here?!” I demanded, trying not to sound too astonished as I glowered at the two stowaways.
”Uh, we snuck aboard the hovercraft and hid somewhere,” Adrian explained, shifting anxiously. ”In the cargo compartment. Good thing it was narrow, so we didn't have any problems securing ourselves. We didn't fall around too much.”
Now that I looked at them closely, I could see a couple of bruises here and there. This is why you put on your seatbelt when in a plane, ladies and gentlemen.
”What I want to know,” Feng Hai said exasperatedly as he strode over. ”Is how two kids managed to sneak aboard our transport without anyone noticing.”
”Um…by magic?” Adrian ventured timidly. I didn't blame him. Feng Hai looked as if he was about to explode, but I feared his rage was directed more at his mercenaries for allowing a lapse in security than the kids themselves.
”We had this…” Melina nervously took out a stealth device, mistakenly thinking that Feng Hai was actually demanding a proper answer from the both of them. The mercenary leader paused for ammoment to study the stealth device, and then his jaw dropped.
”Where did you get that from?!”
”???”
All the mercenaries exchanged glances, thrown into confusion by their leader's sudden shock. I also wondered why he was making such a big deal over it. Stealth devices, while rare and expensive, weren't all that unusual – especially given how these two kids came from the ten Great Families, it was easily conceivable how they managed to get their paws on such a thing.
”This is a Tesla Tech-93 Invisible Air Enchanter,” Feng Hai explained, as if that designation meant anything. Seeing the blank looks on our faces, he continued. ”It's the latest and most hi-tech stealth device invented…was only released a couple of weeks ago. It was developed to fool even the senses of vetern mages and hi-tech detection scanners designed to counter such tech. Even the military doesn't have more than a handful of these devices. How did they…?”
”Eh? My father gave it to me.” Poor Melina was looking extremely confused. I didn't blame her. I would be shocked too if some gadget my father gave me turned out to be the latest, state-of-the-art, hi-tech device meant to circumvent even the military's defenses. ”I swear, I didn't know…”
”It's fine,” Feng Hai assured her, looking frustrated. ”Everyone, do another sweep. I don't want uninvited guests popping up in our midst again.”
”Sir, yes, sir!”
The mercenaries were glad their leader was no long directing his rage at them, and they returned to their jobs in gusto, scanning the place several times to ensure nothing got past them. Before I could join them, Feng Hai beckoned me over.
”These kids will be your responsibility. Take care of them.”
”Huh? Me?” Apparently Feng Hai wanted me to babysit them. Well, I didn't mind. I was fairly close to Adrian, and technically Melina was my student. ”Um, okay. Leave them to me. I'll keep an eye on them.”
”Out of all of us, you know them best, and they seem pretty attached to you.” he frowned. ”I'm guessing they snuck aboard and followed us because they saw you.”
”That is true,” Adrian admitted. He turned to me. ”We actually wanted to check on you after the semifinals, but then we saw you following the Silver Wolves and…” he trailed off and shrugged sheepishly. ”We got curious. We were wondering what you intended to do, leaving even though you have the third place match in a day or two.”
”I've to rescue someone,” I explained. ”A very close friend of mine is in trouble, and we're hoping to find a receptarier who can cure her. Or at last alleviate her conditions.”
”Eh? Who?”
”Anastasia. I don't know if you've met her before…”
”I think I might have…just once. The beautiful lady with long, green hair?”
”Yup, that's right.” I wasn't sure how Adrian met her, and I honestly didn't care. The kid was full of mysteries. ”She's an important member of the Silver Wolves, and we all want to save her. They recruited me to maximize their chances of success.”
”That makes sense. So that's why you agreed to go along.”
Adrian nodded. I glanced at Melina, who seemed to want to say something.
”What's the matter, Melina?”
”Uh, I…I…” she stammered nervously, her words caught in her throat. Adrian grinned and gave her an encouraging push.
”Go ahead and tell Brother Richard. We came all the way here just so you can talk to him directly, right?”
Wait, what? Oh…I see. I could roughly picture what had transpired. Adrian and Melina didn't just snuck onboard the Silver Wolves' transport and stowed away simply because they were curious, or on a childish whim. Melina had something seemingly important to talk to me about, and Adrian being Adrian, was more than happy to help her get in touch with me. Even if it meant sneaking aboard and stowing away on a mercenary's hovercraft at the risk of one's life.
…kids…
Pushing my glasses up my nose, I nodded and watched Melina, careful not to put on an irritated or intimidating expression. Kids loved me because I was friendly and approachable, and I wasn't some obnoxious edgelord scoffing at them while putting on airs about how the world was better off with 90% of the population dead, or how it was better to be alone because you couldn't trust anyone. Seriously, that sort of cynical, paranoid outlook was just insufferable…even worse when these edgelords came into the Internet and began projecting their nihilistic views on other people's stories, demanding that the protagonists be as ruthless, edgy or cynical as them.
Well, I like kids and I like hanging out with kids. I was proud not to be an edgelord who drove away people who enjoyed being in my company.
Feeling a bit more confident when I smiled warmly at her, Melina took a deep breath and responded with a timid smile of her own. Clenching her fists, she steeled herself and put her resolve into words.